Taking a strategic institutional approach to

access and student success

Professor Eileen MartinDeputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic)

Strategy for Access and

Student SuccessOFFA

Agreement

So how do you develop and implement a ‘strategic approach’?

OFFA Agreement

Institutional Plan WPSA Equality Act

Academic Strategy

Learning and

Teaching

Business Engagement

StrategyResearch Strategy

Marketing and

Recruitment Strategy

Financial Forecasts

Mission and Vision

E&D Strategy

Retention and

Progression Strategy Fees

Strategy

WP Strategy

Values

Character

Aims

• Agreement can help establish clear process

• Define the ‘How?’ to deliver the strategies’ ‘What?’

In other words…

Irrespective of the ‘type’ of institution access agreements have relevance it is just the emphasis which is nuanced. The participation and success of students is of importance to us all.

The Teesside ContextMission

Providing opportunities, driving enterprise, delivering excellence

Working in partnership to enable individuals and organisations to achieve their potential through high quality learning, research and knowledge transfer

The Teesside Context• One of the sector’s leading institutions for

recruiting WP students• Over 80% OFFA countable student population• Strong regional recruitment with a range of

WP characteristics• Extensive collaborative arrangements for

delivery

The Process

• Getting institutional ‘buy-in’ at all levels – How?

– ‘alignment’

The Process

• Start with the data, across the whole student lifecycle

• Analysis of data

The Process

• Analysis of data –where are we?

• Identifying trends –where are we going?

• Clarifying and defining strategic objectives–where do we want to go?

The Process• Establishing targets– What will move us there?

• Identifying actions– Who is going to do what?

• Establishing resources– What do we need to commit?

• Monitoring– How do we measure?

The Process• Consultation– Management– Staff at all levels – Students– Collaborative partners

• Involvement• Ownership

The Process • Must be dynamic, ongoing, and progress

evaluated and reported at established institutional fora e.g. – recruitment/admissions committees

– Learning and teaching committees – E&D events – Student experience partnership

committee

WPSA

OFFA Agreement

Institutional Plan

Equality Act

Academic Strategy

Learning and

Teaching

Business Engagement

StrategyResearch Strategy

Marketing and

Recruitment Strategy

Financial Forecasts

Mission and Vision

E&D Strategy

Retention and

Progression Strategy Fees

Strategy

WP Strategy

Values

Character

Aims

Challenges

• Securing and maintaining engagement – of partners– of senior management – making it meaningful to academic staff – ensuring student involvement throughout the lifecycle

Challenges • Fit with internal planning cycles/overlap of

agreements (annual cycles) • Long-term sustainability and effectiveness of

activities – outreach

• Impact measures

Challenges?

Challenges?

• Turbulence – Policy/funding changes– Changing definition/emphases around

social inclusion/mobility – success

Challenges?

• Predicting the future– targets that get ‘locked in’

• Establishing targets

– when is stretch realistic?

Some questions?

• Do scholarships and bursaries contribute to access and success or is it a recruitment incentive?

• Which segment of the market might find them attractive/helpful?

What happens post election?

Thank you