Enhancing the First Year Experience Clare Carter University of Ulster.
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Transcript of Enhancing the First Year Experience Clare Carter University of Ulster.
Enhancing the First Year Experience
Clare Carter
University of Ulster
Widening Participation
• UU committed to widening participation• HEFCE benchmark is 28% participation
from social classes IIIM, IV and V (1999-2000 intake)
• UU rate was 39%• Students must also be retained and
progress• One initiative is Step-Up programme
UU retention
• Benchmark for 1999-2000 entry was 10%, 8% for young entrants and 15% for mature entrants
• Actual rate that year was 11%, 10% for young entrants and 13% for mature entrants
Reasons given for withdrawal
05
1015202530354045
%
UU project
• Collate good practice within the university• Collect information on aspects of 1st year
experience• Collect information on first year student opinion• Collect good practice from elsewhere• Construct programme relating good practice to
identified student needs• Pilot and evaluate in year 2• Finalise and disseminate
Initiatives already on-going in some faculties
• Review of Induction
• Review of first year curriculum
• Enhancing role of studies advisor
• Enhancing subject support
• Enhancing study skills support
• Monitoring of attendance with follow-up
What happens to first year students
• Collection of information relating to:– pre-entry provision of information to
prospective and incoming students– induction– curriculum – studies support– assessment
Student Characteristics
• Most students are from Ireland?• Working part-time?• Many are first in family to go into higher
education?• Many are not confident about their study
skills when they come to university?
• Evidence is needed
Student diversity
• We know:– how many; ages; qualifications; ethnicity;
disability;
• We don’t know:– family experience of HE; extent of outside
employment; incoming student expectations about study in HE;
Questionnaires
• On entry
• Later first semester
• Withdrawing students
Outcomes
• Profile of first year students– Expectations of university– family experience of HE– accommodation– employment– travel times
• Do students withdrawing show particular risk factors?
Outcomes (2)
• Handbook of recommendations of good practice for enhancing retention
• Piloting of recommendations next year
• Roll-out across University 2005-06