Annual Academic Year Review 2007-2008 (17th edition)
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- 2 Student recruitment and admissions
- 2.4 Education Liaison and Widening Participation
1 IntroductionThe Annual Academic Year Review 2007/08 provides the Academic Board with an informative and reflective overview of academic support activity and performance during the period 1st August 2007 to 31st July 2008. Its intention is to highlight central departments’ major developments, achievements and innovations during the period, rather than forming a comprehensive and detailed record of all the university’s activities. The Review assists the Academic Board to fulfil its responsibilities towards the achievement of the aims and objectives of the university’s Corporate Plan and Annual Operating Statement. University staff may also find it a useful single source of information and reference regarding the range of the university’s academic support activities. The information contained in the Review is particularly used to support the university’s annual process for assuring academic quality and enhancement (the ‘academic health’ process). It informs and complements the annual academic health reports prepared by schools and faculties in the autumn term. Together with these reports, it forms the focus of the annual academic health meeting of the Academic Standards Committee. The timing of the production of the Review ensures that it is available at a sufficiently early stage in the academic year to contribute to debates within the university about the maintenance and enhancement of academic performance and the quality of the student experience. The University of Brighton has produced an Annual Academic Year Review since its adoption of a University title in September 1992. It is now in its seventeenth edition. 2 Student recruitment and admissionsOverview This chapter summarises the work of the Recruitment and Admissions division of Registry during 2007-08, including a statistical overview of application rates for 2008 entry. Student Admission Processes and Procedures The division continues to monitor and advise colleagues and the senior management team on sector wide developments and the implications for policy and procedure. A revised Admissions Policy was developed to take account of the new QAA Code of Practice on Recruitment and Admissions. This was approved by Academic Board in 2007 and is available on staffcentral. After some confusion the UK Border Agency (UKBA) criteria and procedures governing the operation of the new points based immigration system were announced. The division is leading the development of the university system to deal with the changes required for admission of international students. The Statistical Consultancy Unit (SCU) ran its annual “Why Choose Brighton” and “Decliners” surveys of new students to ascertain what influences students to choose or refuse a place at Brighton. Generally, the findings corresponded with previous years with the main influence being the availability of the particular course. The survey highlighted a continuing shift towards using the website, although the prospectus remains highly influential, the use by undergraduates is declining. Responses also indicated students wanted more course specific information. The main negative influences are fears over money, availability of halls and the general high cost of living in the area. Student Applications There has been a 4.09% decline in the number of students applying to study undergraduate courses at the university in 2008-09 (down from 28,883 in 2007-08 to 27,653 in 2008-09). This compares to a 7.31% downturn in applications in the sector overall, and a 4.81% downturn among the university’s main competitor institutions. However, the trend data shows an overall increase in applications to the university over the period 2006 -2008, up 11.6% for the two year period. This compares favourably to the national trend which shows an overall decrease of 1.54% for the period. By comparison our main competitors show a 0.85% increase for the period. Figures are based on UCAS data published at the end of June 2008, the latest available. Undergraduate applications declined more sharply than applications to study at Foundation Degree level. The former are down by 8.4% (from 23,990 for 2007 entry to 21,968 for 2008 entry) compared with a 3.2% downturn in Foundation Degrees (down from 2,323 applications in 2007 to 2,248 applications in 2008). Numbers for undergraduate and foundation degree application rates are based on UCAS data published at the end of March 2008, the latest available. Trend analysis shows that application rates vary by as little as +1 and -1 % between March and June. All courses were entered into clear this year, with the exception of medicine. Current figures indicate that 729 offers were accepted by students during clearing for study at undergraduate and foundation degree level. The division was commended by admissions colleagues on the smooth operation of clearing and the quality of the advice and guidance to staff and students. The university’s main competitor remains the University of Portsmouth. The other main competitors are Bournemouth, UWE, Kingston, Oxford Brookes, and Plymouth. This has not changed over the past few years. Aggregate data for competitor universities indicates that they have experienced a down turn in application rates of 4.8% from 2007 to the end of June 2008. 2.4 Education Liaison and Widening ParticipationThe three October open days saw record numbers of students and visitors. Additional campus tours and information where undertaken in an attempt to meet the continued growth in demand for visits to the university by students and their families. Campus tours ran monthly from October to December and from March to July. They were complemented by subject specific information days in Chelsea School, School of Service Management, School of Education Brighton Business School, School of Applied Social Science and the geography/geology subject cluster. The team ran 129 external events, including visits to schools, careers fairs and targeted HE Fairs (aimed at Year 12 students) and attended a number of European events, including a tour of selected international schools in the EU. A new Widening Participation Manager has appointed, replacing the previous post which had been located in SPU and additional staff recruited to support WP work. During the year the team submitted a successful proposal to the Frank Buttle Trust and were awarded the Quality Mark for commitment to care leavers entering higher education. A new scheme for care leavers was launch. The scheme provides additional financial support, guaranteed student accommodation in the first year, and other support to students who have been in care. At the time of writing 22 care leavers were enrolled on courses, 8 of whom were eligible for support. The remainder are being assessed for eligibility. Directory: reg reg -> Board of Historic Resources Quarterly Meeting 16 June 2016 Sponsor Markers Diversity reg -> Port Cambeltown dated 8th April 1830 Name reg -> Contents september 2009 I. Executive order reg -> In this issue reg -> Reginald irenee vachon reg -> Index for the Register Volumes 72-108 (1974-2010) reg -> A century of ufo sightings and Close Encounters in the Midwest Download 2.04 Mb. Share with your friends:
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