September 2011
HE Advisers section on the FACE website
Speakers' Corner - Maggie Mclinden on Sustaining WP Partnerships
Notice of Conferences and Seminars
What else is in the News? Other sources of education news online
HE Advisers section on the FACE website
SOS: Sources of Support
www.f-a-c-e.org.uk/sos/sos.html
A new section has been added to the FACE website, embedding a piece of work originally done by Aimhigher Southwest and the Western Vocational Lifelong Learning Network. The purpose of this new section of the site is to support the work of any educational professionals whose role includes advising students/clients about study in Higher Education by providing convenient online access to a range of online resources. It can be accessed from the main FACE website from the button “Advisers SOS” on the main navigation menu.
By embedding this Aimhigher/WVLLN website into the online provision offered by FACE we are happy to be contributing to the Aimhigher and LLN legacy.
Speakers' Corner
As a member-oriented organisation FACE would like to invite individual colleagues to have their say on any issue of concern in UK education policy and practice. This is a purely personal point of view and should not be thought to represent any institution, organisation, or official body. To have your say, email James.Tate@uwe.ac.uk
This month's speaker is Maggie Mclinden of the University of East London who is concerned that the great benefits of partnership working in widening participation may be under serious threat.
Sustaining the Practice of Working in Partnerships
For the past 11 years I have been privileged to work in the area of widening participation, the last six and a half being based in East London. During that time we have seen this ‘call to arms’ develop from a one year HEFCE funding initiative in 1999 to an approach that is supposedly embedded within the higher education sector. There have been debates between social justice and economic imperatives as the journey has continued against a background of frequent changes of ministers and, latterly, with a seismic change from a Labour to a Conservative Government. But despite all of this there has been continuity due to the work of widening participation being underpinned by a partnership approach. My fear is that we are now at a point where this partnership approach is being swept away.
In my own peer group I feel like I am the only person not out job hunting. Many of the public and third sector structures that we employed previously are being removed. I’m not arguing that, at times, this work couldn’t have been delivered more efficiently but it feels like the baby is being thrown out with the bath water. At the University of East London we have striven to move away from a project-based and stand-alone approach. We work with our local schools and colleges to develop whole-institution action plans that impact on students and staff to provide information about progression opportunities and, we hope, empower informed decision-making, allowing local students to consider higher education as a viable option. To do this our community needs to work together. Up until recently we worked with regular role-holders and networks in our local boroughs that enabled us to benefit our potential student body. I now seem to spend most of my time working out how to reach groups and identify who’s who; carrying out the same task many times as I speak to 17 schools in one area rather than work through 1 Aimhigher co-ordinator.
This year then, I feel there are many challenges. For the students, with the impending increase in fees, it’s got to be about key messages on the viability of considering higher education as an option and continuing to build on their aspirations for a brighter future. Looking at the process we use to go about this, however, it has to be about sustaining and building on the legacy of the partnerships of the last decade to ensure a strong base for continued partnership working in the future.
Maggie Mclinden, University of East London
Notice of Conferences and Seminars
The AFSA Diversity Challenge Annual Conference 17-18 November 2011
Making equality and human rights organisational core
business
- moving away from a tick box exercise
This conference will look at how organisations can manage diversity to enhance corporate reputation, support culture change and boost employee involvement and performance. This event is a unique opportunity to examine equality and human rights within the context of the challenges facing the fire and rescue service and debate some of the key issues and seek out solutions that will make a real difference. The conference will be supported by a range of thought provoking and motivational workshops including:
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how to become effective and influential communicators - using Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) techniques,
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how to solve difficult problems with limited resources by harnessing community knowledge through community coaching (positive deviance) methodology
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the use of coaching and mentoring models to meet the development needs of employees.
£250: Two day conference including a Celebrating Diversity Evening.
Download conference flyer. Download Booking Form and Accommodation Details.
Learning Cities and Regions Conference
The PASCAL Observatory invites you to join the EUROlocal team partners and associates at a Conference/Workshop from 27-29 October in Murten, Switzerland marking the culmination of this two-year project part-funded by the European Commission. This Conference/Workshop will bring together academics and practitioners in practical sessions to explore all aspects of Learning Cities and Regions. At the same time it will give delegates the opportunity to describe their own experiences and knowledge on this most important topic.
Attendance at the Conference/Workshop is a must for regional developers, local authorities, academics in disciplines associated with regional development and regional and national decision-makers.
The event is to be held at the Centre Loewenberg situated in the historical town of Murten in Switzerland. Full programme details are published at Pascal Observatory.org, together with an application form and travel information.
For further information, please contact Lynette Jordan or Ruth Jermann.
What else is in the News?
For the latest UK Education headlines and stories go to the FACE News Feeds page where you'll find the online news feeds of several of the sources listed below gathered together on one page for easy access.
The Department of Education news page http://www.education.gov.uk/news
The Guardian http://education.guardian.co.uk
The Independent http://news.independent.co.uk/education
The BBC http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/default.stm
The Times Higher Education http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk
This is the September 2011 eBulletin from FACE (the Forum for Access and Continuing Education), offered to practitioners, policy-makers, researchers and others with an interest in access, widening participation and lifelong learning. The eBulletin is sent to colleagues in the sector, members and non-members alike. If you would prefer not to receive it, please contact James.Tate@uwe.ac.uk and your details will be removed from the circulation list.
If you wish to respond to anything in this eBulletin or contribute to the October 2011 issue, please email Jim at James.Tate@uwe.ac.uk