HE in FE Partnerships: Case Study Locally based HE in FE University of Plymouth Colleges

1. HE in FE Partnerships: Case StudyLocally based HE in FEUniversity of Plymouth Colleges Barry J Smith Nick Davy Community of Practice Developers Higher Education Learning Partnerships Centre for Excellence in Teaching & Learning

2. University of Plymouth - Commitment to Communities • Service to the Region • Commitment to Widening Participation • Supporting local enterprises • Commitment to increasing opportunity through local partnerships

3. Good partnerships add value • Transparent and secure funding • Shared Planning and Strategy • Collaborative access to funding sources • QA support and enhancement • Professional Development • Learning Resources • Students Union support • Curriculum Development

4. 15 yrs growth and achievement • Largest HE/FE partnership in UK • Queens Anniversary Prize 1994 • National Foundation degree pilots • New CUC buildings across Cornwall • Excellent QAA reviews • Strong student retention & progression record • Major Widening Participation successes • 2005 HE in FE focused CETL

5. Successes - Local HE • A network of Partner Colleges providing HE in FE in every FEI across SOUTH WEST ENGLAND • 7,000+ students • Clear progression paths from FE3, NVQ and Access courses to HNC, HND, FdA and some BA (Hons) programmes • Further progression to UoP top-up honours degrees

6. The UNIVERSITY and its Partner Colleges CITY of BRISTOL COLLEGE NORTH DEVON COLLEGE EAST DEVON COLLEGE Associated Partner College Accredited Partner College SOMERSET COLLEGE of ARTS & TECHNOLOGY DUCHY COLLEGE Bristol ST AUSTELL COLLEGE BICTON COLLEGE Minehead TRURO COLLEGE Cannington Bridgwater Barnstaple Taunton SCHOOL of MARITIME OPERATIONS HMS DRYAD CORNWALL COLLEGE Tiverton Bude Okehampton Bicton Exeter WEYMOUTH COLLEGE Sidmouth Exmouth FALMOUTH COLLEGE of ARTS Weymouth Bodmin Dartington Duchy EXETER COLLEGE Schumacher Liskeard Torbay PLYMOUTH Saltash St. Austell Brixham PENWITH COLLEGE Dartmouth SOUTH DEVON COLLEGE Redruth Truro Camborne Penzance Falmouth Helston BRITANNIA ROYAL NAVALCOLLEGE Culdrose Jersey PLYMOUTH COLLEGE OF FE RN SCHOOL OF METEOROLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY RNAS CULDROSE HIGHLANDS COLLEGE - JERSEY DARTINGTON COLLEGE of ARTS PLYMOUTH COLLEGE of ART & DESIGN SCHUMACHER COLLEGE JOHN KITTO COMMUNITY COLLEGE ESTOVER COMMUNITY COLLEGE RN HYDROGAPHIC SCHOOL HMS DRAKE

7. BUT could do better! • Low community profile, poorly communicated market niche • Lack of understanding of terms ‘HE’ ‘Partner College’ • QA lacks local management involvement • Planning becoming unwieldy • Variable practice between faculties…… • Diffuse staff and student identity • University of Wisconsin Colleges

8. University of Plymouth Colleges Mission University of Plymouth Partner Colleges (UPC) will provide high quality dispersed Higher Education to serve the peninsular sub-region of the South West, to widen participation and further economic development

9. UPC - a new era • High profile University brand for colleges • Unashamed celebration of dispersed university and its niche for local study • UPC Faculty Board - Planning, Strategy, Deliberative, QA processes • College based QA - local Joint Boards of Studies • Focused support: Quality Enhancement, Curriculum Development, Academic Community, Student Progression

10. Benefits for students 1 • A clearer understanding of the benefits of local university level study • Improved course provision • Assurance of UoP quality and progression • Access to UoP facilities -Library, Students Union; Sport; Earn & Learn • Access to learning materials via the University e-Portal

11. Benefits for students 2 • Less expense by studying from home • Fees differential? • Clear link between Foundation degree and employability • Small group sizes, known college environment, dedicated teaching staff

12. Benefits to the Region • Local provision for local needs • Enhanced opportunities for Widening Participation and Social inclusion • A comprehensive portfolio of foundation degrees, meeting local economic development needs • Development of a seamless provision of services to business and employers

13. Curriculum • Replace HND with FdA & embed HNC into FdA where appropriate • Employer engagement with new Fd’s to respond to demonstrable need and demand • Part-time, distance, work based and e-supported learning routes • Distance Learning top-ups in selected subject areas • Develop core curricula that are adapted to local delivery by Colleges through validation not franchise • Professional development of UPC academic staff including scholarly activity

14. Subject ‘Forums’ • Faculty led, cross-partnership, with focus on the enhancement of quality; curriculum development; student progression; staff development • Aiming to create a culture of academic community extending across the university and its partners, with an ethos of ‘critical friendship’

15. HELP CETL support for UPC Vision • To invest heavily in developing HE in FE staff and teaching expertise • To provide uniformly high quality student learning opportunities and infrastructure across the region • To inspire teaching and learning communities to research their practices and to share & disseminate activities & learning materials within the region and beyond • Enhanced student learning experiences

16. Realising the vision • Rewarding and recognising staff • recognise existing expertise & excellence • build capacity in pedagogic research and scholarship • Supporting dynamic and effective physical and virtual regional and national Communities of Practice • Facilitating Development Activities • bring together, and call on the experience of, major partnership networks from across the UK and other relevant national and international organizations, including the HE Academy

17. HELP CETL AWARD SCHEME Aims: Focus on scholarship and pedagogic development within HE in FE Support individual academics to pursue interests Enable excellent HE in FE teachers to succeed at a competitive funding processPlatforms for research activity across the partnershipDevelop a potential community of practice

18. HELP CETL AWARD/CPD SCHEMEFellowship Awards Funding up to £10,000 excellent HE in FE teaching staffsubstantial research project or development initiatives outcomes of relevance to:national HE in FE learning and teaching context across subjects Colleges/UPC approx 20%part of the fund to support own personal and professional development. Up to £3000 for CPD activities ambassadors for the work of the HELP CETL leadership role to play in the development themes emergent communities of practice

19. Future challenges • Applying the community of practice model • Realistic awareness of resource implications for FE colleagues undertaking scholarly activity/research • The complexity of the project • Strengthening the relationships between colleges and university • Attitudes • Culture • Competition

20. Key strands of the HELP -CETL • Blended / e-learning • Work based learning • Retention, transition & progression • HE in FE pedagogy – theory into practice; interdisciplinary trading zones • Developing communities of practice – collegiate co-operation through subject forums • Management, leadership & governance HE in FE • Developing the infrastructure

21. Communities of Practice • The CETL is working to support new and emerging communities to research their practices and to share & disseminate activities & learning materials within the region and beyond • The aim is facilitate both groups and networks to become more effective physical and virtual Communities • Initial work on technological tools

22. Key Contacts • Ian Tunbridge Dean of University of Plymouth Colleges itunbridge@plymouth.ac.uk • Mark Stone Director of the Higher Education Learning Partnerships Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (HELP CETL) University of Plymouth Colleges m2stone@plymouth.ac.uk • Barry Smith/ Nick Davy • Community of Practice Developer Higher Education Learning Partnerships Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (HELP CETL) University of Plymouth Colleges Barry.smith@plymouth.ac.ukndavy@plymouth.ac.uk