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Enhancing the First Year Experience

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

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Enhancing the First Year Experience

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  1. Enhancing the First Year Experience Clare Carter University of Ulster

  2. 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

  3. 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

  4. Reasons given for withdrawal

  5. 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

  6. 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

  7. 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

  8. 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

  9. 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;

  10. Questionnaires • On entry • Later first semester • Withdrawing students

  11. Outcomes • Profile of first year students • Expectations of university • family experience of HE • accommodation • employment • travel times • Do students withdrawing show particular risk factors?

  12. Outcomes (2) • Handbook of recommendations of good practice for enhancing retention • Piloting of recommendations next year • Roll-out across University 2005-06

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