Information Scotland

The Journal of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals in Scotland

April 2006 Volume 4(2)

Aiming Higher

Students wanted

Jill Evans reports on how universities in Scotland are working to widen access to higher education.

Universities Scotland and their member institutions consider that the achievement of a more socially inclusive higher education sector is a priority. As it stated recently in Action for Inclusion: ‘The Scottish higher education sector is built on the belief that everyone should have the opportunity to achieve their full academic potential, irrespective of their background or circumstances.’

One of every two young people in Scotland is now entering higher education (HE) but the increased participation is not evenly distributed across social groups: 17 per cent of students in Scotland are from communities with low levels of HE participation compared to a UK average of 12 per cent. Four types of barriers were identified as inhibiting individuals from considering HE: academic, cultural, institutional and practical.

The first, a lack of academic qualifications required for entry to HE, has been addressed by access courses, now offered from 67 per cent of Scotland’s HE institutions. Examples among SCURL member institutions include:
>> Dundee University. An Introduction to Arts and Social Sciences where successful completion of a year-long programme ensures a place on the MA degree. Approximately 20 students per year complete the course and progress to study at Dundee University.
>> Edinburgh University. A ‘Credit For Entry’ course for mature students, or for students on low incomes, in the disciplines of arts and social sciences. 40 students per year are accepted to the course which prepares them for full-time undergraduate study.
>> The University of Strathclyde. A summer school in the Science and Engineering Faculty gives potential students the opportunity to study on a university campus prior to the start of the academic year. This summer school is targeted at young people from schools with low participation rates.
>> The University of St Andrews. Unique in Scotland, it offers the Sutton Trust Summer School with 60 places for students from state schools with little or no previous experience of sending pupils to university, and to pupils from non-professional backgrounds. All pupils selected are considered to be academically able and are about to enter their final year of secondary school.
>> The University of Paisley. The ‘Preparing For Success’ credit-rated modular course is designed to facilitate entry to the university for students new to HE. No previous qualifications are required.

In each case university libraries have supported these students by offering library tours, supplying library cards to enable the students to access and borrow material, and giving help and guidance with the learning experience.

The FE-HE Transition report from Universities Scotland stated: ‘There are currently over 2,000 formal articulation routes between higher education institutions and further education colleges which support Higher National (HN) diplomats to transfer directly to the second or third year of a degree course.’

A recent circular from the Scottish Funding Council, FE-HE Articulation, endorses the programmes and projects available. Within the science discipline, it was evident that close liaison between college and university staff did provide progression for many students. Lectures and tutorials offered in larger class sizes was one area which students recognised their need to adjust as they were used to smaller, more intimate learning styles at college. Examples from the SCURL membership include:
l Abertay University Library and Information Services works closely with local Dundee secondary schools to ensure their pupils gain information literacy skills prior to studying at university.
l The Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow offers a Junior Academy of Drama for P4 to S6 pupils where workshops, musical theatre and acting are taught on Saturdays.
l Glasgow School of Art offer the Clydesdale Bank ‘Art For All’ project which provides one-day workshops for second year school pupils to continue studying art in their third year at school and ultimately to progress to further and higher education.
Lauder College, Dunfermline, actively supports articulation with a wide range of subjects. A quick look at their website reveals assistance for students who require Higher qualifications to progress to HE or for university entrance. Courses include biology, chemistry, languages, mathematics, psychology, and sociology. The College Library/Learning Resource Service provides information and resources to support the learning needs of their users in two library sites with access to e-book , e-journals, plus a print collection.

The SCURL Service Development Manager’s remit also includes liaising with JISC, Joint Information Systems Committee, Regional Support Centres in Scotland and to receive their informative electronic information bulletin, Newsfeed. The RSC in Scotland recently announced a new course on e-gardening. This heralds possibilities for housebound potential gardeners, regardless of ability, or age, to learn in their own environment and cultivate new skills in, perhaps, a new discipline or subject.

The Herald newspaper on 10 March reported on a socially inclusive opportunity to study an M.Litt in Islamic Studies and an M.Litt in Islamic Jerusalem Studies attached to a SCURL member institution, the University of Abertay, within the School of Social and Health Sciences. The literature says that these courses will contribute to an “area of humanities with crucial relevance to today’s world” and that “the next generation of scholars will set the agenda to face the challenges and opportunities of a diverse and multicultural world in the 21st century”. IS

Jill Evans is Scottish Confederation of University and Research Libraries (SCURL) Service Development Manager.

Information Scotland Vol. 4(2) April 2006

Information Scotland is delivered online by the SAPIENS electronic publishing service based at the Centre for Digital Library Research. SLAINTE (Scottish libraries across the Internet) offers further information about librarianship and information management in Scotland.

Last updated: 24-May-2006