Following the launch of our ’40 Faces’ campaign on 15 April, we wrote to Sue Webber MSP as the Convener of the Scottish Parliament’s Education, Children and Young People’s Committee. The campaign calls on stakeholders to refocus their efforts towards the ambitious access goals set for 2030 by the Commission for Widening Access in the…
Tag: Widening access
University students from underrepresented backgrounds highlight importance of the access agenda and the need to achieve the 2030 access goals
Universities Scotland, which represents Scotland’s 19 universities and higher education institutions, has today (Monday, 15 April) unveiled a new campaign on widening access, called “40 Faces”. The campaign gives a platform for 40 non-traditional students and graduates to share their experience of university and set out their perspectives on what is key to achieving Scotland’s…
Briefing on widening access: Scottish Government debate
Ahead of the Scottish Government led debate on widening access this week, we have prepared a brief that has went to MSPs which outlines our key asks for the widening access agenda. This is to ensure universities are able to meet the 2030 target of 20% of students from the most 20% deprived areas attend…
Joint Articulation: what is it and what are the priorities?
Last week, the Commissioner for Fair Access, Professor John H. McKendrick published his first annual report on widening access to HE. In it, he champions an alliance between colleges and universities as a means to achieving the access targets. Colleges and universities have been working closely together on progression routes at both national and regional…
Fair access to university: Commissioner’s report for 2024
Today the Commissioner for Fair Access, Professor John McKendrick has published his independent report Higher education – renewing the alliance for fair access. This is the sixth fair access report commissioned by the Scottish Government. Professor John McKendrick considers how the framework for promoting fair access can be strengthened with twenty recommendations to help achieve…
Widening access success as record number of students enter university
Interim targets on widening access met Increased numbers of widening access, care experienced and disabled students entering university An increase in the proportion of students coming to university from college Universities Scotland has welcomed the release of the Report on Widening Access 2021-22 by the Scottish Funding Council. Commenting on the report, Alastair Sim, Director…
Erasmus+ and the replacement schemes in place across the UK
We were given the opportunity to provide evidence to the Education, Children and Young People Committee on their inquiry into Erasmus+ and the replacement schemes in place across the UK. In our evidence we highlight: Scotland’s students, staff and universities would benefit significantly from the introduction of a two-way mobility scheme in Scotland, that would complement…
Students’ hopes, uncertainties and university support revealed to Minister on visit to Queen Margaret University
Students attending universities from across Edinburgh met the Minister for Higher and Further Education; and Minister for Veterans, Graeme Dey MSP, to share the range of challenges and opportunities they face as undergraduates, in a visit to Queen Margaret University Edinburgh on Thursday 20 April. Universities across Scotland offer active support to their students in…
Response to the Scottish Government’s consultation on post-school education, research and skills: interim purpose and principles
We have welcomed the opportunity to respond to the Scottish Government’s post-school education, research and skills: interim purpose and principles exercise. We have engaged with the Scottish Government during the consultation phase, which closed on 24 March 2023, culminating in our formal response to their draft.
Universities Scotland welcome appointment of new Commissioner for Fair Access
Responding to today’s Scottish Government announcement of Professor John McKendrick as the new Commissioner for Fair Access to Higher Education in Scotland, David Lott, Deputy Director of Universities Scotland said: “We welcome the appointment of John McKendrick as Commissioner for Fair Access. We look forward to Professor McKendrick building on the university sector’s achievements in…