Widening Participation

Institutional widening participation policies and strategies

All institutions have a widening participation policy or strategy. Each will be different, in terms of activities, initiatives targets and audience, as each institution is starting from a different point, is located in a different environment and has a different mission with regard to widening participation.

What might it feature?

• Reaching out and raising aspirations - providing information about opportunities through local links to disadvantaged or under-represented communities
  
  • Providing support prior to students starting higher education, for example; academic preparation; information about courses, accommodation and what is expected of students; easily accessed support; familiarisation with new rules/environment, financial assistance (e.g. bursaries and grants); provision of special facilities. Re-assurance may be one of the most important aspects of any widening participation strategy - letting students know about the support there is available to them
  
  • Facilitating recruitment into higher education - helping with financial matters, housing, support, inclusion into the student body
  
  • Ensuring retention and success - both academic and personal support, for example support for numeracy and literacy skills or a buddy scheme within departments or over the whole institution
  
  • Assisting with exit to employment - this again may involve raising awareness and aspirations and arranging support through the careers service and personal tutors

Widening participation should also be considered as a joined-up issue, involving or linking to other institutional policies such as learning and teaching strategies and institutional strategic plans.

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