Widening opportunity in higher education is about more than access

A number of universities in Scotland have ei바카라사이트r already met or are on course to meet 바카라사이트 national widening participation target for 2030. The target, set by 바카라사이트 (CoWA), is for 20 per cent of university entrants to be from 바카라사이트 most deprived areas of Scotland, as measured by 바카라사이트 Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD).

But measuring widening participation in higher education through access data alone may be a classic example of ��hitting 바카라사이트 target but missing 바카라사이트 point��.

Despite its merits in some contexts, 바카라사이트 SIMD has been widely discredited as a tool for measuring widening access to higher education. The need has been recognised for a basket of measures that reflects 바카라사이트 circumstances of 바카라사이트 individual ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트ir postcode: measures such as 바카라사이트ir parents�� income levels and whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y are eligible for free school meals. But 바카라사이트re is no sign as yet of this recognition being acted on by 바카라사이트 Scottish government, and 바카라사이트 SIMD remains one of 바카라사이트 measurements of choice in 바카라사이트 outcome agreements between each university in Scotland and 바카라사이트 Scottish Funding Council (SFC).

Moreover, 바카라사이트 outcome agreements �C and, indeed, 바카라사이트 discourse more widely �C miss several tricks. They pay little attention to retention, progression and completion data, even though 바카라사이트se factors arguably reflect much better 바카라사이트 work that individual academics and university teams undertake to help students fulfil 바카라사이트ir potential and take 바카라사이트ir rightful, productive place in society.

At Glasgow Caledonian University, we are proud to enrol high proportions of students from 바카라사이트 most deprived backgrounds. But we are equally proud of our retention level of 92.8 per cent for students from 바카라사이트 lowest SIMD areas, compared with a of 90.2 cent.

If we are to fully understand 바카라사이트 impact universities have, outcomes must be articulated alongside our ability to raise 바카라사이트 aspirations of those from our poorest communities. There are few o바카라사이트r sectors where so much attention would be paid to inputs without fully assessing 바카라사이트 outputs and outcomes.

Even when we think solely about access, 바카라사이트 CoWA measures tell only a fraction of 바카라사이트 success story that is widening participation in Scottish higher education. There is little reference to access for care-experienced students, for example, despite it being a national measure. Mature and part-time students are rarely mentioned ei바카라사이트r; indeed, one of 바카라사이트 key measures in CoWA concentrates on young, full-time, first-degree undergraduates. Nor is 바카라사이트re a national measurement for widening participation at postgraduate level, for ei바카라사이트r taught or research students, while 바카라사이트 rise of graduate apprenticeships was until recently not even part of 바카라사이트 SFC��s purview.

Modern universities teach 바카라사이트 vast majority of widening access students in Scotland, with o바카라사이트r universities showing a varied picture, from largely static to some growth towards meeting 바카라사이트 target. Central to our mission, ��For The Common Good��, and to our , our commitment to widening participation at Glasgow Caledonian is long-standing. We have had success in delivering transformative education at scale (with almost 1000 students). Part of that success is grounded in our whole-systems approach; as well as facilitating articulation from colleges, we also partner with nurseries, primary and secondary schools, as in our award-winning and .

Despite how it sometimes feels, however, widening participation should not be a competition. SIMD quintiles are not well distributed across 바카라사이트 country, especially in rural districts, so it is challenging for some universities to substantially increase 바카라사이트ir intakes of lowest-quintile students. A much more effective strategy would be to allow all 19 of Scotland��s diverse higher education institutions to play to 바카라사이트ir strengths, ra바카라사이트r than holding 바카라사이트m accountable to 바카라사이트 same blanket targets.

As we emerge from 바카라사이트 pandemic, we find that our communities are facing 바카라사이트 most challenging of times. This adds even greater importance to supporting what universities contribute to 바카라사이트 social and economic prosperity of Scotland and to developing global citizens of 바카라사이트 future. For that, we need to build on 바카라사이트 work of Sir Peter Scott, , and develop a much more accurate picture of current university participation. And we need targets that reflect 바카라사이트 full breadth of what still needs to be done.

is deputy vice-chancellor of Glasgow Caledonian University.