Widening Participation and Fair Access
The University has a long-standing commitment to widening participation (WP) and fair access, not only to its own programmes of study, but also to the HE experience in general.
The University´s Widening Participation Strategic Assessment and Access Agreement details our current priorities with respect to:
- increasing the opportunities for students from under represented groups to benefit from study at Sheffield or at other HE institutions (Getting In);
- ensuring that students have access to resources and support that reflect their diversity of backgrounds and prior experience in order to enable them to fulfil their potential (Getting Through);
- providing our students with opportunities to enhance their preparedness for graduate employment and develop their capacity for further professional and academic study (Getting On).
Fair Access
In July 2011 the Office for Fair Access (OFFA) approved the University's Access Agreement for 2012-2013 which sets out the University's plans for ensuring fair access to students from under-represented groups through outreach work and financial support. The activities which the University has committed itself to within the Access Agreement are, therefore, an intrinsic part of the University's strategy for widening participation. This University's Access Agreement 2012-13 will superced the Agreement for 2006-2011.
OFFA is an independent non-departmental public body which aims to promote and safeguard fair access to higher education for under- represented groups in light of the introduction of variable tuition fees in 2006-07. Without the approval of OFFA, the University would not be able to charge tuition fees for full-time students above the standard level from 2006-07.
WP Research and Evaluation Unit (WPREU)
Established in May 2012, WPREU is responsible for:
- delivering institution-specific research projects about the impact of the University's WP activities;
- monitoring and evaluating the University's WP activities and developing and maintaining an evaluation strategy;
- coordinating the submission of external WP reporting requirements (e.g. HEFCE, OFFA) and liaising with relevant external agencies;
- fostering links between researchers and practitioners with an interest in Widening Participation and Fair Access.
The WPREU Team:
| Extension Number | |||
| WPREU Manager | Julian Crockford | julian.crockford@sheffield.ac.uk | 22475 |
| WPREU Researcher | Micheal Donnelly | m.p.donnelly@sheffield.ac.uk | 21752 |
| Learning and Teaching Assistant | Sarah Bows | s.bows@sheffield.ac.uk | 21309 |
For more information about WPREU, or if you would like to discuss a relevant research project or evaluation of your WP activity, please contact Julian Crockford.
If you would like to find out more about the Unit's role in evaluating WP programmes, current research projects in which the Unit is involved, please follow these links: