Coventry University helps students into higher education

Coventry University is in the top six nationally for outreach work which encourages students from under-represented groups to enter higher education, according to a report by The Office for Fair Access (OFFA).

OFFA, the university fair access watchdog, has published a monitoring report on the access agreements universities signed up to on widening participation and making higher education accessible to all in 2010-11.

Coventry University has a long established reputation for promoting access and meets all the key criteria measured by OFFA, but does particularly well on outreach work, which is an area which OFFA wants universities to develop.

The University, indeed, spent 6.5% of its tuition fee income in 2010-11 on outreach, nearly three times the average.  This is done through initiatives that include:

• The Coventry University Phoenix Partnership which encourages students in 71 schools and colleges to pursue their goals and supports their transition into higher education. This partnership delivered over 500 activities, reaching 8,000 learners.  It also offered almost 200 Phoenix scholarships during the current academic year.

• Over 700 talks and workshops that coincide with key stages in the university application process – reaching 12,000 learners.

• Programmes such as ‘meet the academic – subject masterclass’ delivered by Coventry University lecturers in schools so pupils can see what university lectures are really like.

Tailored events on campus at the University, for example the “academic taster” series offered to Year 12 pupils to see what university life is like including meeting current CU students.

Professor Madeleine Atkins, the Vice-Chancellor of Coventry University, said:

This is excellent news for the University, on top of our recent successes in league tables. These results demonstrate the value of the continuing work we are doing to ensure students from all backgrounds are not put off by higher tuition fees but continue to apply to university and gain the education they desire.

For further information please contact Sarah-Jane Dean, Communications Assistant, Coventry University, on +44 (0)24 7688 8245 or email sarah-jane.dean@coventry.ac.uk.