Geography and WP at Exeter

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Geography and WP at Exeter
Richard Jones
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WP at Exeter University schemes

• HEFCE- target - 19 of student intake
• Currently 14
• WP activities run through the School liaison
  office.
• Campus day visits
• Mentoring programme undergraduates visit
  promising students year 10 and 11.
• Subject master-classes English. Easter classes
  on GCSE topics for 100 yr 10 students high
  achievers from disadvantaged backgrounds.
• Summer schools two weeklong residential
  programme sample campus life and courses
  offered.
• Development of Bursary scheme for local students
  depending on variables fees in 2006 (2000
  for 100 students).

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Geography at Exeter

• 2003 2004 143.5 places on offer
• BA ABC (300 pts) A in Geography
• BSc ACD (260 pts) A in Geography Science
• Gave out 1002 offers

• Entry requirements were raised in 2003 with the
  introduction of an A in Geog to try and combat
  over application perceived drop in the standard
  of applicants.

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Identifying WP students..

• Based on Social Class determined by post-code,
  house type (?) and school.

• Classification carried out by central admissions
  they attach a blue form to UCAS application and
  send them out to admissions tutors.

• Comparatively high entry requirements are
  somewhat problematic. Achieving / maintaining
  standards.

• If suitable candidate lower offer B in Geog
  or at the very least invited for Interview.

• On average still reject outright 8 WP
  applications.

• Aside from Campus visits Geography does not
  currently participate in any of the University WP
  schemes. In part due to a lack of demand!

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WP Geography intake

• School entrants 1999
• 58 - State school sector
• 8 Mature
• 1 Ethnic minorities
• 12 Lower Social class
• Below University average and well below HEFCE
  standards no sign of improvement.

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WP Geography intake

• Under-recruit from the South West,
• Majority of students from SE - lt 1 from north!

• Cornwall 260k population - 26 applications.
• Dorset 460k population - 29 applications,
• Somerset 645k population - 30 applications,
• Devon 1m population - 44 applications.

• In comparison
• Surrey 1.01m population - 92 applications

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• Interestingly, it is not just our entrants who
  tend to come from predominantly privileged
  communities, but also our applicants.

• Therefore little point in simply devising
  mechanisms of positive discrimination in favour
  of those from socially disadvantaged backgrounds.

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Why so few WP students ???..

• Huge Image problem that puts WP students off
• Oxbridge types / Durham of the south
• Rich student body Staff vs Student car park
• Lack of Ethnic minorities in the SW as a whole
• Currently no black / Asian Geography
• 1 ethnic intake Chinese postgraduates
• As recruitment has never been a problem and
  fact that research is THE main focus of the dept
  never been any incentive to make WP a priority
  until recently.
• Limited links with local colleges / schools

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• Located across the road from university
• 2000 6th formers large of which classed as
  WP students.
• Majority of Geography students that go onto take
  a
• Geography degree in SW Plymouth. Never consider
  Exeter too posh.
• No formal links until recently between the two
  institutions

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Teaching WP

• Dedicated tutors task is to guide WP students
  through early stages of University. Extra support
  sessions individual / group
• But task hampered by fact that not allowed to
  know who the WP students are..!!! Data
  protection act.
• Fieldwork problem area for WP students.
• New Zealand Student contribution 1200
• Cumbria Student contribution 60
• WP students excluded from International
  experience!!
• The perception that it is the WP students that
  bring with them the various issues /
  problems.but not always the case!

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Answers..?

• Student ambassadors
• Identify students within our present
  undergraduate cohort who have come from target
  schools
• Schools in the South West identified as having
  either a low HE progression rate, or which are
  under-represented at Exeter and recruit them as
  student ambassadors.
• These students paid to go back to their schools
  to demonstrate that Geography at Exeter is both
  an attractive proposition and a realistic
  aspiration.
• If requested Staff to follow up with additional
  talk.
• Is it working?