ACCESS RGU Newsletter June 2015

Study Skills and Access Unit access@rgu.ac.uk / 01224 263048 www.rgu.ac.uk/access-rgu Facebook.com/accessrgu @RGU_StudySkills

Dear Colleagues, As we near the end of the session, we reflect on yet another busy semester of activities for the ACCESS RGU programme and look forward to some exciting new developments.

Collaborating with Ledingham Chalmers to deliver the pilot Access to Law/Law and Management programme has been a very successful venture with great feedback from pupils, tutors and Ledingham Chalmers staff alike. Exciting new learning opportunities have emerged as a result of this partnership which will benefit pupils in our partner schools in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.

Keeping with the theme of partnership, we have been particularly pleased to engage with the Aberdeen Guarantees Scheme this year. As I write, the university is hosting week long work placements for ten S3 Aberdeen City pupils. In addition, productive meetings with Aberdeenshire Council and recent meetings with Fraserburgh, Mintlaw and Peterhead Academies have paved the way for Aberdeenshire pupils to benefit from a range of ACCESS RGU programmes.

Sustaining and developing close partnerships with schools ensures ACCESS RGU activities remain tailored and relevant to learner and wider school needs. Team colleagues are embarking on the annual review meetings with partner schools in May and June and this is a key opportunity to reflect on the impact of ACCESS RGU activities to date as well as plan ahead for 2015/16 engagements.

Close partnerships at the strategic level with our regional local authority partners continue to bring benefits and greater understanding to academic staff and professional support staff working across the university. I would like to extend a particular note of thanks to Graham Blance (Aberdeen City Council) and Alison Robertson (Aberdeenshire Council), for their informative CPD session on the implementation of the curriculum for excellence. Colleagues found the session extremely useful and further discussions about the university’s role in the region and admissions processes have followed.

Looking ahead to 2015/16, semester one is gearing up to be just as dynamic! With two new ‘Access To’ courses in Engineering and Computing, we aim to support 200 pupils on campus across eight subject programmes. Meeting the growing demand for our in-school workshops, we will reach an even greater number of pupils and there are exciting plans afoot for new campus events. The ACCESS RGU team are set to become “weel kent” faces to partners and pupils alike.

The ACCESS RGU team wish all our colleagues and partners an enjoyable summer break when it comes. On a final note, thanks to ACCESS RGU team colleague Kaisa Macdonald for all the great work in pulling these newsletters together.

Best wishes, Elaine Sinclair Senior Project Coordinator, Study Skills and Access Unit

‘Access To’ activities continued apace in semester two. With participant numbers reaching 130 over the year, it’s been a busy and exciting time.

This year has seen significant expansion of the programme with participation rates among senior-phase pupils in all partner schools rising from 9% in 2013/14 to 16% in 2014/15. 2015 also saw the highest numbers of applications to RGU and the highest number of MD20 applicants from partner schools in recent years.

Once again we have been impressed by the commitment pupils have shown and the quality of their work. Pupil and lecturer feedback has been consistently positive and the ongoing support of our school partners has been critical in achieving successful outcomes. Building on this momentum we very much look forward to working with schools and pupils in 2015/16 and to extending a welcome to pupils from our partner schools in Aberdeenshire.

In June we will visit our partner schools again to encourage the new S5 and S6 pupils to apply to the ‘Access To’ programmes starting in autumn. Building on the success of the programme in 2014/15 we are delighted to announce that we have two new additions to our programme.

Access to Computing and Access to Engineering will run for the first time this autumn and we are excited to welcome pupils who are interested in these subjects to the campus.

The pupils participating in the Access to Computing programme will be introduced to a range of skills in computing and they will have an opportunity to design, build and test a real-time sensor.

The course requires no previous programming experience. The Access to Engineering programme will introduce the pupils to Mechanical and Electrical Engineering and involve participants in a project to design, build and test an amplifier.

In 2015/16 ‘Access To’ programmes will run in the following subject areas: Art & Architecture

Communication & Media

Health Professions

Management

Life Sciences

Law/Law & Management

Computing (New!)

Engineering (New!)

The online application is now available on our website www.rgu.ac.uk/access-rgu. The deadline for the applications is 3rd of July.

ACES 26 pupils began their ACES journey in September 2014 and, having completed 15 weeks of project work, concluded their experiences with a fantastic achievement showcase. Returning after Christmas, pupils focused on either Art & Design or Architecture, having experienced both disciplines in the first semester. Art & Design students worked on a range of briefs designed to develop their drawing skills whilst exploring working with new media. Highlights included life drawing, wire sculpture and the Alice in Wonderland inspired ‘cake night’! Over in the Architecture studios, pupils completed a project to design the ‘ultimate party house’. From initial sketches pupils pitched their idea to the group and two selected designs were modelled and photographed.

Law/Law and Management In Aberdeen Business School, 20 pupils completed a seven week pilot Access to Law/Law & Management programme. Working with staff from RGU’s law department alongside staff and trainees from Ledingham Chalmers, the pupils were introduced to different aspects of the law including mooting, case study research, negotiating and mediating.

This is the first time the ‘Access To’ programme has been co-delivered in partnership with a local employer and the results have been extremely positive. Jennifer Young, Chairperson of Ledingham Chalmers LLP and RGU Governor, commented: “Our firm is committed to investing in and supporting the next generation of legal professionals.

As part of the ACCESS RGU programme we are delighted to help RGU provide an introduction to the law and explain the myriad of careers open to law graduates. We hope that in a few years’ time we will be welcoming some of these students through our doors as summer interns and trainee solicitors.” continued...

The pupils rose to the challenge of presenting a case in RGU’s mock courtroom with Hazlehead’s team impressing Lisa Gibbons-Wood, Senior Lecturer from the Law School. Prizes were awarded to Holly Adam of Hazlehead Academy for Best Performance in mooting and negotiating and runners up prizes were given to the school’s mooting team (Stephanie Welsh, Stuart Charleton and Thomas Booth). A runners up prize for negotiating and mediating was given to Rachael Boyes of Kincorth Academy.

Hannah Baigrie, of Peterhead Academy, was awarded the prize for Best Overall Performance. She said: “The Access to Law course has greatly benefited me. It's made me sure of exactly what I want to do with my life now, law. I found the mooting session useful as it gave me a sense of how a real court procedure would be. The sessions led by Ledingham Chalmers have also been greatly helpful as they showed me the extent to which law affects us daily and how intricate a case can be.

Overall I feel like this course has made me realise that it is definitely law I want to do when I leave school and it has inspired me to work harder at school so I can indeed get into the career I want to.”

‘Access To’ Applicant Engagement To enhance the core ’Access To’ delivery, participants who have applied to study with the institution were invited to participate in applicant engagement sessions to ‘top up’ their skills and learning. This new development in the Access To programme is designed to provide participants with an enhanced level of support through their applicant journey. Workshop sessions focused on confidence, motivation and resilience. Participants’ understanding of student life was further enhanced by opportunities to shadow a student, attend lectures and discuss the realities of degree study in their chosen subject areas. The initiative also included input from study skills tutors who helped participants to develop skills in critical thinking, reading and note taking and explored the differences in approaches to teaching and learning at higher education level.

The ACCESS RGU scholarship programme’s inaugural year has been well received by recipients and donor organisations and applications will shortly open for the 2015/2016 academic year. These scholarships are made possible through the kind support of our donors who include local companies and RGU alumni.

Last year’s successful applicants, who are studying Mechanical Engineering, Law and Contemporary Art Practice, have been very busy during their first academic year.

excel in my studies. Without the financial assistance it would be harder to concentrate on my studies. Looking into the future I am confident that with the aid of the scholarship I will be able to reach my full potential as a Mechanical Engineer.”

Further information about all the scholarships offered by ACCESS RGU is available on our website. http:// www.rgu.ac.uk/future-students/finance-andscholarships/scholarships/access-rguscholarships

Some of the recipients engaged in placements over the Easter break with their sponsoring companies. These placements provided the students with vital experience in their respective disciplines. The students will continue to visit their mentors and apply their experience in their day-to-day studies.

The recipients also had an opportunity to meet with the Principal Ferdinand von Prondzynski and Deputy Principal John Harper to discuss some of their experiences so far. Adebowale Odukoya, who is a first year engineering student, said: “This scholarship has benefited me financially and also acts as motivation to

Over the past academic year, ACCESS RGU has delivered approximately seventy sessions in the partner schools. This is an increase of more than double our visits from last year, and we are delighted to be working with our partner schools in order to continuously develop our outreach programme.

ACCESS RGU scholarship students Adebowale Odukoya, Johnny Rorison and Jade Gilbert met with the Principal Ferdinand von Prondzynski and Deputy Principal John Harper.

Many schools have taken up our full suite of skills development programmes including workshops on ‘Confidence & Communication’, ‘How to Choose a University & Student Life’ and ‘Degree Link & Alternative Routes to Education’. continued...

This year the team visited Hazelhead Academy and took part in their Easter break revision week for S4-S6 pupils. We spoke to the pupils about everything from using postits to organise your study to colour coding your work and how to avoid procrastination.

The pupils discussed what had worked for them in the past and how they could combine these new techniques with their tried and tested means of study. We are also looking forward to visiting St Machar Academy in order to take part in the S4 pupils’ transition into S5. We will be speaking to students about how to manage the stress of an increasing work load and working effectively as a team member.

The ACCESS RGU team is currently recruiting a pool of RGU Student Ambassadors with a view to enhancing the school workshop programme. The team recognises the valuable contribution and positive impact that current students can make in the work that we carry out with our partner schools and look forward to bringing our students out to schools.

Over the coming weeks, we will be visiting our partner schools to discuss our entire suite of programmes. We look forward to developing these with the help of feedback from students and discussion with teaching staff.

School workshop examples; please note that delivery can be adapted to need.

Title Confidence & Communication – skills for uni, skills for life

Description Emphasis on the skills required for FE/HE and thinking about how students already use these in everyday life

Time Period All year

So, you want to go to uni? – choosing a uni and student life

Areas of consideration when making choices including finances, accommodation, prospects etc.

Early (Sept-Nov)

Prep Yourself – exams and revision

Alternative look at making sure that students are physically and mentally prepared when it comes to exams and revision

Prior to prelims/ final exams

Note Taking & Learning Techniques

Highlighting the importance of good note taking through a number of exercises followed with different ways of learning including practical tips

All year – the earlier the better!

Degree Link & Alternative Routes into HE

Self-reflective work around why pupils make the decisions they do and the alternatives they can consider Using advice gleaned from our own admissions team and the UCAS conference to inform pupils’ UCAS applications

Early (Sept-Nov)

UCAS & Personal Statements

Early (Sept-Nov)

Semester two saw the ACCESS RGU team deliver the annual applicant engagement programme, ably supported by a team of Student Ambassadors. The programme provides information, support and guidance to individuals from under-represented groups that are applying to study with the university. Commencing in January from the point of application and running through to enrolment in September, the university engages with applicants in a number of ways.

We find applicants greatly value the 1-1 contact provided via email and telephone and the signposts to information on RGU and ACCESS RGU web pages and associated social media sites. While applicant queries can be wide ranging, questions about accommodation, city travel, student support services and Degree Prep courses are very common and the team are there to provide tailored information and reassurance.

Applicants find the input of Student Ambassadors particularly useful. The Student Ambassadors provide 1-1 support over the telephone. Their value extends beyond simply responding to queries to that of sharing the benefit of their experience with the applicants, be that the inside track of degree study in a certain subject area or settling into university life more generally.

The programme encourages applicants to attend Applicant Days. Applicant Days provide prospective students the chance to come and find out more about the course(s) they’ve applied for, see the state of the art campus and superb facilities, meet course academics and take the opportunity to chat with current students about life at Robert Gordon University. Along with the Open Days, Applicant Days are the best way to get to know the university in-depth.

To support applicants from outwith

Aberdeen City, the ACCESS RGU travel support fund is available to contribute to travel costs.

Eligible applicants are contacted directly with information on how to claim. More information on Applicant Days can be found at http://www.rgu.ac.uk/future-students/applicants/applicant-days.

Beyond supporting attendance at Applicant Days, the engagement programme also provides study skills resources for exam preparation, delivers Degree Prep pre-enrolment courses and opportunities to access financial support via scholarships and an enrolment support pack. The latter includes travel support, vouchers for study resources and groceries and a study material starter kit.

As part of our programme of events, ACCESS RGU works closely with ASPIRENorth who, as part of Scotland’s national Schools for Higher Education Programme (SHEP), encourage young people to make positive and informed decisions about their post-school educational choices.

S3 Campus Visit S3 pupils from Northfield and Kincorth Academies visited the campus and experienced a number of sessions designed to introduce participants to the idea of studying at university and to give them a feeling of what it would be like to be a first year student at RGU. The pupils visited a number of faculties including Gray’s School of Art, where they rose to the challenge of creating a structure to house an item of fruit and stand one metre from the ground using only cardboard, glue and masking tape.

Management pupils created a business plan, which revolved around the River Dee. Using the De Bonos ‘Thinking Hats’ technique students contemplated all aspects of their business which included ‘posh water’, a riverside café and a floating stage for bands.

S4 Campus Visit We also had a visit from S4 pupils from a number of schools across Aberdeen and Moray, as part of their week long residential coordinated by ASPIRENorth during the Easter holidays. Pupils took part in a number of activities including taster sessions and a campus challenge. Teams had a number of tasks, including finding certain services and buildings around the university and interviewing a current RGU student. Students tweeted their progress to the Study Skills and Access Twitter Account @RGU_StudySkills.

We had great fun on the day, with ‘Team MacGyver’ winning the challenge for best interview with a student. ‘Team Ninja Turtles’ were highly commended for their very creative use of Twitter. Well done to everyone for taking part.

Rhona McComiskie has quickly become a

her colleagues work to ensure that pupils

familiar face in all the partner schools to staff

experience a warm welcome to the university

and pupils alike. Rhona’s role involves co-

and get to know the staff and peer group they

ordinating the highly successful ‘Access To’

will be working with. As the programmes get

suite

focused

fully underway the pastoral care and guidance

programmes as well as continuing to develop

support continue, with a focus on getting to

strong partnerships with key contact staff in

know pupils as individuals. This complements

of

on

campus

subject

schools. Through regular

the

communication

academic

with

high

standard support

of and

Senior Management and

mentoring pupils receive

Guidance Teams, Rhona

from RGU lecturers and

helps to ensure ACCESS

current students.

RGU continues to respond

With a background in

to the needs of schools

Career Guidance working

and pupils.

in

both

school

and

Rhona’s day-to-day work

university sectors, as well

is largely focused on co-

as experience gained from

ordinating and developing the ‘Access To’

working with the ASPIRENorth Schools for

programme. Now in its third year, the

Higher Education Programme, Rhona is well

university

the

placed to understand the needs of pupils and

number of subject focused programmes from

offer the support they need to transition

one to six and increased annual participant

successfully into higher education.

has

successfully

expanded

numbers from 16 to 130.

In 2015/16, the

project aims to engage 200 participants and will be available in a further two subject areas, Engineering and Computing.

Rhona’s

role

been fantastically rewarding to see the ‘Access To’ programmes grow from strength to strength. The team of staff and students at

of

RGU are extremely dedicated and the ideas,

initial

energy and effort that goes into making the

development work with RGU’s teaching staff, to

programmes happen has seen amazing results.

marketing and recruitment in schools, through

I am privileged to work with the talented pupils

to

who come through RGU’s doors and support

programme

extends

“Over the two years I have been in post it has

to

all

co-ordination

programme

delivery,

areas

from

end

of

course

celebration events and evaluation.

At the launch of the programmes, Rhona and

them as they develop in confidence, gain new skills and feel ready to take the next steps on their educational pathway.”