The Widening Participation team is hosting a free, online conference on Tuesday 24 November titled ‘Representing the under-represented in HE: a conference addressing the challenges in access for those with the most significant barriers’.
The event will be themed around seven under-represented groups: care-experienced and estranged students; Gypsy, Roma and Traveller; young carers; forced migrants and asylum seekers; Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Groups; and class/socio-economic disadvantage.
Conference highlights
- Address: Prof. Kelly Coate, our PVC for Education & Students - with responsibility for oversight of the University's Access and Participation Plan
- Keynote: Professor Saul Becker, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, a leading researcher and advocate for young carers;
- Keynote: Professor Vikki Boliver, Director of Research and Professor in the Department of Sociology at Durham, speaking about her research in the field of higher education and social inequality with reference to contextual admissions.
- Current university students will talk about their lived experience of the challenges being discussed
- Launch of the Widening Participation team’s Post-16 programme – a free new resource for students offering impartial advice, podcasts, webinars, and toolkits on all things ‘university’
Chris Derbyshire, Partnership Manager, said: “This is an open invitation to any interested member of staff – professional services or academic, involved in student recruitment or otherwise. If you want to learn more about these under-represented groups and how best to support them, this event is for you.
“We’re bringing together research and insight from more than a dozen experts, showcasing the intersection between academic research, sector practice, and Widening Participation experience.
“This is an exciting opportunity to understand just how challenging some of the barriers are, and how great the transformative power of education can be. Please register now – we’re looking forward to meeting you.”
There is no need to do any pre-reading for the conference, but interested delegates can find some background information on the Office for Students ‘Effective practice in Access and Participation’ pages.