Alastair William Stupart (School of Engineering & the Built Environment) and Julia Fotheringham (Office of the Vice Principal, Academic)
SFC’s Associate Student Programme started in 2013-14. Key features are first year further education college students registering as ‘associate students’ at the University they aim to attend; with a personal guarantee of a place subject to achieving the agreed academic entry requirements. For SEBE this involved 54 students from four colleges; with the aim that they will start studying in September 2015 on one of three Edinburgh Napier engineering courses.
A series of ‘interventions’ were undertaken with these students and their classmates (many of whom could also become Edinburgh Napier students). Interventions ranged from: an induction day, lectures/practicals and college visits by Academic Services to teach study skills, referencing etc. The relevance of the interventions has been assessed (principally by student feedback) and evaluation data is presented. This analysis was undertaken to shape the student/university contact in 2014-15. This is both for the existing associate students in their HND (second) year and for the first year students starting next September. Successful interventions are important to ensure (as far as is possible) that the students do as planned attend Edinburgh Napier; and that they are well equipped when making this move (from the different and more directed learning environment of a further education college).