Joining up approaches between your recruitment and admissions 1b Joining up approaches between your recruitment and admissions 1b. UCAS Admissions Conference, 21 March 2016 Dan Shaffer, Head of Professionalism in Admissions Lizzy Woodfield, Admissions Support and Development Manager

What is SPA? Set up in 2006 following the Schwartz Report Fair Admissions to Higher Education: Recommendations for Good Practice 2004 ‘The Group recommends the creation of a central source of expertise and advice on admissions issues. Its purpose would be to act as a resource for institutions who wish to maintain and enhance excellence in admissions. Such a centre could lead the continuing development of fair admissions, evaluating and commissioning research, and spreading best practice.’

Fair, in principle Be transparent. Enable institutions to select students who are able to complete the course as judged by their achievements and their potential. Strive to use assessment methods that are reliable and valid. Seek to minimise barriers to applicants. Be professional in every respect and underpinned by appropriate institutional structures and processes. “Equal opportunity for all individuals, regardless of background, to gain admission to a course suited to their ability and aspirations.”

Fair, in principle QAA B2 Expectation: ‘Recruitment, selection and admission policies and procedures adhere to the principles of fair admission. They are transparent, reliable, valid, inclusive and underpinned by appropriate organisational structures and processes. They support higher education providers in the selection of students who are able to complete their programme.’ “Equal opportunity for all individuals, regardless of background, to gain admission to a course suited to their ability and aspirations.”

Fair, in practice preparation engagement attitudes Which affects not only the quality of their student experience, but whether or not they seek to be your students at all A joined-up approach to fair access and fair admissions influences students’ preparation engagement attitudes and shapes the ‘psychological contract’ early on for motivating retention and success

The influence of the Applicant Experience A good applicant experience is mutually beneficial to both the applicant and the higher education provider prepares, informs and provides equality of opportunity to enter higher education should accurately match the student’s aims, abilities and aspirations with the character of the institution. therefore improves student retention and enhances the strategic mission of the institution A poor applicant experience is inherently detrimental to both the applicant and the higher education provider – both lose out perpetuates barriers to entry disengages potential applicants and their advisers risks incongruence between student expectations and institutional character therefore embeds an enrolment strategy leading to unfulfilled potential and increased drop-out WHERE ARE YOU ON THIS SCALE? HOW DO YOU INFLUENCE THAT POSITION? HOW DO YOU MEASURE AND TRACK IT? 6

Q The influence of the Applicant Experience www.spa.ac.uk/resources/applicant-experience HEPs come in all different shapes and sizes, but the applicant experience is only effective if recruitment and admissions cooperate to achieve the same goals. What is the purpose of your recruitment? What is the purpose of your admissions? What is the purpose of your university / college? Q same or different?

  The influence of the Applicant Experience size separation shape? Using just three circles, draw how you see the work of recruitment, admissions and the rest of your HEP currently interact. Then, on the other half of the page, draw how you think they should.   size separation shape?

The recruitment-admissions relationship http://www.spa.ac.uk/resources/recruitment-and-admissions-nett A National Expert Think Tank (NETT) guide Promotes an integrated approach across the applicant experience. Encourages greater understanding internally. Helps HE providers identify, analyse and develop the relationship between recruitment and admissions. Seeks efficiency, effectiveness and mutual benefit.

The recruitment-admissions relationship Key recommendations: Evaluate your recruitment and admissions relationships. Use SPA’s interactive review toolkit as part of a continuing review and enhancement plan. Plan strategic policy in advance to promote collaboration. Adopt a flexible approach to recruitment activities. Ensure fairness and transparency. Make effective use of data.

The recruitment-admissions relationship Highly influential and highly involved   These are the people who must fully engage with one another and remain well-informed across a wide range of recruitment/admissions influencers. They should seek to understand the impact of any changes on different areas. People in this quadrant are most likely to be the ones who should be responsible for informing and engaging with those in other quadrants. Highly involved but less influential   These people are likely to engage with a limited number of other individuals or areas externally, so need to be kept well informed, but it is not as important to engage directly all the time. However, as they may pick up useful intelligence and have practical experience, it is helpful to have ways for them to inform more influential people. If several people work in local/regional areas it would be useful for them to engage with others in this quadrant to share and compare knowledge. Less involved and less influential   These people are least likely to need to engage with others on recruitment/admissions activity, but it is still important they keep up-to-date, especially in a changeable environment. Ensure they know where to access relevant information when needed and consider ways of ‘pushing’ important updates to them (but keep it relevant and don’t bombard them). Highly influential but less involved   These people must be satisfied with the effectiveness of your recruitment/admissions activity, but will not require (or desire) constant engagement. They will need to understand important points to help them make informed decisions. Care should be taken not to overload them with information for risk of disengaging them or obscuring key points.

The recruitment-admissions relationship Interactive review toolkit: Step 1: congruence survey Step 2: SWOT analysis Step 3: action plan Step 4: interaction map Step 5: act, remind and repeat 

NETT recruitment-admissions interactive review Case study congruence surveys Relationship between recruitment and admissions activity

Staff congruence Set of questions comparing what respondents’ current understanding is with what they feel it should be: Congruence = match between what ‘is’ and what ‘should be’. The greater the divergence, the greater potential for unfulfilment in a recruitment or admissions context this could lead to unprofessionalism: misunderstanding between staff, poor decisions, incorrect IAG, missed targets… It should be easier to treat/redress slight divergence with increased information, communication, and training. Wide divergence may indicate a trickier problem to treat.

Congruence A response on the red dotted line is congruent. Responses slightly away from the red dotted line (by about one grid point) are slightly incongruent. Responses further away are highly incongruent. Incongruence up and to the left of the dotted line is probably of greater concern …but be wary of potential overconfidence suggested by incongruence down and to the right.

2 My understanding of both recruitment and admissions strategies within my institution

2 My understanding of the concerns of prospective students and their advisers

2 My understanding of the internal policies that concern student entry to my institution

2 My understanding of the quality, reliability and sources of data used to analyse recruitment and admission activity in my institution

Epilogue and many, many more Recruitment Admissions The recruitment-admissions relationship is more than two teams Outreach / WP staff and many, many more Partners Marketing staff Recruitment Agents Admissions Student support staff UCAS Students Teaching staff

Thank you More information from: enquiries@spa. ac Thank you More information from: enquiries@spa.ac.uk or 01242 544 891 www.spa.ac.uk @SPA_Admissions

Step 1: Congruence survey

Step 2: SWOT analysis

Step 3: Action plan

Step 4: Interaction map