Education Activist Network Meeting for London and the South East

EDUCATION ACTIVIST NETWORK MEETING FOR LONDON AND THE SOUTH EAST

Tuesday 16th March: – Education Activist Network meeting for London & SE

Following the success of the over 300-strong Teach-In last month, events have accelerated.

Ballots for strike action are underway or imminent at King’s, UCL and Westminster, along with London FE institutions. Student sit-ins have taken place in Essex, Sussex, UCL and Westminster. Now Sussex UCU are set for strike action following an unprecedented 80% turn out in their ballot, with an overwhelming majority for action, and the break-up of a student occupation by riot police.

There is clearly a need to coordinate action and to share lessons from our collective fight against education cuts, and to build solidarity with the suspended students and victimized lecturers in Sussex. We are calling on activists from London and across the south-east to come together next Tuesday at 6.30pm at King’s (room details to follow):

Organising the resistance: the fight to defend education

Speakers from Sussex, King’s, UCL, Westminster

Tuesday, 16 March 2010
6:30pm
Room tbc
Strand Campus, King’s College London

Thursday 11th March – Demonstrate to Defend the Sussex 6
1pm Library Square

University of Sussex, Brighton
“If groups could attend and bring banners that would be awesome. Formal letters/emails of complaint to Michael Farthing from students, faculties, Sabb officers etc (VC@sussex.ac.uk) would also be appreciated!”

http://defendsussex.wordpress.com/

Thursday 18th March – HEFCE declares cuts, Sussex UCU to strike

Next Thursday is an important date for every education activist.  It is when HEFCE will announce which institutions’ funding will be cut this year and by how much.  It is also when Sussex UCU will be taking a day of strike action against the cuts already announced there.  The UCU branch has also backed the call to reinstate the “Sussex 6″ victimised students.

We must all show solidarity with this crucial dispute.  If you have a union or campaign meeting you would like one of the Sussex 6 to speak at, please contact us at educationactivist@googlemail.com

Videos from the Take Back Education Teach-in:
Videos of Terry Eagleton, Leeds UCU and others are now available on the London Education Activists blog:
http://www.educationactionlondon.blogspot.com

Posted here by Glenn Rikowski

The Flow of Ideas: http://www.flowideas.co.uk

UCAS Research Forums

UCAS RESEARCH FORUMS

Please forward the details of the UCAS Research Forums http://www.ucas.ac.uk/about_us/policyservices/forums to anyone who may be interested in attending, or having their name put on our mailing list for future forums (see titles and abstracts below).

 

We are now taking bookings for the forum being held at UCAS, Cheltenham, on 21^st May, when Miriam David will be giving a presentation on diversity and widening participation in higher education.

Email: policy@ucas.ac.uk to book your free place.

 

 

21^st May, 14:00-16:00: Miriam David, ESRC Teaching & Learning Research Programme, Institute of Education

Diversity and widening participation in HE

This talk will be based upon Miriam David’s forthcoming edited book entitled Improving Learning by Widening Participation in HE (Routledge), which is based upon the findings from the seven projects funded through ESRC and TLRP on this topic, which ran from 2005 to 2008.

UCAS research forums aim to provide:

* Increased understanding of the UK’s education policy context

* Greater appreciation of the admissions experiences of UCAS’ stakeholders (applicants, higher education institutions (HEIs), schools and colleges)

* Robust approaches to research in the area of admissions and widening participation.

There is no charge for attending the forums, but places will be allocated on a ‘first come, first served’ basis. Please contact policy@ucas.ac.uk to book a place at any of the forums and/or to be added to the research forum mailing list

 

 

Future forums:

 

30 June, 14:00-16:00: Clare Holdsworth, University of Liverpool

‘They just change the bus route’: Students’ mobility decisions and orientation to Higher Education

One of the most anticipated, and at times regretted, outcomes of the recent expansion of higher education (HE) in England is the concomitant shift towards local recruitment of students, as opposed to the ‘traditional’ pattern of leaving home to go to university. While students’ mobility choices may be considered an outcome of their financial concerns, empirical research on students’ mobilities reveals a more complex reasoning. In particular it demonstrates the differential attitudes to and expectations of HE associated with mobility choices. This paper will review the evidence of changing patterns in students’ mobility and how mobility choices are associated with distinct orientations towards HE. In particular I consider how the decision to study local is associated with vocational/skill-enhancement approaches to HE rather than embracing Liberal Arts ideals.

 

17 September, 14:00-16:00: Bahram Bekhradnia, Higher Education Policy Institute

The experience of students into and within university

This seminar will address issues to do with access to university and the experience of students with different types of qualification when at university. It will draw in particular on the HEPI studies of the different experiences of students with vocational and academic level 3 qualifications, and the HEFCE research on ‘Who does best at university’.

 

4 November, 14:00-16:00: Matthew Williamson and Giles Martin, Queen Mary, University of London

Transitions to higher education: research into students’ expectations and experiences of learning and teaching

The seminar will be given by Dr Matthew Williamson and Dr Giles Martin of Queen Mary, University of London and will be presenting results of their research into student transition into higher education. This research, which focuses on expectations and experiences of learning and teaching and the ways in which students negotiate the transition from the teaching they have experienced before entering higher education and the methods they are exposed to, and skills they have to develop, once they start at university. The project used a survey of all new undergraduates, together with a series of interviews with selected students and visits to schools and colleges in the local area for observation and interviews. The seminar suggests ways in which students and staff can be better prepared for the transition into higher education.

 

 

Please contact policy@ucas.ac.uk to book a place at any of these forums.

Kind regards,

Harriet

Dr. Harriet Dunbar-Goddet, Senior Research Officer, Policy and Communications, UCAS, T 01242 223723, F 01242 544954; http://www.ucas.com

UCAS, Rosehill, New Barn Lane, Cheltenham, GL52 3LZ

 

 

Posted here by Glenn Rikowski

The Flow of Ideas: http://www.flowideas.co.uk

The Ockress: http://www.theockress.com