Developing a Business Case for Embedding WP and Managing Student Diversity Authors: Kevin Brain, Kat

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Developing a Business Case for Embedding WP
and Managing Student DiversityAuthors Kevin
Brain, Kath Bridger, Judith Foreman, Ivan Reid
and Jenny Shaw
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Theme 1

• How do staff in the institution define and
  understand
• Widening Participation and Student Diversity
  in Higher Education

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Widening Participation

• A portmanteau term (Watson, 2006)
• It may be
• a desired outcome
• a process, activity or set of activities
• a type of student.

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Different Approaches to WP
Based on Wilson Iles (1996) Jones and Thomas
(2005)
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Key Institutional Questions

• Is widening participation viewed as being
  important across the whole student life-cycle or
  is there an emphasis on certain stages?
• Is widening participation defined broadly or is
  it targeted on particular target groups?
• Is widening participation peripheral or
  mainstream?

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• What is the level of understanding of student
  diversity within the institution?

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Student Diversity

• "Diversity is...the concept that people should
  be valued as individuals for reasons related to
  business interests, as well as for moral and
  social reasons.(CIPD)
• May be an outcome of WP activities
• May be an outcome of other activities - e.g.
  employer engagement
• A wide range of starting points.

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Widening Participation Student Diversity

• Widening participation is what you do
• Student diversity is what you achieve

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What is Managing Diversity?

• Makes two key assumptions
• The heterogeneity and diversity of social groups
• Organisations can benefit from understanding and
  valuing difference and managing diversity
  effectively.
• Both have implications for organisational change
  and professional practice - a business case.

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Drivers for Managing Diversity

• Internally driven
• Rests on business case
• Perceives MD as investment.

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Degree of Integration

• Strategic
• Internalised by all.

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Perception of Difference

• Difference perceived as asset/richness
• Mainstream adaptation advocated.

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Focus of Action

• Development for all individuals
• Universal initiatives
• Supported by wider pluralistic knowledge base.

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Managing Diversity Where is the sector?

• Originally private sector concept
• More recent application to public/not for profit
  sector
• Focus on diversity of employees
• Generally not as well developed in relation to
  customer/client diversity especially student
  diversity in HE

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Key Institutional Questions

• Are the potential benefits of diversity
  recognised or is it linked to the idea of
  lowering standards?
• What implications does this have for
  institutional aims - including any aims to expand
  or diversify the student body?
• What are the implications for practice?
• What might be the effect on students of current
  practice, and does this therefore need to change?

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Theme 2Developing a Business Case
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Why a Develop a Business Case?

• Creates internal arguments for student diversity
  and WP based on benefits to institution
• HE Sector is partially marketised, so business
  arguments apply.

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However

• In the HE context, mission commitment to issues
  of social justice important and valued
• Therefore
• Social and ethical considerations form a core
  element of a business case. May link to history,
  reputation and issues of institutional
  self-identity.
• Potential marketing/reputational implications.
• HE sector is diverse, so not one size fits all.
• Requires organisational change.

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Building a Business Case

• Elements include
• Potential benefits to the institution.
• Potential costs, risks and barriers.
• Differential impacts on different stakeholders.
• Do the benefits outweigh the costs?
• Can the costs be met?

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External Drivers
Internal Drivers
Recruitment Pool of Talent Improving TL New
markets Reputation (Access to funding)
Legislation Funding and policy drivers Ethical
drivers - Social justice
Organisational Change
Mission Commitment Corporate Social Responsibility
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Drivers for WP and Diversity
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Key Institutional Questions

• How do you define the institutions current
  student market and how is this likely to change
  over the next 5 years?
• How will the institution need to change in order
  to reach these markets?
• What will be the implications of this change?

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• Which of the potential benefits associated with
  student diversity are of greatest interest to the
  institution in order to meet its strategic aims?

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Increasing Student Numbers

• Widening participation is a powerful way to
  increase (or maintain) student numbers.
• It is most effective when
• Long term relationships built with communities or
  groups
• It is underpinned by an inclusive, supportive
  learning environment (investment costs).
• Lower retention may become an issue.
• It will change your institution forever!

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Tapping the Pool of Talent

• Desire to attract talent from all sectors of
  society
• Maintains strict entry criteria
• May involve extensive pre-entry work (could be
  funding-dependent)
• Does not require institution to change
• or does it?

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Improving Learning Teaching

• Diversity has positive impacts on
• A range of learning and intellectual development
  outcomes
• Employability skills.
• Benefits only seen when diversity actively
  promoted throughout the institution.
• Requires significant commitment

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Access to Funding

• Track record in this area may provide access to
  funding directly for diversity or WP
• Tends to be project/initiative focused.

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New Roles and Markets

• Developing relationships with new groups and
  communities can lead to new opportunities for
  research, knowledge transfer, CPD etc
• WP/diversity approach critical in development of
  some new products e.g. Foundation Degrees
• Costs involved in entering new markets.

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Complying with Legislation

• Duty to promote equality applies to all HEIs
• Failure to meet diverse student needs can result
  in costly litigation and adverse publicity
• Research demonstrates staff are not always aware
  of their duty under law.

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Reputation

• Diversity and accessibility are core to the
  reputation of some institutions
• Students tend to be sensitive to issues of
  diversity and equality
• For other institutions, diversity may threaten
  reputation.
• What do your marketing materials say about you?

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Key Institutional Questions

• Do staff recognise the potential benefits
  outlined above?
• Are these benefits associated positively with
  student diversity/WP?
• Do staff have the required understanding and
  skills to make the most of these benefits?
• Are staff in the institution aware of their
  duties under law?

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Costs and Risks

• Additional cost of supporting the learning
  experience
• Costs of low retention
• New course development (for new student markets)
• Academic standards
• Diverting funding from core business.

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Barriers

• Internal barriers context specific, e.g.
• Other activities such as research being more
  highly valued
• Institutional history and perceptions held by
  prospective students (and some staff!)
• Fear of adverse effect on existing student
  cohorts.
• External barriers, e.g. funding system.

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• How do different groups of staff perceive the
  benefits and costs of student diversity/WP?

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Senior managers Benefits for local communities
individuals. Social responsibility!
Admissions WP enriches the culture of the
institution
WP staff Academia benefits from diversity we
create new opportunities based on our market
intelligence
Academics Many benefits for subject areas, but
need to change teaching style
Higher Education Institution
Marketing Diversity and inclusivity can be a
selling point.
Student support We only ever see the problems
and struggles!
Students Diversity is great, but not if it
compromises our education!
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Key Institutional Questions

• Are all points of view taken into consideration?
• Are all staff (and students) fully consulted
  about widening participation and diversity
  issues?
• How will you involve all stakeholders?

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Theme 3Moving Forward
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What needs to change?

• Embedded WP means institutional change
• Managing Diversity approach implies moving in
  line with institutional mission and integration
  within institutional strategy.
• Should be
• Evidence based
• Pan-institutional
• Inclusive of all stakeholders.

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Key Institutional Questions (1)

• Are senior management committed to this change?
• What are the limitations on the scope of change?
• How will change in one area affect others?
• How can change involve all stakeholders?
• What are the benefits of change, how will they be
  measured?
• /cont

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Key Institutional Questions (2)

• What are the costs, risks, barriers and
  unintended consequences associated with change?
• What would be the consequence of failing to
  change?

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• Managing Change

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Managing Change
Change
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Explore Gather Data

• Examples from other HEIs
• Existing literature and research
• Recruitment, retention and transition figures
• Student and staff feedback
• Examples of effective practice
• Horizon-scanning for external changes e.g.
  demographic change, new Govt policy.

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Explore Review

• Identify assumptions in policies, e.g. that
  students will be 18-19 that A-levels are
  superior to vocational qualifications etc.
• Identify assumptions in practices, e.g. that all
  students have European cultural capital that
  mature students all have the same requirements
  etc.
• Stakeholder views on status quo - including
  students.

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Analyse

• What does the evidence tell you about where you
  are now?
• What does the evidence tell you about where you
  want or need to be?
• What needs to change in order to get there?

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Decide

• For each option being considered..
• Benefits
• Financial (short and long term)
• Reputational, market positioning, student
  experience etc.
• Costs
• Direct cost of change
• Financial and other impacts on all areas of
  operation.

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Reflect

• What is the nature of the preferred option
• Assimilation, compensation or valuing
  difference?
• Strategic or operational?
• Central or peripheral?
• Process or outcomes focused?
• Targeting groups or recognising individual
  difference?
• What do different stakeholders think?

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Act Pilot

• Consult with all stakeholders on preferred
  options
• Launch initial/pilot change programme with a
  system of continuous review
• Include all stakeholders in implementation and
  review
• Assess the outcomes of the pilot and use to
  inform further work - go through cycle again!

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Act Mainstream

• What are the performance indicators?
• How well does the initiative scale up?
• Could there be unforeseen implications?
• How will initial and ongoing staff development
  needs be met?
• How consistent is the change with the mission,
  vision and values of the institution?
• How will you know that you have succeeded?

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Resources

• Leadership Foundation for Higher Education
  http//www.lfhe.ac.uk/diversity/dr/
• Multicultural Awareness Project for
  Institutional Change http//www.education.umn.edu
  /CRDEUL/reports.html
• Higher Education Academy http//www.heacademy.ac.
  uk/ourwork/institutions