Widening Participation

Widening Participation, the initiative to increase participation in higher education by traditionally under represented groups, is considered an important strategy to the University College, with Harper Adams involved in a number of different initiatives.

Aimhigher…

In addition to being involved with Aimhigher throughout the West Midlands, Harper Adams has hosted visits from Aimhigher regions from across the country reflecting the national appeal of our specialist status. We can run general university days, with students engaging in student life workshops, seminars, lectures and campus tours. We also run specific subject taster days, reflecting our courses we have hosted applied science – biology and chemistry, food technology and engineering design days, business and marketing tasters, most aspects of physical geography including countryside and environmental management, animal welfare and health days, leisure and tourism tasters and agricultural workshops.

If your Aimhigher region, school or college would like to arrange a visit to Harper Adams either to sample a subject or to experience a general higher education day, we can arrange that through the Schools & Colleges Liaison office.

Aiming For College Education Days (ACE Days)

If your school or college is running an ACE day and would like a member of the team or a student ambassador to come along and run a workshop, we will be happy to try and meet your requirements.

Higher Education CARD: Formerly Midlands Post 16 Compact

Harper Adams is one of the participating higher education institutions that support the HE CARD programme. Year 10 or year 12 students embark on a programme designed to develop skills and qualities that demonstrate students have made an informed decision about their future.

Mentoring

Student Ambassadors have been involved in e-mentoring projects to allow rural schools to participate in collaborative work with universities. The mentoring is based on academic issues - homework, exam revision, preparation of work experience and general motivational issues. Students can also be used to work in schools to help with subject mentoring and running workshops to raise aspirations.

Student Ambassadors

Our current undergraduate students are employed through the schools & college liaison office to participate in a wide range of activities including student mentoring, providing campus tours for prospective students and visiting schools and colleges, running workshops in schools about higher education, finance and life as an undergraduate. Student ambassadors also act as wardens for the Summer School, Higher Educations Choices conference and at the Easter school.

For all you budding lecturers or teachers out there coming to Harper Adams this year, there are plenty of opportunities to become involved in a wide variety of children’s activities. If you would like to put something back into the local community and help raise aspirations towards higher education, then we at Harper Adams can fulfil this ambition. Each year Harper Adam’s host a wide range of activities targeted at local school pupils which, you as an undergraduate, could become involved in. If you think you’d enjoy participating in these kinds of activities then I am always looking for willing volunteers. So when you arrive at Harper, look out for me at Clubs & Societies night, or come and find me to sign.