Happy learner = outstanding college

Students’ Unions (SU) can ruffle the feathers of some college principals, for others they are their gateway to enhancing the student experience and driving up quality. I have been involved in the student movement for five years. Representing students as a class representative, as President of City College Norwich Students’ Union and now as a member of the NEC for the NUS. During which time I have visited numerous colleges and spoken to hundreds of class representatives.

It has never ceased to amaze me the variation of engagement between colleges and their students’ union. At some they are at the centre of an organisations work, and for others they don’t even have a students’ union! There was one college which I visited on a peer review, where I introduced the students’ union President to the Principal, the president had been in the role for 9 months.

The student voice is something that I passionately believe has to be at the centre of every college; if we are to have a sector that truly meets the needs and aspirations of students.  Staff at every level can engage with students and to benefit not only the students but the organisation. Happy students will lead to an outstanding organisation.

If all staff make the effort to engage with students, it quickly becomes an organisational habit to truly put the student first.”

Below are my top five tips for engaging with your students and/or your students’ union:

1) My first tip may sound rather obvious, but in some cases this will be at the top of the list. If you don’t have a student representation system such as a student council/parliament or students’ union. Then set one up. I’m not about to dish out legal advice, but it is against the law not to have such structures. It may seem like a challenging task to undertake but there are plenty of resources out there to help and advise you on what needs doing. The National Union of Students (NUS) would be more than happy to help you establish a representative structure.

2) All staff across an organisation will have an impact on the student experience; some roles are more obvious than others when it comes to impact. However big or small that impact they need to know what the experience of their output was like for the student. If all staff make the effort to engage with students, it quickly becomes an organisational habit to truly put the student first.  This is an organisational habit that needs to come from the top. If managers show that they are actively engaged with the student voice then others will begin to do the same.

3) Senior managers have to know who their President, Chair of Parliament and/or their student governors are. After you’ve read this, why not send an email and arrange a fixed regular meeting for every two or three weeks with your senior student representative. It’s a great method of not only getting to know what the students are saying about the college. But also an opportunity for you to explore your ideas and thoughts with a student straight off. Remember they are the users of the environment which you manage every day, their feedback is invaluable.

4) Students are much more than just your customers. Invite them along to your school/department management meetings and allow them a slot to provide some feedback on your area. As well this ensures they are part of your annual review meetings and day to day quality monitoring meetings. They are co-producers of education, not customers.

5) Educate your representatives! I remember when I first became SU President. It was a daunting experience, I had no idea what the difference between the LSC and an RDA was and could certainly not explain the operational structure of the college; there was so much to learn. Fortunately I had senior managers that spent time with me and explained in detail the nut and bolts of FE and the college. The NUS provides a comprehensive training programme for new and current officers which will help representatives to better understand FE. However having some knowledge that is specific to the organisation itself is essential. The quicker representatives know the college, the sooner they will be able to feedback effectively.

So they are my top five tips, I could list many more. But I believe there is enough here to begin to truly engage with the student voice. Don’t be afraid of it, students are always willing to pass on the good points as well; it is not just an opportunity to discuss what’s wrong. The students’ voice is also a method of understanding what is going right and using that feedback to share best practice. (I think I have just put in 6th!).

Shane Mann is the FE National Executive Council NUS member and tweeting as @shanermann

The SFA survey says…

The Skills Funding Agency (SFA) have published the results from their first College and Training Organisation Survey.

Responses were received via an online survey from just over 250 people.

The findings showed that 60 per cent felt the SFA had not made good progress in reducing the bureaucractic burden on the sector.

Read the full findings click here.

Good luck with R02

Colleges and other providers are being reminded that the first ‘required’ Individualised Learner Record (ILR) is due by 6pm on October 6th. The Data Service said: “Providers are encouraged to start using the new systems to check, validate and submit their R02 return”.

For more information click here.

 

FE Week mini-mascot (Edition 4)

Follow the adventures of FE Week’s biggest and smallest fan!

Mostly this week I have been driving in my car – it’s not quite a Jaguar

And also you can follow our FE Week mini-mascot on Twitter @daniellinford

No change to MLPs

 The SFA and YPLA have confirmed that there will be no change to Minimum Levels of Performance (MLP).

The SFA said in their weekly update: “As a result of the consultations currently taking place, no changes to the process on MLP are proposed for the coming year, or to the Minimum Levels thresholds that were published last year.”

 

Unemployment ‘free-for-all’

Leaked Skills Funding Agency email reveals more late policy changes, but will colleges refund the fees?

Colleges will for the first time be able to claim full funding for unemployed learners not on a state benefit, following a policy update by the Skills Funding Agency (SFA). Leaked email correspondence between SFA staff confirms the changes in late August 2011.

The following statement was sent out to SFA staff: “Colleges and training organisations have the discretion to fully fund individuals who are unemployed and need skills training to help them enter work.

“It is recognised that this discretion is mainly for those in direct receipt of a state benefit, but could also apply to other individuals who are unemployed and need skills training to help them enter work.” It later adds: “Unemployed status and the need for skills training to help them enter work would be confirmed by the individual in theform of a self-declaration to the college or training organisation.”

When FE Week contacted the SFA they confirmed that the changes have been communicated to the Association of Colleges and Association of Employment and Learning Providers, stating: “Following discussion with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, the position was clarified with regard to provider discretion to fully fund skills training to unemployed individuals”

It just seems wrong that we’re taking from the treasury and taking from learners as well.”

Adrian Cottrell, Director of Finance and Corporate Services at Canterbury College, said: “It’s good news for learners, but it’s very late in the day to make such profound changes.

“A lot of colleges will find that they’ve already filled courses and that the change comes a bit too late for them.”

Toni Pearce, Vice President for Further Education (FE) in the NUS, added: “It is welcome that the SFA has finally seen sense and done the right thing”

The timing of the policy change means many eligible learners will have already paid a tuition fee. A spokesperson from the SFA said:

“The decision to collect or waive fees for unemployed people looking for work is at the discretion of the college or training organisation.”

A spokesperson from the AoC said: “As autonomous bodies it is up to our member colleges individually to determine their fees policy – this applies to the refunds issue too.”

Mr Cottrell said Canterbury College would be looking to refund learners, adding: “It just seems wrong that we’re taking from the treasury and taking from learners as well.”

“Otherwise you might get a situation where we don’t charge learners going forward, now that we’ve got the concession, and end up retaining fees from learners who enrolled before the concession was granted – and we can’t have that situation.”

Miss Pearce said it would be unfair if some learners didn’t have their tuition fees returned to them.

“Those learners who have already paid out of their own pocket for the opportunity to learn, having been told the Government would not fund them, will now not be eligible for a refund is a clear injustice and needs a rethink,” she said.

Lifelong Learning Accounts launched without a launch

 

Lifelong Learning Accounts were made available last week despite no formal announcement and minimal publicity from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS)and the Skills Funding Agency (SFA).

 

At the time of publication neither the SFA nor BIS had published a press release, although the SFA had included them as an item in their weekly update.

 

A BIS spokesperson said: “There is no central marketing budget for Lifelong Learning Accounts. The accounts will be promoted via colleges, careers advisors and through no-cost communications channels.”

 

The SFA, when contacted by when contacted by FE Week, said: “Lifelong “Lifelong Learning Accounts are now live. Providers are encouraged to advise their customers to open an account today.”

 

A Lifelong Learning Account is a free, personalised online account for adults aged 19 or over that provides users with information and advice on skills, careers and financial support.

 

Accounts are available through all SFA funded providers and will be supported by Next Step, a public funded service offering support for learners via telephone and face-toface advisers.

 

The SFA hopes to have one million account holders and improve both rates of retention and course success by December 2012.

 

A PowerPoint presentation available on the SFA website (click here) says the accounts will “help in fast-tracking of learners at enrolment.”

 

Download the Lifelong Learning Account poster now from the publications section of the Skills Funding Agency website

 

FE colleges could be “left to stand on their own two feet”

Government reforms could see colleges given greater freedoms under plans to deregulate further education (FE).

The Education Bill, which is at the Lords Committee Stage, contains a range of measures to give colleges greater freedom from government control.

However, the Department for Education (DfE) say they could go further. A spokesman for DfE said: “Ministers are committed to increasing the freedoms of colleges from central control and bureaucracy.

The Education Bill already contains a range of measures to increase freedoms. “However, we are considering actively whether we can go even further than this. We hope to come back with proposals when the Bill reaches Report Stage.”

A briefing document sent out by the Association of Colleges (AoC) to their members – which has been seen by FE Week  – says the sector could soon see “some significant changes” in the rules which govern colleges.

Although the details remain unconfirmed, the paper says it could see the law change in two ways – allowing a college’s governing body to make a decision on mergers and to have more freedom over their own instruments and articles.

The document adds: “It is likely that these changes would apply to all ‘1992 Act Colleges’, i.e. to both FE colleges and sixth form colleges.

“One key purpose of these reforms is to show that colleges are legally independent of Government and should be treated as such by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) and the National Audit Office (NAO).”

It also reads: “At the same time, there is a looming risk that new financial controls and reporting requirements will be imposed on colleges because of the ONS and NAO view that colleges are in the public sector. This could take effect in 2012.”

We are a grown up sector, and should be set free to stand up on our own two feet. “

Financial consultant Bob Deed, who works in the FE sector, said deregulation would be a “move towards a fully independent college sector” and would “remove bureaucracy around mergers, borrowing and governance”. He also said: “However, deregulation must be replaced by effective self-regulation. “Codes of governance penned by the AoC are useful, but more radical approaches may need to be developed.”

He added: “An important benefit for all colleges from the changes – which could almost go unnoticed – would be the heading-off of new annual financial returns necessary for the consolidation of college accounts into the Whole of Government Accounts. “Another piece of potential bureaucracy avoided might be the requirement for public sector organisations to publish details of all spending over £500.”

Principal of City College Norwich Dick Palmer, who is also a member of the department for business, innovation and skills (BIS) FE Performance and Review Board, said: “We are a grown up sector, and should be set free to stand up on our own two feet. Reclassification and greater Government ownership of colleges would be a retrograde step.”

FE Week approached AoC for a comment, but a spokesperson said: “We cannot comment on leaked documents.”

The DfE spokesman added: “The Government’s drive to give colleges greater freedoms have been welcomed by the AoC and the Sixth Form Colleges Forum.

“They share our view that colleges are best placed to respond to needs of students and employers, without being held back by unnecessary interference.”

The Education Bill is expected to go to Lords Report Stage on October 18.

No delay to simplification of adult funding formula

The Skills Funding Agency (SFA) is rumoured to be shortly announcing a delay to the full roll-out of a new funding formula for 2012/13.

However, the SFA deny this is the case, and reassure FE Week  that: “Work to introduce a simplified funding system, as set out in the BIS document Further Education – New Horizon, Investing in Skills for Sustainable Growth November 2010 (click here), is continuing as planned”.