The FE/HE Transition Project will build upon excellent links between the partners to help students transfer from college to university. Students with Higher National Certificates and Diplomas can continue their studies by joining the second and third year of appropriate degrees. The project is funded by the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council (SHEFC) through The North Forum for Widening Participation. The North Forum brings together the colleges and universities across the North of Scotland and is therefore the ideal partnership to oversee this collaborative venture.
Experts from across Scotland with experience of college-to-university study agreements, together with those working locally in colleges and universities, will be attending the conference. Students who have experienced the transition between the two sectors, as well as those who intend to make this transition, have also been invited to add their experience.
Kathy Fowler, Manager of KEY Learning Opportunities, University of Aberdeen, said: “I am delighted that this conference is being launched with a keynote address by Professor Alex MacLennan from the University of Paisley. Professor MacLennan has considerable standing in this area following the publication of the report Credit Transfer at the FE/HE Interface.
“FE/HE Transition is an exciting project based on well-established partnerships between universities and further education colleges in the North-East of Scotland. We will build on these agreements and the launch conference to produce tangible benefits for our students in opening up access routes and making the transition between college and university much smoother.
“The interest shown in the conference makes me confident that the project team will be set a challenging agenda for the next year, and that ultimately we will be successful in achieving our aims.”
The aim of the conference is to explore some of the issues involved in making the move from further education to higher education. The range of issues will vary for each individual, but some of the key ones identified in the publication Credit Transfer at the FE/HE Interface will form the basis for the workshops, which will cover: cultural differences; skills gap; support mechanisms; and monitoring of success.
Anyone requiring further information, a copy of the full programme, or the keynote address, should contact Kathy Fowler: 07711 904 870, or Christopher Cudworth: 01224 272449, KEY Learning Opportunities, University of Aberdeen, or email: c.j.cudworth@abdn.ac.uk
ANYONE WISHING TO INTERVIEW ANY OF THE PARTNERS DURING TOMORROW’S CONFERENCE OR WISHING TO ATTEND AND/OR TAKE PHOTOGRAPHS SHOULD CONTACT THE UNIVERSITY OF ABERDEEN’S PRESS OFFICER, ANGELA BEGG, ON: (01224) 272960.