The future for Postgraduate Taught education: funding, choice and student experience
with
Jason Leman, Surveys Officer, Higher Education Academy; Jayne Rowley, Director of Business Services, Graduate Prospects; Ben Rutter, Student Finance Adviser - London, Student Finance IAG Team, Student Loans Company and a senior speaker confirmed from HEFCE
and
Mahamid Ahmed, National Union of Students; Shan Ashton, Bangor University; Professor Helen Atkinson, Engineering Professors’ Council; Alex Bols, Guild HE; Gavin Douglas, University of Edinburgh; Dr Fiona Groenhout, University of Oxford; Juan Guerra, StudentFunder; Ben Jordan, UCAS; Dr Robin Mellors-Bourne, CRAC and Dr Faye Taylor, University Alliance
Chaired by:
Chris Evans MP, Member, All-Party Parliamentary University Group
Timing: Morning, Thursday, 22nd October 2015
Venue: Central London
This event is CPD certified
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Dear Mr Andrew
I am writing to remind you about the above seminar. Please note there is a charge for most delegates, although concessionary and complimentary places are available (subject to terms and conditions - see below).
The focus:
- Changes to postgraduate taught (PGT) education - focusing on funding, choices, the student experience and competition in the HE sector; and
- Preparations in the HE sector for the introduction of student loans for taught postgraduate students in 2016.
To note:
- The agenda includes significant opportunities for discussion about the employability of PGT students and the benefits PGT graduates can provide to employers.
Context:
Key discussion points:
· How people make decisions about postgraduate study and what they want from their university experience;
· PGT loans - the impact on students and the sector, and delivering loans in practice;
· ‘Steps to Postgraduate Study’ and improving information accessibility;
· Best practice in providing a high-quality student experience for PGT students; and
· Priorities for improving the support for PGT students into employment.
Speakers:
Keynotes: Jason Leman, Surveys Officer, Higher Education Academy; Jayne Rowley, Director of Business Services, Graduate Prospects; Ben Rutter, Student Finance Adviser - London, Student Finance IAG Team, Student Loans Company and a senior speaker confirmed from HEFCE.
Further confirmed speakers: Mahamid Ahmed, Postgraduate Taught Officer, National Union of Students; Shan Ashton, Head of School, School of Lifelong Learning, Bangor University; Professor Helen Atkinson, Head of Mechanics of Materials Research Group, University of Leicester and former President, Engineering Professors’ Council; Alex Bols, Deputy Chief Executive, Guild HE; Gavin Douglas, Deputy Secretary, Student Experience, University of Edinburgh; Dr Fiona Groenhout, Graduate Access Manager, Graduate Admissions and Funding, University of Oxford; Juan Guerra, Chief Executive Officer and Founder, StudentFunder; Ben Jordan, Senior Policy Executive, UCAS; Dr Robin Mellors-Bourne, Research Director & Acting Chief Executive, CRAC and Dr Faye Taylor, Policy and Projects Manager, University Alliance.
Chair: Chris Evans MP, Member, All-Party Parliamentary University Group.
Additional senior participants are being approached.
Networking:
Places have been reserved by officials from BIS; HMRC and the Welsh Government. Also due to attend are representatives from Bath Spa University; Birkbeck, University of London; Birmingham City University; Brunel University London; Cardiff Metropolitan University; City University London; Coventry University; Goldsmiths, University of London; Hotcourses; Imperial College London; Lancaster University; Liverpool Hope University; London Metropolitan University; Manchester Metropolitan University; Royal Holloway, University of London; Sheffield Hallam University; St George’s, University of London; The Knowledge Partnership; University College London; University of Bristol; University of East Anglia; University of Essex; University of Hertfordshire; University of Kent; University of Leeds; University of London; University of Manchester; University of Oxford; University of Portsmouth; University of Reading; University of Sheffield; University of Southampton; University of Strathclyde; University of Sussex; University of Westminster and University of York.
Press passes have been reserved by representatives from Times Higher Education.
Agenda:
See below my signature, or click here any time to download the latest version.
Organised impartially by the Westminster Higher Education Forum (find out more).
CPD certified (more details).
Booking arrangements
Online booking form.
Once submitted, this will be taken as a confirmed booking and will be subject to our terms and conditions below.
Please pay in advance by credit card on 01344 864796. If advance credit card payment is not possible, please let me know and we may be able to make other arrangements.
Options and charges:
- Places at The future for Postgraduate Taught education: funding, choice and student experience (including refreshments and a complete PDF copy of the transcripts) are £210 plus VAT;
- Concessionary rate places (see conditions): £80 plus VAT. Please be sure to apply for this at the time of booking.
Can’t attend?
- Full transcript available approximately 10 days after the event for £95 plus VAT;
- Concessionary rate: £50 plus VAT.
If you find the charge for places a barrier to attending, please let me know as concessionary and complimentary places are made available in certain circumstances (but do be advised that this typically applies to individual service users or carers or the like who are not supported by or part of an organisation, full-time students, people between jobs or who are fully retired with no paid work, and representatives of small charities - not businesses, individuals funded by an organisation, or larger charities/not-for-profit companies). Please note terms and conditions below (including cancellation charges).
I hope that you will be able to take part in what promises to be a most useful morning.
Kind regards,
Jonny Roberts
Jonny Roberts
Associate Editor, Westminster Higher Education Forum
T: 01344 864796
F: 01344 420121
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FINANCIAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS: The delegate fee includes copies of the presentations via PDF and refreshments. Cancellation policy is as follows: (1) cancellations 14 or more days before the event: £70+VAT cancellation fee per delegate; (2) cancellations less than 14 days before the event: no refunds. Cancellations must be notified in writing to the Westminster Higher Education Forum. No charge will be made for replacement delegates. Transfer of any confirmed booking between events is not possible. The organisers reserve the right to alter the programme and change the speakers without prior notice. The Westminster Higher Education Forum is unable to grant extended credit and therefore must request that full payment be made within 30 days from the date of invoice. Should payment not be received within 30 days from the date of invoice, the Westminster Higher Education Forum will apply an administration charge of £40+VAT, likewise for payments made to our account in error.
More About Us
A key output of the seminar will be a transcript of the proceedings, sent out around 10 working days after the event to all attendees and a wider group of Ministers and officials at BIS and other government departments; officials at HEFCE and other agencies affected by the issues; and Parliamentarians with a special interest in these areas. It will also be made available more widely. This document will include transcripts of all speeches and questions and answers sessions from the day, along with access to PowerPoint presentations, speakers’ biographies, an attendee list, an agenda, sponsor information, as well as any subsequent press coverage of the day and any articles or comment pieces submitted by delegates. It is made available subject to strict restrictions on public use, similar to those for Select Committee Uncorrected Evidence, and is intended to provide timely information for interested parties who are unable to attend on the day.
All delegates will receive complimentary PDF copies and are invited to contribute to the content.
The Westminster Higher Education Forum is strictly impartial and cross-party, and draws on the considerable support it receives from within Parliament and government, and amongst the wider stakeholder community. The Forum has no policy agenda of its own. Forum events are frequently the platform for major policy statements from senior Ministers, regulators and other officials, opposition speakers and senior opinion-formers in industry and interest groups. Events regularly receive prominent coverage in the national and trade press.
Westminster Higher Education Forum Keynote Seminar
The future for Postgraduate Taught education: funding, choice and student experience
Timing: Morning, Thursday, 22nd October 2015
Venue: Central London
Draft agenda subject to change
| 8.30 - 9.00 | Registration and coffee |
| | |
| 9.00 - 9.05 | Chair’s opening remarks Senior Parliamentarian |
| | |
| 9.05 - 9.15 | Postgraduate Taught (PGT) loans: rationale and reality Senior speaker to be confirmed |
| | |
| 9.15 - 9.25 | Delivering PGT loans in practice Ben Rutter, Student Finance Adviser - London, Student Finance IAG Team, Student Loans Company |
| | |
| 9.25 - 10.15 | The impact of the introduction of PGT loans on students and the sector How well does the £10,000 loan cap reflect the reality of the costs of PGT study? How justified are concerns that an increase in funding for PGT students will lead to a rise in course fees, and how can these concerns be addressed? To what extent will greater access to funding affect levels of fee competition between institutions? Is there a need for a commercial or alternative funding provider to supplement government funding levels? To what extent will an increased availability of PGT funding increase enrolment numbers of PGT courses, and what impact will this have on institutions? In light of pre-existing debt from undergraduate courses, will potential PGT students be deterred from taking out an additional student loan? How can widening participation be defined in a PGT context, and how can these students be best provided with additional support? What step can institutions and government take to address concerns that imposing an age limit of 30 on PGT loans is discriminatory and how can the funding gap for these students be resolved? Juan Guerra, Chief Executive Officer and Founder, StudentFunder Mahamid Ahmed, Postgraduate Taught Officer, National Union of Students Dr Faye Taylor, Policy and Projects Manager, University Alliance Ben Jordan, Senior Policy Executive, UCAS Questions and comments from the floor with Ben Rutter, Student Finance Adviser - London, Student Finance IAG Team, Student Loans Company and senior speaker to be confirmed |
| | |
| 10.15 - 10.45 | How people make decisions about postgraduate study Dr Robin Mellors-Bourne, Research Director & Acting Chief Executive, CRAC Dr Fiona Groenhout, Graduate Access Manager, Graduate Admissions and Funding, University of Oxford Questions and comments from the floor |
| | |
| 10.45 - 11.00 | ‘Steps to Postgraduate Study’ and improving information accessibility Senior speaker confirmed from HEFCE Questions and comments from the floor |
| | |
| 11.00 - 11.20 | Efficient provision of information in practice Jayne Rowley, Director of Business Services, Graduate Prospects Questions and comments from the floor with senior speaker confirmed from HEFCE |
| | |
| 11.20 - 11.25 | Chair’s closing remarks Senior Parliamentarian |
| | |
| 11.25 - 11.50 | Coffee |
| | |
| 11.50 - 11.55 | Chair’s opening remarks Chris Evans MP, Member, All-Party Parliamentary University Group |
| | |
| 11.55 - 12.05 | What do PGT students want from their university experience? Jason Leman, Surveys Officer, Higher Education Academy |
| | |
| 12.05 - 12.55 | Supporting PGT students’ experience and improving their employability prospects What more can institutions do to ensure a high quality student experience for PGT students, what can be learnt from best practice in this area - for example in supporting integration into the student community? How might the current levels of pastoral support provided to PGT students be improved; including mature, part time and international students? What factors are driving the fall in part time PGT student numbers, and how can universities act to increase numbers of part time applicants? Which PGT qualifications are of greatest value to the labour market and how can institutions and employers co-operate to ensure that skills needs are being met? How can universities ensure that PGT students acquire the skills needed to successfully apply and transition to postgraduate research? In light of some applicants seeking to change career following a PGT qualification, how can these students be supported to gain the employability skills they need to succeed in their chosen sector? Alex Bols, Deputy Chief Executive, Guild HE Gavin Douglas, Deputy Secretary, Student Experience, University of Edinburgh Shan Ashton, Head of School, School of Lifelong Learning, Bangor University Professor Helen Atkinson, Head of Mechanics of Materials Research Group, University of Leicester and former President, Engineering Professors' Council Questions and comments from the floor with Jason Leman, Surveys Officer, Higher Education Academy |
| | |
| 12.55 - 13.00 | Chair’s and Westminster Higher Education Forum closing remarks Chris Evans MP, Member, All-Party Parliamentary University Group Jonny Roberts, Associate Editor, Westminster Higher Education Forum |
