News
Task Force on Access plans to make university more accessible
David EisBrenner
With last week's release of a new report and action plan, the University of Winnipeg is gearing up to attack the lack of access to education for underrepresented groups in our community.
The university's Task Force on Access just released its final report on the accessibility of post-secondary education, outlining four main strategies that the university should pursue to reach the goal of "[ensuring] that the percentage of [students] from low socio-economic status (SES) neighbourhoods who graduate from the U of W will be the same as their percentage of the overall population," as stated in the report.
The first of the strategies is to expand recruiting grounds from the standard tours of local high schools and start bringing the message that university is a viable option to students at the primary level as well. This will help establish the idea that university is for everyone early on.
Other recommendations in the report are intended to build on this head-start by creating additional avenues for students to access university, such as a new opportunity fund to offer need-based bursaries.
The tuition credit account for high school students from low-income neighbourhoods is another similar measure. The account will work similarly to deferred scholarships, where high school students would be offered $500 or $750 credits towards their university studies for each year of high school they successfully complete.
These programs are meant to increase graduation rates in inner-city schools and get their students thinking about university as a possibility, says Kelly Brown, the executive director of student relations for the university and co-chair of the task force.
The second strategy is meant to make university easier for adults to attend, through online courses and the offering of more evening courses.
The report describes these initiatives as meant to "ensure that students can gain a degree in any of four majors without setting foot on campus between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m." Another goal in their strategy to attract more adult learners is to work with local agencies to reduce the fear that might be felt by many adults when they think about attending university.
Changing the focus from a specific demographic to that of the entire student body, the third strategy proposed by the task force is to increase the opportunities for success of all students, with “success” being defined as graduation. With much of the report's focus being on recruiting students, the task force decided that a definite commitment to seeing those new students through to graduation was necessary, and as such is wanting to see a transition year program implemented and the "[introduction of] new teaching skills and models so that the university can offer multiple approaches to learning," as described in the report.
Brown says this addresses a significant problem, as "there's lots of money out there [for students], but ... without feeling comfortable [in the university], people won't come."
The task force also recommended the enhancement of existing counseling services and facilities to create a "sense of belonging" in students.
With a full slate of suggestions to attract and retain students, the task force also offers some recommendations to remove the financial and social barriers that students often face. It suggests providing subsidies for housing and transportation, enhancing the current bursary program, and adding childcare spaces for student parents.
While the report is intended as a two-year action plan for the university, some of its recommendations are already implemented: the opportunity fund, for example, was launched earlier this year.
The university's Task Force on Access just released its final report on the accessibility of post-secondary education, outlining four main strategies that the university should pursue to reach the goal of "[ensuring] that the percentage of [students] from low socio-economic status (SES) neighbourhoods who graduate from the U of W will be the same as their percentage of the overall population," as stated in the report.
The first of the strategies is to expand recruiting grounds from the standard tours of local high schools and start bringing the message that university is a viable option to students at the primary level as well. This will help establish the idea that university is for everyone early on.
Other recommendations in the report are intended to build on this head-start by creating additional avenues for students to access university, such as a new opportunity fund to offer need-based bursaries.
The tuition credit account for high school students from low-income neighbourhoods is another similar measure. The account will work similarly to deferred scholarships, where high school students would be offered $500 or $750 credits towards their university studies for each year of high school they successfully complete.
"Without feeling comfortable [in the university], people won't come."
These programs are meant to increase graduation rates in inner-city schools and get their students thinking about university as a possibility, says Kelly Brown, the executive director of student relations for the university and co-chair of the task force.
The second strategy is meant to make university easier for adults to attend, through online courses and the offering of more evening courses.
The report describes these initiatives as meant to "ensure that students can gain a degree in any of four majors without setting foot on campus between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m." Another goal in their strategy to attract more adult learners is to work with local agencies to reduce the fear that might be felt by many adults when they think about attending university.
Changing the focus from a specific demographic to that of the entire student body, the third strategy proposed by the task force is to increase the opportunities for success of all students, with “success” being defined as graduation. With much of the report's focus being on recruiting students, the task force decided that a definite commitment to seeing those new students through to graduation was necessary, and as such is wanting to see a transition year program implemented and the "[introduction of] new teaching skills and models so that the university can offer multiple approaches to learning," as described in the report.
Brown says this addresses a significant problem, as "there's lots of money out there [for students], but ... without feeling comfortable [in the university], people won't come."
The task force also recommended the enhancement of existing counseling services and facilities to create a "sense of belonging" in students.
With a full slate of suggestions to attract and retain students, the task force also offers some recommendations to remove the financial and social barriers that students often face. It suggests providing subsidies for housing and transportation, enhancing the current bursary program, and adding childcare spaces for student parents.
While the report is intended as a two-year action plan for the university, some of its recommendations are already implemented: the opportunity fund, for example, was launched earlier this year.