Summer College celebrates its students’ success
Picture shows some of the Summer College students
at the awards evening.
The Summer College graduates of 2005 came together at Lancaster University on 17 November to receive their awards at a presentation dinner held at InFoLab21. 24 students completed the Certificate and a further 55 took some of the academic subject and preparation for HE modules. The Certificates were presented by Pro Vice Chancellor Alan Whitaker.
Summer College is now in its ninth year and offers students the opportunity to experience university life just before they enter HE. Successful students receive the Summer College Certificate, which is recognised as an additional qualification that signifies a student’s readiness for HE. Courses are held at five institutions across the North West. The core course, Preparation for Higher Education, covers study and time management skills, presentation skills, IT and life skills. Students also choose two courses from a range of academic subjects. They have significant amount of coursework to complete and exams to pass at the end of the courses. In certain, limited, circumstances students can take only one or two modules at Summer College.
According to Rory Daly, Summer College coordinator, “many institutions, especially the Summer College partner institutions – St Martins, Edge Hill, Blackpool and the Fylde College, Blackburn College and Lancaster University - recognise Summer College as a valid entry qualification, alongside A Levels. Some Summer College students will not have performed as well as predicted in their A Levels due to factors such as ill health, bereavement or family problems. Summer College gives these students an opportunity to regain their confidence and to achieve a place at university.” Summer College is also aimed at students from families where they would be the first to enter HE.
The students attending the awards ceremony are now studying at a range of HE institutions. Ten are now Lancaster undergraduates. Anjuli Dua, from Blackpool, who is studying sociology, law and politics at Lancaster says, “I felt the benefits of Summer College were endless. It gave a taster of academic life in a university and it meant I knew my way round the campus when I started here. It was hard work but a very worthwhile.”
Summer College Director Keith Percy, Director of the School of Lifelong Learning and Widening Participation at Lancaster thought, “it very was heartening to hear the students talk so passionately about the impact Summer College has had on their undergraduate lives.”
Recruitment for Summer College 2006 is underway. Summer College secretary Maggie Dixon adds, “Summer College is open to everybody heading to HE and we are particularly interested in hearing from anyone who wishes to attend one of the five partner institutions in 2006 and who either wants to get a taste of university life or thinks they may not get the grades they need.”
Summer College is free and includes residential fees for all those that meet the Summer College access criteria. These include: students from educationally and socially disadvantaged backgrounds, minority ethnic groups, students with disabilities and those whose educational achievement has suffered due to personal, family or health problems.
To find out more about Summer College call 01524 592622/44 or email r.daly@lancaster.ac.uk or m.dixon2@lancaster.ac.uk
For a review of Summer College 2005 visit http://www.lancs.ac.uk/depts/conted/scollege
Picture shows some of the Summer College students at the awards evening.