Call for Papers – NEON Summer Symposium 2018

NEON Summer Symposium 2018 – Call for Papers

NEON would like to invite the submission of research papers and examples of best practice for the NEON Summer Symposium 2018.  This year our two day event will be held on the 21st and 22nd of June at the University of Sussex and will focus upon

“Widening Access…..who cares?”

We will examine the priority placed on widening access by different stakeholders. To what extent is widening access on the agendas of policymakers, schools, colleges, the academic community, employers and students? How is it being addressed and in what ways can the commitment to widening access across the board be strengthened?

During the two days, we will be discussing the importance of partnership working in order to both widen access to higher education (HE) and to support students from under-represented groups through HE into employment.  We will hear from key figures from the education sector talking about why widening access matters and we will discuss the challenges of obtaining the commitment, from all parties, to acknowledge the importance of ensuring we have a diverse student body.

We are seeking research papers/best practice examples that focus on the above theme. More general papers covering any area of access practice are also welcome.

If you wish to submit a paper or workshop proposal please complete the pro-forma via the following link by the 2 March 2018 deadline:

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/QXGDYCK

We will seek to combine papers into interesting and stimulating sessions, the outcomes of which will be captured by NEON and used to inform our agenda going forward into 2018-19.

Presenting at the NEON Summer Symposium will have a tangible outcome for presenters i.e.:

  • Informing the agenda and work of NEON
  • Inclusion in the NEON Resource Room
  • Sharing your institution’s/organisation’s work with a broad range of delegates
  • £20 discount to apply to conference

We would particularly be keen to accept papers in the following areas:

  • Networks of Collaborative Outreach – developing sustainable models of partnership
  • Developing partnerships to evaluate the impact of widening access work across the student lifecycle
  • Developing institutional approaches to constructing and delivering Access Agreements
  • Strategic approaches to widening access across the student lifecycle
  • Embedding widening access within institutional policy

Pre-entry and transition:

  • Developing sustainable partnerships with schools and colleges
  • Widening access by improving attainment in schools and colleges
  • Helping prospective students to make informed choices in higher education
  • Facilitating progression of under-represented groups to higher education
  • New routes into HE and Higher level/degree level apprenticeships

The undergraduate experience:

  • Higher Education in Further Education
  • Supporting learners with alternative qualifications
  • Innovations in learning and teaching in working with students from under-represented groups
  • The use of data to support innovations in student retention and success
  • Supporting care leavers through higher education
  • Inclusive learning and teaching for students with disabilities

Student outcomes:

  • Using technology to improve student outcomes for those from under-represented groups
  • Improving student outcomes for learners from BAME backgrounds
  • Student services and improving student outcomes for those from under-represented groups
  • Discipline based approaches to improving outcome of students from under represented gro‎ups
  • University careers provision and widening access work
  • Working with widening access students to improve degree outcomes and employability
  • Widening access to postgraduate studies

Paper presentations should be between 15-20 minutes in length with an additional 10 minutes allocated for further questions.

If you wish to submit a paper or workshop proposal please complete the pro-forma via the following link by the 2 March 2018 deadline:

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/QXGDYCK

The NEON Summer Symposium – the event for widening access professionals you can’t afford to miss

We look forward to welcoming you to the University of Sussex for, what promises to be, an outstanding two days.