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FAQs

Some examples

My institution might find it a challenge to meet the Delivery Partnership target of 100% of courses with Entry Profiles by September 2009. What help is available?

The number of Entry Profiles is now up to over 83% and there is evidence from UCAS that applicants are more likely to apply for a course that has an Entry Profile. Help is available from UCAS, who host free Entry Profiles training workshops, normally on a monthly basis. This provides useful training for institutions wishing to update their Entry Profiles. There are two workshops available - a one-day event covering all aspects of creating quality Entry Profiles, or a two-day event which includes training on both web-link course data and applicant data on the first day, with day two covering the full Entry Profiles session. Go to the UCAS website at www.ucas.ac.uk/he_staff/training/systems/entryprofiles for further details.

We have reviewed our policies and procedures on how we provide feedback to unsuccessful applicants but would like to ensure that the audit trail and procedures documenting reasons for admissions decisions are effective and that we have reliable quality assurance mechanisms in place with regard to feedback. Does SPA have any advice about these two areas?

Institutions’ internal procedural documentation should include an audit trail or records which outline how decisions are reached. This audit trail should include the reasons for admissions decisions, any supporting evidence or details of contextual data used e.g. interview report forms and/or score sheets and the reasons for the outcome.

Institutions should have effective quality assurance mechanisms in place to ensure the feedback provided meets applicants’ needs. This could include effective use of technology and electronic record- keeping and retrieval to easily identify whether there are patterns in reasons for rejection e.g. could a significant number of applicants not meeting the minimum entry requirements for a course indicate poorly focused applications and a need to review the clarity of this information. Institutions should make regular reports, highlighting to senior managers and other staff through their internal committee structures the numbers and the reasons for rejection in a given period, to enable comparisons to be made, any patterns to be identified and to help institutions review the provision of their feedback on an annual basis. This will ensure any requirements for change are identified and implemented and standards are maintained and improved.

We want to make sure that we have good admissions policies in place. How can we be sure ours meet best practice requirements?

Institutions’ admissions policies underlie everything connected with the admission of students, from enquiries, recruitment and outreach to decision-making, transmitting data to UCAS, relationship building, diversity, transition support, registration and beyond. In England this issue was also highlighted by the DIUS Secretary of State in his speech to the HEFCE conference in April 2008, commenting on the need for transparency.

SPA is currently developing guidance for institutions, both clarifying their autonomy in admissions matters and identifying key issues which institutions should consider and include in their policies. So, for example, policies might set the institution in the context of the Schwartz Report and the QAA’s Code of Practice on Admissions and may also include specific policies on qualifications and on actions related to different groups of applicants, such as those who have been in care or who have a particular disability.

SPA is currently working on the production of a draft statement relating to Good Practice for Admissions Policies.

How might HEIs define mature applicants, in light of the new Age legislation?

The General Guidance Note on Age and Student Issues published by the Equality Challenge Unit in October 2006 stated that "the circumstances in which age based criteria for admissions will be objectively justified are likely to be quite limited. In the event that an institution decides that age based criteria are necessary to protect a legitimate aim, they will need to be based on evidence rather than an assumption that a particular age group is unsuitable for a particular course".

A definition of mature applicants therefore, whilst not unlawful, might avoid linking the term to a specific age. It could more appropriately focus on those with significant life and/or work experience.

If a student applies in Welsh and includes in his/her choices applications to English HEIs, will the application be translated into English?

No. SPA checked this with UCAS, who stated that "if an applicant applies using the Welsh language there will be a warning that this is only valid for Welsh institutions and that if they do make a non-Welsh HEI one of their choices, there will be no obligation on that HEI to follow it up".

If an HEI did wish to pursue an application in these circumstances, direct contact would need to be made with the applicant to ask for the information to be sent separately in English.

We are about to review our institution’s admissions policy, how can SPA help?

SPA has advised a number of institutions about this area of work. We have been able to put HEIs looking to centralise their admissions processes and associated policy in touch with other HEIs with good practice in this area, identified through our visits. We have also looked through draft documentation on proposed admissions changes and commented in the light of our experience. SPA is always pleased to provide HEIs with contacts, updates on current developments or other advice relating to good practice.

Updated and reviewed: February 2009