In recent years it has become clear that creation of a more inclusive and equitable environment within higher education requires significant organisational change. While our universities and higher education institutions have made great progress in this area, offering many benefits and opportunities to students, some significant inequalities remain. It is no longer sufficient to confine widening participation and equity to one-off initiatives or activities delivered by separate departments. A whole-organisational approach is needed before meaningful change can take place that will prepare an increasingly diverse student body for the globalised world of the 21st Century.

The NERUPI Convention 2024 gave participants the opportunity to explore this issue in depth as well as providing practical tools to generate and evaluate positive change. Delegates heard from a panel of organisational change leaders who set out the challenges and opportunities for organisational change in the fields of research, equality, diversity and inclusion and widening participation. They then learnt about some of the innovative work from NERUPI members who provided practice examples of activities designed to improve access, student success and progression. The afternoon workshops had a practical focus to support positive change.

Download the programme for full details and timings:

CONVENTION 2024 SHORT PROGRAMME

CONVENTION 2024 LONG PROGRAMME

We will start the day with a panel of organisational change leaders:

• Professor Nicola Ingram, University College Cork and NERUPI Chair,
• Dr Tamsin Bowers-Brown, Leeds Trinity University
• Professor Tony Moss, London South Bank University

The Panel will set out the challenges and opportunities for organisational change in the fields of research, EDI and Widening Participation. We will then hear from NERUPI members who will provide practice examples of activities designed to improve access, student success and progression:

• Inclusive Admissions, Recruitment, and Marketing: The importance of a co-ordinated approach. Myles Smith and Shulla Elgood, University of East Anglia - pre-reading available here
• Raising Attainment for Year 12s: The journey from in-person to hybrid. Agnes Mason, University of Bath - pre-reading available here
• Change Makers in ARU Outreach: Five key changes that have come from outreach delivery. Margot Broadbent and Meenujah Logasounthiran, Anglia Ruskin University
• Future Ready Mentoring: Assessment of Impact and Effectiveness. Matthew Abley and Scott Rawlinson, University of Westminster - pre-reading available here (mentor-facing) and here (student-facing)
• The Importance of Institutional Knowledge in Driving Change: The case of academic mentoring at LSE. Dr Akile Ahmet and Dr Daniela Pérez Aguilar , London School of Economics
• Informing Institutional Change through Counter-storytelling: Centring student voice to develop a culturally sensitive curriculum. Dr Barbara Adewumi, University of Kent - pre-reading available here and here
• Organisational Change to Support Underrepresented Students: Perspectives from the US and New Zealand. Alexandra Lyons, Imperial College, London
• Implementing Strategic Curriculum Change: Developing an equitable and inclusive staff development programme. Annie Yonkers and Dr Hilary Wason, Kingston University - pre-reading available here
• Curriculum Redefined: Developing an innovative, imaginative and sustainable approach to education. Dr Pam Birtill, University of Leeds

Meet our practice example presenters

The afternoon workshops will have a practical focus to support positive change:

• NERUPI Framework Developments: The NERUPI Team will introduce new developments to support planning and evaluation.
• Community Organising in HE: Supporting Student Voice and Parental Engagement. Claire Rodgerson & Fiona Meldrum, Citizens UK and Amina Razak, University of Newcastle
• A Whole Provider Approach to Access and Participation Planning. Liz Thomas, University of York

Meet our Speakers, Panellists and Presenters

Those attending the event may find it useful to read the following beforehand:

1. Arday, J & Mirza, H. (2018). Dismantling Race in Higher Education: Racism, Whiteness and Decolonising the Academy.
2. Citizens UK. What is community organising? Available at: https://www.citizensuk.org/about-us/what-is-community-organising/
3. Newcastle University. Projects and Evaluations. Available at: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/learning-and-teaching/strategic-priorities/inclusive-newcastle/projects-and-evaluations/
4. Newcastle University. The Black Engineering Network. Available at: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/learning-and-teaching/strategic-priorities/inclusive-newcastle/black-eng-network/
5. Office for Students. (2023). About the risk register. Available at: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/for-providers/equality-of-opportunity/equality-of-opportunity-risk-register/about-the-equality-of-opportunity-risk-register