Confirmed Speakers
- Nick Hillman, Director, Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI)
- John Cope, Director of Strategy, Policy and Public Affairs, UCAS
- Samina Khan, Director, Undergraduate Admissions and Outreach, University of Oxford
- Cat Turhan, Policy Analyst, The Russell Group
- Beth Linklater, Assistant Principal, Queen Mary's College, Basingstoke, and Chair, UCAS' Secondary Education Advisory Group
- Hillary Gyebi-Ababio, Higher Education,National Union of Students
- Dr. Graeme Atherton, Founder, AccessHE and Founder, National Education Opportunities Network (NEON)
- Adrian Dutch,Director of Global, Recruitment and Admissions, University of Westminster
- Dr. Gurnam Singh, Associate Professor of Equity of Attainment (PT), Coventry University
- Bobby Mehta, Director of Global, University of Portsmouth
- Mike Nicholson, Director of Undergraduate Admissions and Outreach, University of Bath
Westminster Insight’s University Admissions Digital Conference reviews the impact the pandemic had on 2020-21 admissions, how we can prepare for the knock on to the 2021-22 admissions cycle and
how the overall admissions system can be improved to ensure transparency, fairness and enhance the prospects of disadvantaged applicants. With the potential for
major reforms, including moving to a
post-qualifications admissions (PQA) model, it is vital practitioners keep up to date.
Growing concern over
predicted grades, unconditional and contextual offers, differing application assessment methods and providers’ approaches to marketing their courses sparked
wide-ranging reviews of the admissions system.
The
pandemic then threw the system into overdrive with many more students meeting their offer requirements than normal. The fallout from the summer exams crisis coupled with the dropping of the government cap in student numbers for top universities led an
overdemand in top tier universities, whilst many lower tier institutions are
facing a deficit of students.
Westminster Insight’s Digital Conference is ideally timed for Spring to
assess the impact the pandemic has had on 2020-21 admission numbers as a clearer picture emerges taking into account January starts, postgraduates, international arrivals, students changing their minds and further market volatility.
Delegates will explore
how admissions will work for the upcoming 2021-22 cycle with the ongoing challenges posed by coronavirus, 2021 exams being delayed and many universities seeking to fulfil their contractual obligations by asking students to defer until 2021.
Consideration will also be given to the
impact of Brexit and Covid-19 on foreign students applying to study in the UK and how we can improve international recruitment going forward. Plus there will be discussion about how the admissions process can be refined to
widen participation in higher education to disadvantaged groups.
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