Access to and participation in Higher Education is recognised as a key factor in social mobility that enhances most aspects of life, including earning potential and indices of well-being and life satisfaction. The Office for Students monitors the performance of all Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and the HEIs are required to submit detailed Access Plans and report on progress. Despite this, the University of Bath remains well below the national average, fewer than 5% of new students in 2020/2021 were from the lowest quintile of the Index of Multiple Deprivation compared to the national average of 23%. This seminar will explore some of the challenges faced by students from low-income backgrounds and will outline some of the steps that we can all take to make Bath a more attractive and inclusive community. All are welcome to join this important and highly nuanced area of discussion, regardless of how you personally identify with the topic.
This seminar will be opened by Ben Metcalfe and ART-AI student Scott Wellington. They will introduce the theme and share their experiences. This will be followed with a round table discussion.
The seminar will take place in person at the University of Bath (1E 3.6) on Tuesday 23rd May 13.15pm-14.15pm. If you are unable to make it in person, you can join online. There will be an option to contribute anonymously to this seminar. If you would like to join, please e-mail [email protected].
Bio
Ben Metcalfe
Ben Metcalfe is Deputy Director of the Institute for the Augmented Human and Deputy Head of the Department of Electronic & Electrical Engineering. He leads a large research group at Bath that develops medical devices and technology and he holds several external roles at executive level with medical device manufacturers and charities. Ben grew up in a lower working class family in Cornwall and was the first in his family to study for A-Levels or a Degree, he came to Bath in 2007 on the R.B and S.E Whorrod scholarship and now serves as a mentor on the Gold Scholarship Programme.
Scott Wellington
Scott Wellington is a PhD student at the University of Bath within the UKRI Centre for Doctoral Training in Accountable, Responsible and Transparent AI (ART-AI). Scott’s previous roles include secondary school teaching in the Greater Manchester borough of Rochdale, which the ONS places in the lower 5th percentile for income deprivation in the UK, and the Widening Participation and Student Recruitment team at the University of York, which works with prospective students from low-income backgrounds to facilitate their journey into Higher Education.
