Insights on college-based HE shared in new report

A new insights report that summarises the college-based higher education (CBHE) network is now available with recommendations for future outputs.

Advance HE’s Collaborative Development Fund 2022 (CDF) offered the opportunity for a CBHE provider to lead the creation and development of a solution-based CBHE network for Advance HE college-based members across the UK.

The principal aim of the project is to co-create spaces for leaders of college-based tertiary or higher education across the UK to come together and share practices, devise solutions to meet their challenges and opportunities, and build stronger links within the Advance HE community.

Dr Jo Tyssen (Head of WP, Outreach and Projects) leads the team at University Centre Leeds, that convened the network. She says:

"At the time of launch in March this year, there were 62 individual members already signed up to the network, with 43 institutions being represented from England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and the Isle of Man. All shared a clear vision about the collaborative opportunities this network provided, and had a real sense to work together to create a HE culture, devise solutions, and deliver on areas of priority for CBHE.

"By the fourth meeting in July, there will be 70 individual members, representing 48 CBHE providers from across the UK who attend the network both at the monthly virtual meetings, as well as participating in online discussions outside of meetings via the Advance HE Connect platform.

"From the outset, it was clear that whilst there is no ‘one size fits all’ model for CBHE, there are a set of uniting factors that the network explores."

Initial themes that were identified include:

• developing HE ethos (culturally and physically), and creating an HE community within FE contexts
• collaboration opportunities for CPD, research and scholarly activity, and sharing best practice
• supporting for Fellowship and Senior Fellowship
• marketing of the CBHE distinctiveness, graduate attributes, and currency of skills
• collective campaigns
• regulatory bodies and changes, and learning from other bodies such as HEFCW / SFC / the Higher Education Division within the Department for the Economy in NI / Department of Education, Sport and Culture in Isle of Man

Key deliverables of this project include:

1. A network of CBHE leaders, co-creating a sustained community of practice focusing on the areas which matter most to members
2. An Insights Report in July 2022 that summarises the network thus far and includes recommendations for future outputs
3. A practical ‘What Works’ guide by December 2022 which outlines the areas of focus that really matter to CBHE providers and to provide solutions to address these shared challenges
4. A curated online space on Advance HE Connect for discussion to continue outside of allotted meetings and sharing of key resources