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Last night saw the return of the Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2022 (WUSCAs) at a live event in East Wintergarden in Canary Wharf, London, hosted by comedian Richard Ayoade. The awards, in their 10th year, are the UK’s biggest student-voted awards and give institutions the recognition they deserve for yet again exceeding student expectations during what has been another incredibly challenging academic year.
Widening participation
At Whatuni, we believe all students should have equal and fair access to higher education, and we recognise that studying at uni isn’t always straightforward for everyone, depending on their financial, personal or ethnic background or circumstances. Many widening participation (WP) students – including those from low-income or ethnic minority backgrounds, carers, care leavers, those with disabilities and so on – may face additional challenges in both accessing higher education and throughout their studies.
The WUSCA 2022 Outreach and Widening Participation category
Out of the 12 trophies given out on the night, the award for outreach and widening participation is a particularly special one. The award was created to celebrate the amazing initiatives UK institutions developed for prospective students to help them during the COVID-19 pandemic, and was voted for by a special panel of student judges from universities around the country.
The judges were tasked to look for bold and innovative initiatives that provided access and engagement to WP students across the 2021/22 academic year.
So, who won the award in the WUSCA 2022 Outreach and Widening Participation category?
Nominees
Birmingham City University
Falmouth University
Leeds Beckett University
Loughborough University
Middlesex University London
Swansea University
UCEN Manchester
University of Chester
University of East Anglia
University of Leicester
Winners
1st place: Middlesex University London
2nd place: University of Chester
3rd place: Loughborough University
1st place: Middlesex University London
The deserving winner of the WUSCA 2022 Outreach and Widening Participation category is Middlesex University London.
Aware of those young people who might be worst affected in the summer break and October half-term during the pandemic, Middlesex worked with local schools and organisations supporting disadvantaged children to reach students who’d benefit the most.
The judges were particularly impressed with the free online Digital Campus they created for 11 to 14-year-olds as part of their extensive widening participation work.
Knowing that video games capture students’ imaginations, and tying in with their Games Design courses, Middlesex partnered with Digital Schoolhouse, a not-for-profit computer education organisation, and produced play-based learning-themed sessions based around video games and filmmaking. It was all part of their WP strategy to remove barriers from students to succeed in both education and employment.
Our student judges loved the innovation and use of data which drove the initiative:
“Loved the video evidence, which suited the audience market. 100% satisfaction with the programme shows clear success.”
“Excellent programme! The Games Design course gives participants more interaction and insight into university study.”
“The data provided by Middlesex shows a clear success that they should be proud of. Accessibility was a priority, as shown by how they recorded the sessions and did 'pen and paper' sessions where no equipment was required by students.”
2nd place: University of Chester
Runners-up Chester worked with Brightside, a social mobility charity, and created a unique mentoring project for students from WP backgrounds to help support their transition to university during the summer before starting their studies in September.
The programme was a real success, with 61% of respondents reporting a positive change in their understanding of university life. And an encouraging 92% of matched mentees enrolled at the University of Chester, indicating that the mentoring project supported their transition.
Our judges were impressed by the success of the initiative, and Chester’s use of data across the programme:
“I really liked all the supporting evidence as it really added value and showed usage of data to identify the unrepresented students. Thought the interview videos were amazing.”
“Brilliant supporting evidence for the programme, with a very comprehensive overview.”
“I felt that their submission was well-thought out and showed clear impact.”
“The information is clear and precise; I was attracted by the mentoring scheme, which is a good way to allow participants to get to know more about the university.”
3rd place: Loughborough University
3rd place went to Loughborough, who created a programme called HE at Home, a series of virtual resources and activities aimed at young people under 16 from underrepresented backgrounds, with information on subject progression and careers routes. In total, the programme has been used across 200 schools, reaching 8,000 students throughout the pandemic.
For Loughborough, making sure the students had access to the resources was extremely important. Research gathered from schools as well as student feedback indicated that many students from underrepresented backgrounds groups had limited access to technology and high-speed broadband. To address these issues, Loughborough ensured that the HE at Home resources were adapted for mobile use, file sizes were compressed into PDF format, and the option was given for physical packs to be posted out to students who had no internet access at no cost to the schools. The resources were also designed to enable parents and guardians to run the sessions with their children from home.
Our judges were particularly impressed by Loughborough’s efforts to ensure access:
“Accessibility for all students was clearly at the forefront for Loughborough. Having multiple routes to participate brought to light their consideration that not everybody has access to the internet. There was a clear focus on widening participation, and the strong responses from both students and teachers shows Loughborough's impact on the community.”
“Loved the accessibility of having the option of both online and printed packages, especially on a personal level. I wouldn’t have been able to access online only, so the printed copy would have been amazing. As a disabled student, printed packages for me would be more accessible.”
We’re sure you agree that the winners of the WUSCA 2022 Outreach and Widening Participation category went above and beyond for students this year, while continuing to face very challenging circumstances. A special thank you to our amazing student judging panel who diligently read through all the submissions, and a massive congratulations to our winners!
Read more about WUSCA 2022 winners here.
