Abstract
This account reflects upon the issue of the retention of non-traditional arts students of Higher Education (HE) taught in Further Education institutions (FE). The approach fuses structuralist theoretical frameworks with an autoethnographic approach. In the UK the Higher and Further Education sectors are distinct. To characterise, whilst Higher Education (programmes of study at level 4 and above) is delivered in both sectors, the numbers of students studying HE in the FE sector are relatively low. The ethos of Further Education emphasises vocational training for jobs, from level 1 upwards.
Two distinct experiences of the implementation of specific strategies for retaining students studying Higher Education as Art and Design Undergraduates in Further Education Colleges are discussed. The first began in 2015 and the second in 2019. Both were ‘successful’ when judged according to data showing that there was an improvement in student retention and progression when compared with the previous year. The nature of the strategies will be briefly described and then set within a wider context in order to highlight the need to consider the impact of factors that are outside the control of the individual student and their teachers.
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Fernie-Clarke, J. (2022). The Other Side: Strategies for Retention of Non-traditional Students in Higher Education in Further Education. In: Broadhead, S. (eds) Access and Widening Participation in Arts Higher Education. The Arts in Higher Education. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97450-3_4
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