Opinion | 14 April 2023
By Dr Clare Elmi-Glennan, Senior Lecturer in Psychology
Every university has a civic mission. It’s integral to the makeup of the institution, and can be used as a marker for ensuring that universities are relevant and accessible to the communities they operate in. Universities have a responsibility to enrich the economic, social, environmental and cultural wellbeing of the local area they serve. But more so, the higher education sector has a unique opportunity to blend education, research and engagement for the wider benefit of society.
At Cardiff Metropolitan University, our civic mission is one of the key priorities in our new
Strategy 2030, launched at the end of last year. As a university, we’ve committed to working in partnership with our students, staff and partners to fulfil their lives and those of the communities and economies they belong to. The delivery of our new Strategy 2030 is underpinned by purpose, impact and compassion – the drivers behind everything we do.
So how are we bringing this civic mission to life across our campuses every day and helping to shape society in a positive way?
Last month, we came to the end of a six-week accredited course with 14 Cardiff-based refugees and asylum seekers, following a successful summer school pilot with a further 15 asylum seekers. As part of Cardiff Metropolitan University’s Outreach Adult Learning (OAL) and developed in partnership with my colleague Dr Heidi Seage, Principal Lecturer in Health Psychology, this offers a successful steppingstone to HE for those who face social barriers to progress onto university programmes. This latest course, in Psychology, provided a taste of studying at a higher education institution for displaced people, aligning with Cardiff Met’s civic mission and values.
It follows eight successful years of OAL programmes developed with Cardiff Met’s Widening Access team. Such initiatives aim to encourage people who are capable but face social barriers or don’t have the required qualifications to progress to HE. Originally designed as non-accredited courses, a consultation with community partners, widening access staff and learners showed that introducing accredited courses would have greater benefit to the community. By allowing learners to build up credits, there would be greater accessible learning opportunities for disadvantaged students to progress to HE at a more reasonable pace.
These modules allow for seamless progression from community based non-accredited learning to undergraduate study by bridging the gap from one to the other. Without this next step of bite sized, community-based accredited learning, hundreds of students would have been unable to make the leap to HE undergraduate study. Many adult learners have the academic potential to succeed within Cardiff Met University but need to build their confidence and study skills experience prior to entry.
The initial Psychology OAL course which I designed and delivered back in 2015 has been pioneering and award winning, and as a result we now have a plethora of accredited modules – from Sociology, Reflexology, Journalism to Anatomy & Physiology – across the University that provide learners with the skills to progress in life. The programme is having proven impact, often giving individuals the confidence to apply for an undergraduate course or employment.
An intrinsic part of our civic and social responsibility is to remove barriers between the institution and the community. But when working with individuals who lack self-confidence and worth, we can’t assume they’ll come to us. As a result, our Widening Access team have forged important and valuable relationships with partners, from housing associations, community hubs and specific charities like OASIS which supports asylum seekers.
These partnerships have taught us that, when delivering the OAL programme, often the topic area we’re working in doesn’t really matter. The most important thing is our approach to teaching and understanding that working effectively with the wider community means we must acknowledge an individual for who they are and be compassionate about their circumstances.
There are groups in society who are being left behind, as those who are educated find themselves in a more fortunate position to progress in life. Our civic mission and social responsibility, in working with the community we operate in, is to support these individuals and not give up on them. This gives us a purpose. And, ultimately, allows us to make economic, social, environmental and cultural impact in our community.
This article first appeared as a University View column in The Western Mail.
