Invitation/Request 02/02

Respond by 2 April 2002

Higher education in further education colleges

Development fund for learning and teaching: phase 2

Executive summary (read on-line)

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Report
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Annexes A-D
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Annex E   Allocation of funds
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Annex F   Template for HE strategy statements
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Annex G   Template for proposed activities for funding
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Executive summary

Purpose

1. This document gives details of a second phase of the special HEFCE fund to help further education colleges (FECs) to develop their higher education (HE) programmes, and specifically to raise the quality and standards of HE learning and teaching. The total funding available for this second phase is £18.5 million, covering a period of three academic years from 2001-02 to 2003-04.

2. The document also requests from all directly funded FECs an updated statement of their HE strategy.

Key points

3. We have identified six themes as the focus for activities to be supported under phase 2 of the development fund:

• widening participation
• improving quality and raising standards
• developing staff skills
• developing student skills
• curriculum development and design
• monitoring and evaluation to enhance provision.

4. All these activities must relate directly to HE programmes.

5. Most of the activities can be pursued more effectively through joint working with higher education institutions (HEIs) and other FECs. We encourage colleges to consider working collaboratively.

6. All FECs that are currently directly funded by the HEFCE may benefit from the fund. But colleges with fewer than 100 full-time equivalent (FTE) students on HE programmes will be able to access the fund only if they collaborate with other FECs or with an HEI, so that the aggregate total of directly funded HE places is at least 100 FTEs.

7. For the first time, colleges with more than 800 FTE directly funded HE students will receive twice the rate of funding that will be provided for colleges with between 100 and 799 FTE directly funded HE students. This reflects our intention to help the largest FEC providers of HE to build their critical mass of HE, strengthening its quality and range.

8. We are requesting from all directly funded FECs an updated statement of their strategy for developing their HE. FECs working collaboratively will be able to submit joint statements.

9. In return for the development funds we are asking all eligible colleges, individually or collectively, to include with their strategy statement details of the activities that they plan to undertake.

Action requested

10. Colleges should send their HE strategy statements, and details of the planned development activities to be supported through phase 2 of the fund, by Tuesday 2 April 2002 to: