CULN 10th ANNIVERSARY CONFERENCE 

CULN celebrated its 10th anniversary on Tuesday 22nd November 2011.  Sixty-two members and partners joined us at the John Foster Hall, Manor Road, Oadby for a full day event with a wide range of interesting speakers presenting on progression, student support, widening participation and post-18 options. 

We were particularly delighted to welcome students to the event, who spoke about their own educational experiences and the different paths they had each taken towards studying for a degree.

At the event the new CULN Brochure was launched.  
If you would like a free copy, call Jo Leadbetter on 0116 229 7597;  or email:  jl172@le.ac.uk

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CONFERENCE REPORT by Professor John Benyon, Professor of Political Studies, Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Leicester

The Colleges–University of Leicester Network (CULN) was founded in 2001 and a one-day conference was held on 22 November to celebrate its tenth anniversary.

CULN is a network of higher and further education institutions and sixth-form colleges from Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire and the West Midlands. It is a unique partnership that has been remarkably successful over its decade of activities. CULN has inspired hundreds of students from sectors of society traditionally under-represented in FE and HE to continue their education and training and has created innovative opportunities for staff development.

The University of Leicester is acknowledged as the most socially inclusive of Britain’s top 20 leading universities. In setting up CULN in 2001 it led the way in founding CULN to be an association that brings together the HE and FE sectors, schools, local businesses and communities in order to promote fairer access and progression to HE and FE.

Over the past ten years, 4,950 students have participated in CULN activities, the network has held 54 major student events and 192 staff events and generated £598,108 external income. 3,738 staff from the colleges and HEIs have taken part in CULN activities.

The tenth birthday conference of the Colleges-University of Leicester Network (CULN), entitled ‘Putting Students First: Colleges and Universities working together in a new era of higher education’, took place on Tuesday 22 November. It was opened by Professor Sir Robert Burgess, Vice-Chancellor of the University, who was instrumental in setting up the network. He said what a pleasure it was to mark CULN’s decade of success. The network had surpassed all expectations and had helped to enhance student access and progression and staff development.  

Principals from some of the partner colleges and students who have benefited from CULN initiatives spoke of their experiences. These included presentations by Marion Plant, from North Warwickshire and Hinckley College, Suzanne Overton-Edwards, Principal of Gateway College, and Jim Mutton, from Loughborough College, who was one of the founding principals. They each spoke glowingly of the benefits of CULN and looked forward to further developments.

The contributions from the students were particularly powerful. Each of them drew attention to how CULN activities had helped them overcome obstacles, boost their self-confidence, and enabled them to come to study at the University of Leicester. Their testimonies were moving and underlined the difficulties that many people face in trying to progress to higher education. They each said how much CULN had helped them and gave specific examples.

The keynote address was given by Lynne Sedgmore, CBE, Chief Executive of the 157 Group of colleges. She said that CULN was a wonderful example of how colleges and universities could work together for their mutual benefit and, more importantly, to assist students to overcome difficulties and progress their studies to realise their potential. She was followed by Sarah Howls, head of widening participation at HEFCE, who also praised the network. The day concluded with a fascinating presentation, on the effects of fees and the new funding regime, from Richard Taylor, Director of Corporate Affairs and Planning at the University of Leicester. All the afternoon speakers looked at the implications of the 2011 HE White Paper and market changes in higher education.

CULN has resulted in major benefits for staff and students. Advantages for staff have included mentoring partnerships, discussion forums, discounted fees for courses for staff development, collaboration and research opportunities and support for project funding bids.  

Students have benefited from outreach activities enhancing the curriculum, including revision and activity days, University ‘Taster Days’ and careers events, as well as a CULN Clearing Hotline and fee reductions for international students.

“The day gave a real idea of what it’s like at uni and being in a lecture.   Very interesting and active – very good,” said one HE Access student from South Leicestershire College after a day at the University.

One of the most active working groups within CULN has been the Chemistry Group and the work of this group was outlined by Dr Katy McKenzie. The group holds sell-out events based on revision and laboratory-based activities, and takes a highly popular ‘Spectroscopy in a Suitcase’ presentation round to schools and colleges.

Other highly successful groups include the Sociology group and the English group which have each attracted many hundreds of students to events which have inspired students to continue their education.

“The Sociology lectures and conferences organised by CULN were greatly enjoyed by our staff and students. They were thought-provoking, informative and encouraged students who were ambivalent about applying to university to think again and to consider seriously continuing in education,” said Wendy Fleming, a member of staff from Wyggeston and Queen Elizabeth I College.

The Enterprise Competition has encouraged students in local colleges to learn about business and entrepreneurship, as well as set up their own enterprise projects, pitched to a ‘Dragon’s Den’ type panel, and judged on their innovation and business merits. 

Foundation Degrees have been one of the major successes of CULN.  “They were a new thing in 2001,” said Professor John Benyon from the University of Leicester Institute of Lifelong Learning, who was instrumental in establishing CULN. 

“We set up foundation degrees, some of them partly taught in FE colleges, and we set up working groups to discuss what works and what doesn’t. We’ve also been given grants to promote foundation degrees and bring in local employers.”

New success stories include the highly popular Go-STEM! Engineering project, funded by the Royal Academy of Engineering to raise awareness about studying engineering at HE level, and the Student Support group, which will extend to British students the support networks already in place for international students.

Professor Benyon commented: “CULN finds ways to promote the common good. By enabling the Colleges and the University to work together we have become greater than the sum of our parts.

“It is a tremendous success story. The fact that CULN is celebrating its tenth anniversary is a triumph and testament to the organisation of everyone involved.”