Book review for Widening Participaton & Lifelong Learning Jounal

Supporting Students with Disabilities to utilize Assistive Technology (AT) in their Learning

Official Website Launch

Website Update

‘Promoting access to HE and identifying access students: how useful .....?

The Power in Numbers 1997 - 2007

Work Based Learning Partnership: A match made in Heaven?

Access Agenda for Action

KITE: steps towards facilitating meangingful community engagement

At cross purposes. How a mismatch of expectation hampers school-university collaboration

Tackling Educational Disadvantage to Higher Education in Ireland:

A Review of Dyslexia Screening Tools at LyIT

Gateway to sUCCess: the destination of UCC PLUS+ Graduates

What Happened Next? The Employment and Further Study Experiences of Trinity Graduates of TAP 02-08

Report on Adult Guidance in the Sligo/Leitrim Region March 1998

“Post Leaving Certificate Courses - AnAlternative for who?”

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If you are a practioner at a HEI you can apply for registration by completing the form below. Please note that all applications are verified by the webmaster, after applying you will remain pending until the webmaster verifies and approves your application. The approval process should not take longer than 24 hours - if you have not heard back or need to excelerate the process then please contact the webmaster.

Accessibility

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We have specified a tabbing order for the menu items on the website. This is useful for users who don't use a mouse to get around the page. When each page loads, it is possible to use the Tab key to access the search feature and all the main navigation buttons in a sequential fashion.

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A function is provided for users of adaptive devices to allow them to skip through the main navigation on each page if they wish. Screen readers will read out each and every menu option exhaustively on each page, so this function allows a user to go directly to the page content if they wish.

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Events

Members events page

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BNY Mellon Eng Workshop 2

BNY Mellon Eng Workshop 1

Trinity Access Programme

Tipp Institute College For Kids

Institutional Strategic Plans

Institutional Strategic Plans

Institutional Access Plans

The institutional access plans will build on the statements of access policy that are required of higher education institutions under existing legislation. They are intended to support and encourage a greater emphasis on institution-wide approaches to the promotion of widening participation in higher education.

Institutional Policy

Institutional Access Statements

Institutional Access Plans

Institutional Strategic Plans

Institutional Access Statements

Under the Institute of Technology Act 2006 Section 21D 1(a) and 1(b) and under the Universities Act XXX HEIs have a statutory obligation to prepare a policy/s statement of the HEI in respect of;

Access to education in the Institute by economically or socially disadvantaged persons, by persons who have a disability and by persons from sections of society significantly under-represented in the student body.
Equality, including gender equality, in all activities of the Institute.

National Framework of Qualifications

www.nfq.ie

National Framework Diagram

The National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) provides a system to compare qualifications, and to ensure that they are quality assured and recognised at home and abroad. Access Higher Education recognises the importance of transfer and progression systems that will facilitate fluid transfer within and amongst HEI’s at all levels of learning.

Equal Access Data

www.hea.ie/en/node/1124

Since 2007, higher education institutions have been gathering additional information as part of registration on students’ social, economic and cultural background. This information provides more consistent evidence based data for national policy. It supports an assessment of progress to date, as well as the setting of new national and institutional targets for admission and participation. It will also inform the allocation of the financial resources required to support more students from target groups to gain entry to and participate in higher education.

National Plan for Equity of Access to Higher Education

www.hea.ie/node/1163

The National Plan for Equity of Access to Higher Education 2008-13 provides an evaluation of progress to date; analyses the key challenges; presents five main policy objectives and the actions that will support them and sets challenging, but realistic, new targets that are consistent with the timeframe and objectives of the National Development Plan.

National Office for Equity of Access to Higher Education

The National Access Office for Equity of Access to Higher Education (NAO) was established in the Higher Education Authority in 2003 to facilitate educational access for groups who are under-represented in higher education - those who are disadvantaged socially, economically and culturally, mature students and students with a disability. The office works with all higher education institutions and is supported in its work by an advisory group representing students, parents, the education sector and social partners.

The work of the office covers three main areas;

National implementation of targets and outcomes as outlined in the national plan to achieve equity of access to higher education www.hea.ie/node/1118.
Collaboration with the HEA and the Department of Education and Science on national policy and funding on educational access and opportunity www.hea.ie/node/1122.
Management of access funding measures, in conjunction with the Equity of Access Unit of the Department of Education and Science. Relevant funding measures are outlined on www.studentfinance.ie

National Policy

Post-Entry Initiatives

Access offices co-ordinate a variety of post-entry initiatives to support students in achieving their full academic potential and to participate in college life.

Post-entry supports include:

Orientation Programmes
Mentoring
Academic Support
Financial Assistance
Social Initiatives
Advice and Guidance

Further information is available from individual HEI websites.

Alternative Entry Routes

Many HEIs have developed alternative entry routes both at a local and national level. These range from direct entry schemes, foundation programmes and FETAC links. Further information is available on individual HEIs websites and www.accesscollege.ie

Art Music Sporting Activities

Art, music and sports activities provide an engaging platform for young students to explore areas of interest that they may not have been exposed to before. The emphasis is on informal learning. The benefits are many and include confidence building and development of transferable and social skills.

Summer Schools

Summer schools provide second level students with a great opportunity to experience what it is like to be a third level student. Many HEIs run programmes during the summer which vary from one to two weeks, residential and non-residential. These summer schools give students the opportunity to meet other like minded students, explore third level and gain some additional academic assistance.

Attainment Raising and Learning Support

Many second level students may not reach their full potential due to a variety of economic or social reasons. Access offices endeavour to address this by providing sustained academic support to students during their secondary school education. Many of these programmes provide students with the chance to explore subjects and learning in a fun and participative fashion, while instilling the value and opportunities higher education can provide.

Mentoring and Shadowing

Mentoring and shadowing activities provide unique opportunities for primary and second level students to experience the environment, culture and every day student life in a HEI. These activities take on a variety of formats and focus specifically on engaging with potential students to give them a taste of what it is like to be a college student.

AHE Office Contact Details

Contact your local access office for more information

All of the Institutes below are listed in a visual map - click to view the map

Limerick Institute of Technology
Access Office, Limerick Institute of Technology, Moylish Park, Limerick
Email: Access@lit.ie
Tel: 061 208852
http://www.lit.ie

Institute of Technology Tallaght
Access Office, ITT Dublin, Tallaght, Dublin 24
E-mail: maggie.ryan@ittdublin.ie
Tel: 01-4042173
http://www.ittdublin.ie

Dublin Institute of Technology
DIT Access Service, DIT, 23 Mountjoy Square, Dublin 1
E-mail: access@dit.ie
Tel;(01) 4027604
http://www.dit.ie

NUI Maynooth
MAP(Maynooth Access Programme) MAP Lodge, North Campus, NUI Maynooth, Maynooth, Co Kildare
E-mail: access.office@nuim.ie
Tel: 01-7086025
http://www.nuim.ie

TCD
Trinity Access Programmes (TAP)
Goldsmith Hall, Trinity College, Dublin 2
Tel. 896-2751/ 3590
Email: kotoole@tcd.ie
http://www.tcd.ie/Trinity_Access/

UCD
Access & Lifelong Learning
Room 103, Tierney Building
UCD Belfield, D 2
Tel: 01-7161559
http://www.ucd.ie/access

Waterford Institute of Technology
Access Office, Student Life and Learning, Cork Road, Waterford
Tel. (051) 84 5513 or 30 2758
E-mail: sll@wit.ie

http://www.wit.it

Letterkenny Institute of Technology
Park Road, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal
Tel: 074-9186000
E-mail: brian.mcgonagle@lyit.ie

National College of Art & Design
100 Thomas Street, D 8
Tel: 01-6364217
E-mail: mcternanf@ncad.ie
http://www.ncad.ie

Mary Immaculate College
South Circular Road
Limerick
Tel: 061-204927
E-mail: access@mic.ul.ie
http://www.mic.ie

University of Limerick
Access Office
University of Limerick, Limerick
Tel: 061-213104
E-mail: access@ul.ie
http://www.ul.ie

University College Cork
UCC PLUS+ Programme
Top Floor, West Wing, University College Cork, Cork
Tel: 021 4903282
Email: uccplus@ucc
http://www.ucc.ie

Institute of Technology Tralee
Access Office
Clash, Tralee, Co. Kerry,
Tel: 066 7191682
Mobile with Text: 086 3682453
E-mail: valerie.moore@staff.ittralee.ie
http://www.ittralee.ie

Dundalk Institute of Technology
Access Office, Dundalk Institute of Technology, Dublin Rd., Dundalk, Co. Louth
Email: Access@dkit.ie
Tel: 042 9370200
http://www.dkit.ie

Institute of Technology, Sligo
Access Office, Institute of Technology, Sligo, Ash Lane, Sligo
Email: access@itsligo.ie
http://www.itsligo.ie

Institute of Technology Blanchardstown
Access Office
Blanchardstown Road North, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15
E-mail: adrienne.harding@itb.ie
Tel: 01-885 1015
www.itb.ie

NUI Galway
Access Office
National University of Ireland, Galway
Tel: +353 (0)91 493553 Fax: +353 (0)91 49457
Email: access@nuigalway.ie
http://www.nuigalway.ie/access/

DCU
DCU Access Service,
Room LG16,
Computer Applications Building
Dublin 9
Email: hear@dcu.ie
Web: www.dcu.ie/students/access
Tel: 01 700 5530 / 01 700 8052

Map of Ireland

Below is a map with pins placed at each HEI in Ireland that are part of the AMA/AHE program. Click on a marker to see the contact information for that particular institute. The same contact information for each institute can be found in a text based version - view the text based contact details

View Access Higher Education Contact Offices in a larger map

Structure

Membership of AMA is open to publicly funded HEI’s with a commitment to working towards a more inclusive higher education for under represented socio-economic young adults.

Flowchart:

Structure Flowchart

The positions of Chair and Secretary of AMA rotate between the HEIs on an annual basis. AMA members elect both roles.

Meetings are organised three times a year and are rotated between HEIs. Members of AMA are given the opportunity to discuss current issues and events that impact on Access to Higher Education in Ireland. Member HEIs showcase models of good practice and research that is underway at a local HEI level.

Working groups are established in response to local and national issues and to drive the work of AMA. A central committee consisting of the working group chairs, the AMA chair and secretaty co-ordinate operations.

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12. Forum

Sitemap

The Site Map below is in place to provide a hierarchical overview of the content sections in this website and help visitors find the information they seek within the website.

Gallery

Research and Publications

AMA members have produced a number of conference papers, research reports, book reviews and publications. Below you will find abstracts of these papers, (sorted by date the most recent is first) for you to browse. If you would like more information or a copy of the publication then please email the "contact" for the particular publication(s).

If you are a staff member at a Higher Education Institute and have published or produced a document that you wish to feature here then please log in (link at the top below the search box) for access to the publishing form. If you are not currently registered with the site and would like to do so then please contact the webmaster.

News and Events

Policy

Access to Irish Higher Education has been transformed over the last decade due to the commitment at a national level and at a local level within each HEI.

National Policy

The National Access Plan 2007-2013, has been developed by the HEA National Access Office. This plan provides an evaluation of progress to date. It outlines key challenges and presents five main policy objectives coupled with the actions that will support challenging new targets.

Institutional Policy

HEIs are developing access strategies with an institution-wide approach to access. This is essential to the future national growth of access and will be vital as HEIs continue to support and widen participation of young adults from socio-economic disadvantaged backgrounds.

Financial Support Information

HEI Access personnel provide information about financial supports available to students when they enter higher education. The following website www.studentfinance.ie provides information on several financial assistance schemes available in Ireland to help students to progress through further and higher educaton.

Working with Parents

Research has shown that parents are the primary influencers on their children's educational choices. Consequently AMA links with parents through local education providers, statutory and non-statutory community groups to design and deliver educational initiatives.

These programmes encourage family learning through increased awareness, raising educational expectations and also by providing parents with direct educational opportunities.

Pre-Entry Initiatives

The pre-entry work that HEIs undertake with schools and communities is diverse. At pre-entry level, access programmes have focused on working with designated disadvantaged schools and communities with a view to improving participation, performance and progression to higher education. This work involves a range of activities including guidance, familiarisation and learning support. Typically, these activities include visits to schools, campus visits by students, open days, study skills, revision courses and additional academic support.

Practice

HEIs, through the work of their access offices, play a key role in widening participation to third level. This is done through pre- entry initiatives, alternative entry routes, and post-entry supports:

Pre-Entry Initiatives

Alternative Entry Routes

Post–Entry Initiatives

About Us

In 1997 a small group of Higher Education Access officers formed the Access Made Accessible (AMA) Network. The aim of the network is to share ideas, to inform policy and practice and to widen participation to higher education for young adults from under represented socio-economic groups. There are 21 institutional members nationwide, including Universities, Institutes of Technology, Colleges of Further Education and other Higher Education Institutions (HEIs).

AMA believes that each institutional Access Office brings a different set of skills to projects and this shared knowledge base benefits all AMA members in promoting and achieving wider participation of young adults to higher education. The network builds on the collective experience of it's members; highlights achievements to date; provides a forum to share models of good practice and creates a platform to facilitate the discussion of access issues. It is hoped this website will be a useful tool for practitioners to deliver on the access agenda into the next generation.

Home

Welcome to the Access to Higher Education website

The Department of Education and Science and the Higher Education Authority (HEA) promote and support equity of access to higher education. This is co-ordinated through the National Office for Equity of Access to Higher Education (‘National Access Office’).

Higher Education institutions established Access Offices to support initiatives to target students from under represented socio-economic backgrounds and to support these students in higher education.

In 1997 a group of higher education access officers formed the Access Made Accessible (AMA) Network. The aim of the network is to share ideas, to inform policy and practice and to widen participation to higher education for young adults from under represented socio-economic groups.