Conference to examine effectiveness of government drive to widen access to university

How can young people from disadvantaged backgrounds be encouraged to attend university and gain a higher education?

This question will be discussed at our University's Widening Participation Summit on 21 March when university staff will report on new initiatives and examine what more can be done.

Leicester is the only selective university that has consistently met its targets for the recruitment of students from state education and lower socio-economic groups.

“The summit underlines how important widening participation is to our core values,” says Professor Emma Smith, who is the University’s Academic Lead for Widening Participation.

“It is at the heart of teaching and good practice at the university. It is not just about who goes to which university and what they study, but it is about their experience while at university and what happens to them after their degree.”.

The summit will examine initiatives and assess the impact of the Government’s call for selective universities to do more to support fair access and student success.

At the end of the summit, widening participation awards will be presented to recognize staff and students who have excelled at supporting widening participation students.