Education

Building for the future with a diverse student body

Fostering an inclusive campus environment is key to attracting a wider range of students

Universities can build a diverse body by engaging in proactive outreach to underrepresented communities. Photograph: Getty Images

Peter McGuire
Tue Apr 30 2024 - 03:30

Technological universities (TUs) are local institutions, with smaller class sizes and a more diverse range of courses, from apprenticeships through to PhD level. CAO points have traditionally been lower at technological universities than at the main universities.

All of this has meant that the TUs have tended to attract a diverse student body. This includes mature learners, neurodivergent students (who may have, for instance, ADHD, autism, dyslexia or dyspraxia), disabled students, carers, lone parents, students from disadvantaged backgrounds and students from ethnic minorities.

“Within the classroom setting, lecturing staff find that diversity — whether it’s students with a disability, or from diverse ethnicities or socio-economic backgrounds — encourages creativity and alternative opinions which demonstrates to students how to critically think and develop their own mindset,” says Sinéad Dunne, senior manager for access and outreach at TU Dublin.

“We believe that multiculturalism on campus fosters an appreciation for other cultures and diversity of thought.”

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In 2023, TU Dublin enrolled more than a third of full-time undergraduate new entrants through non-standard routes, over a quarter of which came from further education. TU Dublin has its own access foundation programme, aimed at mature students and young adults from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

There’s a dedicated autism coordinator at TU Dublin to support the increasing number of students with autism, while two occupational therapists and two assistive technology officers support students with a disability. An access and outreach project officer from the Travelling community has recently been appointed to work closely with Traveller and Roma communities and also to support existing TU Dublin students from these communities.

“The accessibility that was there when we were regional technical colleges and, later, institutes of technology, have carried over,” says Perry Share, the head of student success at Atlantic Technological University (ATU).

“CAO points have not soared and our student profile continues to be diverse. Because we have apprenticeships as well as degrees, there are many ways to be a student at ATU, and we try to be as flexible as possible when people come to us. We have long been leaders in online education at our Sligo campus [formerly Sligo IT], long before the pandemic, which has made us accessible for those students who may not, for whatever reason, have been able to attend in person.

“We have mature learners, students from across a disadvantaged area that includes the islands and Gaeltacht, and we are developing programmes for learners with intellectual disabilities.

“The challenge is always to ensure that the curriculum reflects that diversity of experience, and this is helped by our academic staff becoming more diverse, too.”

At TUS, meanwhile, access officer Dr Carolann Bargary says that the Certificate in Transition to Higher Education provides a pathway for more students to embark on and complete a degree programme.

TUS has a range of scholarships and supports designed to assist students with the costs of college. The technological university has a Traveller project which aims to provide opportunities for Travellers and to support and mentor students who progress to higher education. There are also 10 sanctuary scholarships every academic year for students living in international protection or from a refugee background to progress to TUS courses.

Bargary says that Higher Education Authority funding has been instrumental in supporting their initiatives.

Dr Laura Keane, head of the department of student life and learning at South East Technological University (SETU), says that there has been a 44 per cent increase in the number of students registering with their disability service between 2017 and 2023.

SETU runs several initiatives to support students from diverse backgrounds.

“Attains — assistive technology training assisting independent success — is an evidence-based programme targeted at students with disabilities from underrepresented groups, and it leverages existing local-level connections between SETU, Deis [disadvantaged schools], community partnerships, and cohort-specific advocacy groups, in partnership with 10 schools,” says Keane.

SETU runs several transition and orientation programmes and supports for underrepresented students, with mentoring opportunities and financial assistance available to help, too. It also runs programmes to support members of the Traveller and Roma communities to access education, providing student bursaries to 13 Traveller and Roma students in 2022-2023.

Across the higher education sector, there is a growing understanding of how to ensure neurodivergent students are fully included, as well as the benefits that different ways of thinking and learning bring to the campus.

TUS is the first university to be officially recognised as ADHD-friendly while, at ATU, the campuses are becoming autism-friendly spaces.

“Staff here are training in universal design for learning, which is about how they teach [to a broader range of students — an approach that ultimately benefits all learners and, evidence shows, makes for more engaging courses] and assess, while the layout of campuses is ensuring more quiet spaces,” says Perry.

In the southeast, SETU is developing educational programmes and training academic and support staff about autism.

“Work has been undertaken to develop education and training materials for those who work with students with autism, either in an academic or support capacity,” says Keane.

“Some of these include the creation of a pre-transition guide for autistic students, peer mentor autism training, the establishment of a Neurodivergent society and the introduction of biweekly quiet times in the gym for students who prefer a lower sensory experience.”

All of this suggests we have come a long way, moving from a time when inclusion was seen as a charitable act to today, when the real value of diverse student bodies is well-established.

Profiles in diversity

Zach Winters

Zach Winters (21) BSc in business at SETU

“I sat down with the CAO form when I was 18, not entirely sure what I wanted to do.

“Because I have cerebral palsy, my career options are a little more limited: I couldn’t do a trade, for instance.

“But, during secondary school, I was very good at business and accounting, so the course in SETU was a good fit. It is a four-year course, with a work placement in third year. I am hoping to use my qualification to teach at third level, which means I am likely to do a master’s.

“I like the campus here, it is relatively accessible — although there is room for improvement, very welcoming and well-designed. I’m now in my second year and I am involved as a student mentor.

“I like that there is a lot of diversity on campus, with mature, neurodivergent, disabled and international students all just part of the mix.

“The supports for disabled students are great, with extra time in exams among the ways we are facilitated. The disability office is currently running an autism awareness campaign on campus. One of the lecturers here has cerebral palsy, like me, and they have established a disability support network.

“I think my generation is perhaps more aware of disability and it is normal for us to be at third-level.”

Dave Doherty

Dave Doherty (54) BA in social care work, TUS

“I grew up in Moyross, a socially disadvantaged area in Limerick. I left school at 15 and went straight into employment.

“For years, I drifted between dead-end jobs and spells of unemployment. My lack of education was embarrassing for me and it affected my confidence in looking for jobs.

“I was a full-time dad for the last six years, but I knew it would be time for me to eventually return to the workplace. But at my age, with no qualifications, it was daunting, so I thought about returning to education.

“I discovered the Limerick Lifelong Learning Festival and came across an information session on pathways to education for mature students, held here in TUS. So I went along and signed up: the course was a one-year programme, with a mix of online and in-person learning, where we worked on personal development, academic writing and maths. It boosted my confidence, so I applied to the CAO and here I am at the end of my first year of a social care degree.

“I’ve had moments where I questioned my abilities and wanted to quit, but I am determined to come through the other side. Being a mature student, I have the advantage of lived experience. I learn from my younger classmates and they learn from me.

“I’m hoping that, when I come out of here, that I can perhaps work in the education system or in the community, helping young people like 15-year-old me. Maybe I can help them and stop them from falling away from the education system.”

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