Lancaster University has just launched 15 stem foundation year degrees

[haufbiskiy]

Massive change and really helpful for those who have high predictions but unfortunately miss their grades on the day.

https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/news/aspiring-scientists-engineers-and-mathematicians-to-benefit-from-the-launch-of-15-new-university-foundation-courses?fbclid=IwY2xjawIugiFleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHUmPbfiJw3sV1nXiMihjatQdYATVz4GDHHVZA58-sIHXyXjSxM_lqdePAw_aem_dQ1sUi8t07UuPXtpCKB9iw

@haufbiskiy
Only way (usually) that you'd 'drop' down onto those courses in your 'those who have high predictions but unfortunately miss their grades on the day.' scenario, is if there are places on the Foundation Year courses in clearing.
Ordinarily, you'd apply to the latter in the normal way, not get in as a consolation prize.

Lancaster always has most of its courses in clearing since it has very high capacity and an excess of accommodation. Just thought it was useful information for people.

Plus it is often the case that universities who offer foundation courses will offer places to those who miss their grades if there is space on the foundation course. DN had exactly this happen with his degree at Surrey

Hm... it says they'll live at Lancaster uni but the foundation year will be taught at the 'lancaster school of mathematics', which is a partnership between UoL and Cardinal Newman College in Preston which opened fairly recently. So the other students there will be doing STEM A levels, and it's a fair old trek from Lancaster uni to central Preston, even if the transport is free.

I'm not sure how attractive this will be tbh.

It says they provide transport.

it’s obviously not as good as having the foundation course taught on campus but still gives the students the full campus living experience

I get that people don't want to miss out on the uni experience or feel left behind at home when their peers go off to uni. But, I'd never advise someone to do a foundation degree like this. Save your money, go to your local college do an access course (and get the fee back when you get into a good uni). These foundations look like you don't even get the uni experience...

I disagree, if you take a course like this you already have a place on the degree course at a top university. Access courses are not the same at all.

Anyway I have no skin in the game I just thought it was interesting that they'd launched 15 new STEM degrees and useful information for those who might have kids in sixth form.

Yes, it may be interesting to some. And probably a lot of students who live in a big city like London have a longer commute time wise.

I'm curious as to whether any other unis have partnered with sixth form colleges?

One of mine did a Foundation year at another northern uni. He stayed in halls as a fresher while travelling to a ‘university college’ attached to a sixth form centre in a nearby town. They were treated by the university as full students.

Blitzing the A level syllabus while getting the uni experience was exactly what he needed and he’s absolutely thrived on a degree course that carries a 3A tariff normally.

It’s not for everyone - the commute was a pain - but he doesn’t regret it in the slightest.

There were also several students who wanted to do STEM courses but didn’t have the right subject combinations.

That sounds very similar, good to hear it worked well for him!

Liverpool do a Foundation year with local college outside the city

Makes you wonder if Lancaster is in trouble. My eldest is there and I have to say (as an academic of 13 years elsewhere) I have been very unimpressed at the standard of some of the things I have seen

I think looking at the stats Lancaster is one of the universities in a more stable financial position.

Makes you wonder if Lancaster is in trouble.

Not really. The partnership with cardinal Newman must have been set up and this facility planned and funded for quite some time, I'd have thought. I was a bit puzzled by it when it appeared to be just the extension of a sixth form college, it makes more sense now.

It says in the article that the program is designed to "widen participation" and that means it is directed at local and near-local schools. Which is a good thing, it's not just a money-making enterprise, it's an effort to extend higher education into areas and lives where they may not have previously reached. I don't think this is to help kids who don't get the grades they're expected, I think it's to help the kids who were never expected to get the grades.

I drive past that new building and it seems very under used, virtually no students going in. It’s on road in, not city centre. I can see it appealing to local students who live at home. I can’t see it’s in any way feasible to bus them in from Lancaster, the traffic near is awful (partly due to kids driving to uclan) takes 20+ mins just to go a mile or two on that stretch at rush hour.

I think because it's A levels at the moment, with the main STEM set all available there rather than at Cardinal Newman itself, there isn't that much coming and going - on a couple of occasions I've seen a load arrive at once.