Certificate of Personal Effectiveness and Entry

to Higher Education

A Perspective from the University of Ulster

In recent years, there has been increasing concern that our “education system” may not be producing “educated people”…..!

Many worry that pressure to produce “industry-ready” students may have commercialised our education system

It has become more difficult to resist the pressures to “educate strategically” to ensure that students gain employment

The “Educated” Person

As the post-16 curriculum came under more pressure (from initiatives like Curriculum 2000), something had to give

It would appear that the main casualties were enrichment studies and extra-curricular activities – there simply was not enough time left in the school day……..

………….nor any hard currency in terms of university entrance or employment

Few would argue that the loss of these components of the pupils’ education benefitted anyone – including higher education

The Missing Pieces of the Jigsaw

Universities have recognised that for many students, top A level performance is not the only factor necessary for success in HE

Many lack the personal skills and independent learning styles necessary for surviving the challenges – particularly of 1st year study

Unfortunately, many of these attributes are the very things which, in some cases, may have been largely displaced from their education to date

The HE Retention Problem

Many of the skills and enrichment attributes which lave leached from the education system appear to have been incorporated within the CoPE qualification

Not only does CoPE have the potential to address these specific deficits, it now has hard currency in terms of HE entry

Successful completion of CoPE at level 3 earns the applicant 70 UCAS Tariff Points (only 10 points less than a grade C in a GCE A level )

Enter CoPE

For a number of years, Ulster has adopted UCAS Tariff Points in most of its offer-making

We do not “cherry pick” the Tariff Points framework – all qualifications in the tariff are recognised and points awarded (subject to any specific course entrance requirements)

Therefore, applicants with CoPE have 70 points to add to their profile (sometimes even in cases where the applicant may only have two GCE A levels in the rest of their profile)

CoPE and the University of Ulster

Ulster’s newly formed Admissions Policy & Practice Group has on its inaugural agenda to: “consider whether a more comprehensive evaluation of the [CoPE] qualification would be appropriate”

This may involve cohort-tracing CoPE entrants to compare their performance (especially their resit/failure/drop-out rates) as compared to other entrants

CoPE entrants – a look at progress?

If it is agreed to carry out an internal study at Ulster, and if this shows that CoPE entrants demonstrate improved performance/retention rates then…………….

It would be logical to assume that future course offers may specify CoPE as “desirable” ……or possibly even as “essential” …….for entry to specified degree courses

For CoPE to be specified as “essential” would require Ulster to be satisfied that no applicants were disadvantaged because they did not have the opportunity to study CoPE in their school/college

Future policy towards CoPE ?

CoPE may have an additional benefit in that it may help to empower those who are less suited to a purely academic pathway

Because CoPE enables achievement in non-academic activities to be recognised and rewarded (with UCAS Tariff Points), this goes some way towards levelling the playing field for non-traditional applicants to HE

This potential benefit may also appeal to the HE sector, where Widening Participation has become an important factor

CoPE and Widening Participation ?