ManchesterBusinessSchool

Undergraduate Services

£3450 Bid for Faculty Retention Funding

Below is a request for £3450 of Faculty Retention Funding to support the development of a pilot PASS scheme for MBS undergraduate students on the BSc in Accounting.

It was envisaged that a PASS scheme would be developed in MBS for semester 2 of this current academic year (2009/10), however this has been hindered by a lack of time to invest in the initial commitment and focus that is required to initiate a successful scheme.

We would like to develop a PASS scheme in undergraduate services for enhancement purposes and to aid the transition for students from School to University as well as fostering student identity and allowing an opportunity for second and first year BSc Accounting students to work collectively together. Undergraduate Services already run a successful,well established peer mentoring scheme, however PASS differs from this as it is study focused rather than pastoral.

The main purpose of the PASS scheme would be to:

  • Support the first year student experience through discussion
  • Enhance the learning experience and personal development of PASS leaders
  • Improve academic performance and achievement and increase retention
  • Provide an additional mechanism for communication between staff and students (enhancing personalisation)

The main aims of the scheme would be to:

  • Enhance the quality, quantity and diversity of student learning
  • Provide students with a supportive environment to work through issues relating to their academic course
  • Improve students study habits
  • Enhance student awareness of their course direction and expectations
  • Enable the PASS leaders to share their experience and facilitate discussions

The proposal is to develop a scheme throughout semester 1 of 2010/11 and launch a pilot in semester 2 of the same academic year. Following discussion with academic colleagues as well as within the Undergraduate Committee, there is a core course for BSc Accounting students - Quantitative Methods for Accounting and Finance – where it is felt a PASS scheme would be beneficial for students, particularly as informal feedback from students this academic year has highlighted that this is a course that students have found difficult. Quantitative Methods for Accounting and Finance is taken by all first year students on the BSc in Accounting (anticipated 37 – 40 students). Both the Programme Director, Professor Judy Day and Helen Scott, who is heavily involved with the BSc in Accounting, support the proposal for developing a PASS scheme.

Undergraduate Services are bidding for £3450 towards the development, implementation, recruitment and support for a pilot PASS scheme in MBS. The breakdown of costs for achieving such are as follows:

Recruitment of a PhD student – preferably undertaking Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) duties across one of our Quantitative Methods or Accounting and Finance courses to work 5 hours per week over the course of an academic year on developing and implementing PASS (£10 per hour)

5 hours per week x £10

x 24 weeks £1200

PASS student coordinator payment£500
(if applicable)

Catering / refreshments to support£1000

leader meetings, sessions and

training

PASS student social event£750

£3450

The PhD student/GTA recruited to undertake this role would be supervised by the Student Support Coordinator in the Assessment and Student Support Centre and would include the following:

  • Preparation of paper for Academic Affairs Team (AAT),including supporting evidence from students as partners, to raise the profile of pilot PASS scheme within MBS, encourage wider academic involvement and buy in and highlight relevance against strategic plan
  • Participation in PASS demystified session for all relevant undergraduate academic and non academic staff as well as representation from MBS strategy and management team (Pete Naude)
  • Liaison with Students as Partners, Programme Director, Course Coordinators and all relevant personnel
  • In close liaison with Faculty sabbatical intern, communication with BSc Accounting 1st and 2nd year students including focus groups to discuss the PASS scheme, how it can help, gauge reactions, promote engagement etc
  • Recruitment of PASS leaders from 2010/11 cohort of 2nd year BSc Accounting students
  • Arranging training for PASS leaders and being main point of contact
  • Timetabling appropriate free slots that work for both 1st and 2nd year students
  • In liaison with the Course Coordinator, promote the PASS scheme and disseminate relevant information through the course Blackboard space
  • Arrange feedback sessions, including participation from Faculty sabbatical intern, with Programme Directors/Course Coordinators and studentPASS leaders on a weekly/fortnightly basis
  • Weekly meeting with Faculty sabbatical intern to discuss progression of scheme during development and implementation phases
  • Evaluation during and at end of process in close liaison with Faculty sabbatical intern

The success of the project will be measured through student feedback and evaluation during the pilot as well as at the end of the academic year. Continuation of the scheme for BSc Accounting students will ensue in 2011/12 and will be supported by the Assessment and Student Support Centre. Consideration will also be given at this point to which other courses (and/or students) would benefit from PASS. It is anticipated that there will be longevity of PASS within undergraduate services, particularly as it is something that we are committed to developing for our undergraduate students.

Should this bid be successful, the account code for transferring of funds is AA04573.

Sarah FeatherstoneJenny Brown

Head of Undergraduate ServicesStudent Support Coordinator

21 June 2010

updated 28 September 2010