A key strategic aim for UCW is:

“To focus on graduate employability and the development of those skills needed to ensure that individuals are ready and able to enter the world of work or self-employment.”

We have set out the following operational activities to achieve this:

“All programmes will use “live” scenarios for assignments where possible. Tutorial entitlement will guarantee input regarding employability and, where appropriate, self-employment. UCW will also offer a comprehensive careers service to all higher education students.”

Further information about UCW’s position on graduate employability can be found in the Higher Education Work-based Learning Placements Policy and Procedures.

We work with Bath Spa University (BSU), Hartpury University (HART) and the University of the West of England, Bristol (UWE), to deliver our degrees. These degrees are a mix of indirectly-funded (franchised) – where the student numbers sit with the awarding body – and directly-funded (validated) – where the student numbers sit with UCW.

This table outlines the nature of our partnerships for each degree, where applicable.

To find out more about UCW’s governance, management and meeting structures, please click here. 

Extensive information about our courses can be found on our website and also in our Undergraduate Prospectus.

In exceptional cases UCW may have to discontinue a programme. There are a range of reasons why this may be the case, and UCW is committed to providing clear, tmely and precise information to applicants for discontinued programmes. For more information, please read the UCW Higher Education Programme Information Statement.

The Higher Education and Research Act 2017 requires higher education institutions to maintain a Student Protection Plan to protect students’ interests in the case of material change, e.g. programme changes, suspensions, closures, or institutional closure. The UCW Student Protection Plan has been prepared in accordance with that
requirement, following guidance from the Office for Students and has been written in consultation with students.

Our Retention Strategy outlines the steps we take to engage with our student body and support individuals to remain in higher education.

University Centre Weston is committed to supporting access and participation to higher education. As part of the UCW Higher Education Strategic Plan, the Strategic Aims align directly to the Office for Students (OfS) priorities which relate to access, participation, student success and progression, and demonstrate the strength of commitment UCW has to these areas.

UCW’s Strategic Aims cover all aspects of the ‘student journey’ engaging with the widening participation agenda to successfully recruit non-traditional or disadvantaged students, to provide a supportive, nurturing learning environment and to focus on employability to ensure students have the skills to enter employment.

UCW recognises that some students have to overcome significant barriers to progress and succeed in higher education, and is committed to minimise these. UCW performs well in recruiting students from disadvantaged backgrounds and has a diverse student population. Additionally, there are groups who UCW seeks to offer greater access levels of support and further encourage progress including: BME students, care leavers and young carers.

Due to the diverse nature of the student population at UCW and the strategic aim of providing a supportive and nurturing learning environment, it is recognised that to recruit, retain and enable students to succeed will be a key priority. Significant investment will be targeted towards the support services in order that the needs of all students are met and those from disadvantaged, or underrepresented groups are able to flourish as part of the UCW community.

The Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF), where UCW was awarded Gold, shows all students achieve good outcomes and UCW is determined to continue to support students in their progression to meaningful employment and/or further study. UCW is also committed to providing opportunities for students to benefit from work-based learning and access to industry experts to expose them to related academic and vocational experiences.

The success of access, participation and support for students will be measured and assessed. The monitoring and effectiveness of these measures will form part of UCW’s key performance indicators. There will be scrutiny of this performance at Governor and College Leadership Board level.

Please click HERE to download the UCW Access and Participation Plan 2019-2020.

The UK Quality Code for Higher Education sets out the expectations that all providers of UK higher education are required to meet. It is published by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, which is responsible for reviewing higher education standards in colleges and universities.

Please click here to find out more about our quality and standards, including links to our most recent Higher Education Review and Teaching Excellence Framework reports.

External examining is one of the other main methods of maintaining UK threshold academic standards with higher education institutions. UCW makes use of reports provided by external examiners to assure quality and standards and identify opportunities for enhancement. These are made available internally for students via the Virtual Learning Environment.

The UCW Tuition Fees Policy details essential information relating to fees and payment of fees.

The UCW Exceptional Refunds and Compensation Policy applies to programme discontinuation, when it is not possible, or feasible, to teach out a course.

The UCW Admissions Policy details essential information about the process of applying to study at UCW.

UCW receives the majority of its income from tuition fees, so is therefore committed to spending the majority of its money on learning, teaching and student support. Please click here to find out more.

The UCW Publishing Statement outlines the steps taken by UCW to ensure that published materials in all formats are comprehensive, accurate, fully compliant with all relevant legislation and readily accessible. This is to ensure that all intended audiences (including students, prospective students, parents/guardians, members of the public and stakeholders) have access to objective and unbiased information on which to base judgements about UCW regarding applications and quality and standards.

As part of the Weston College Group, UCW is committed to openness and transparency and making information about us readily available to the public.

Like all public authorities, the Weston College Group is required to adhere to the Freedom of Information Act, and produce a publication scheme, which has been produced in line with the Information Commissioner’s Office guidance on freedom of information. Please click here if you would like to make a formal Freedom of Information request or find out more about the Weston College Group’s policies and procedures pertaining to the Freedom of Information Act.

The Universal Design for Learning Framework (UDLF) ensures that UCW embeds inclusion throughout every part of the organisation, especially with regards to learning, teaching and
assessment and student facing resources.

Please click here to read the UCW UDLF.