The Plus Programme aims to collaborate with the 7 faculties and 36 schools at the University of Leeds to ensure a cohesive and consistent student experience. We seek to establish partnerships that tailor support to each discipline, optimise resources, and enhance communication.
Coordinating with Academic Personal Tutors
Many Adademic Personal Tutors aren’t fully aware of how working with ‘Widening Participation’ students might affect their relationships.”
At the University of Leeds, each student is assigned an Academic Personal Tutor (APT) from their school. APTs support students by reviewing academic progress, developing learning skills, and providing guidance on personal and professional development.
The Plus Programme works effectively with Academic Personal Tutors (APTs) to support student success. Alex Ferguson, Plus Programme Lead Officer, explains, “The closer relationships students have with staff at the University, the better their overall chance of success. The Plus Programme’s involvement in those relationships further increases that chance of success. For many students, their APT is their main university contact, whether for course-related issues or wellbeing. By building good relationships with APTs, we can ensure they know how to utilise our support when their own resources are stretched.”
Ferguson adds, “APTs also can teach us a lot about the academic side of student life, and we can share our expertise on belonging, social, and career-related support. It’s a mutually beneficial relationship.”
The collaboration has included providing a comprehensive resource guide on the Plus Programme, working with APTs, and understanding Widening Participation (WP). Ferguson notes, “Many APTs aren’t fully aware of how working with WP students might affect their relationships.”
Additionally, the Plus Programme has partnered with GRIT, an external organisation, to run workshops for APTs. These workshops explore how personal experiences and positions might impact relationships with students, creating a stronger support framework for APTs.
Ferguson highlights the positive feedback from APTs: “The majority of feedback has been very positive. APTs often ask for information even earlier each year, which shows their engagement. We’re working on finding the right balance between providing accurate data and sharing it early enough for APTs to make the most of it.”
Despite some APTs feeling uncomfortable identifying students as WP, fearing it might label them as disadvantaged, the Plus Programme offers guidance on introducing the programme positively. Ferguson concludes, “Approximately half of the 1,150 APTs we contacted accessed the student lists, and about 20% reviewed the extra guidance we provided.”
Collaborating with Senior Faculty Student Success Officers
We focus on faculties with higher non-continuation rates or awarding gaps and create interventions to address these issues...rather than imposing a one-size-fits-all approach.”
Senior Faculty Student Success Officers (SFSSOs) at Leeds advocate for underrepresented student groups. Positioned as a bridge between Student Success and each faculty at Leeds, these officers are uniquely placed to foster an inclusive and supportive environment.
The Plus Programme collaborates closely with SFSSOs to effectively address student needs across the University. As Ciara Middleton, Plus Programme Lead Officer, explains, “One of the main reasons we work closely with the SFSSOs is that the University is such a huge organisation. There’s a lot happening across faculties and centrally. We want to collaborate with these faculty contacts to find out what initiatives are being implemented at school and faculty level, share good practice, make informed data-driven recommendations, and highlight any gaps in the offering. This helps us to implement positive change institutionally.”
Middleton continues, “We’re also identifying priority faculties and schools, linking to the access and student success strategy. We focus on faculties with higher non-continuation rates or awarding gaps and create interventions to address these issues. The SFSSOs provide recent and accurate data and insight into faculty structures. This helps us slot in effectively rather than imposing a one-size-fits-all approach.”
She adds, “We share regular updates. For example, we worked with the SFSSOs on hidden costs and the Plus Programme Opportunities Fund. They identify costs students face, like stethoscopes for medicine students. Through the Opportunities Fund, we highlighted these hidden costs and collaborated with faculties to address them, like creating a stethoscope fund for medicine students. Similarly, we’ve provided summer funding for registration fees for final-year dentists and medics.”
Responding to School specific requests
The Plus Programme also works with individual Schools within the University of Leeds to share expertise on how to best offer support to underrepresented students. For example, the Leeds Institute of Health Sciences reached out to the Plus Programme because fewer students were taking up elective overseas placements due to costs.
Dr Nichola Jones, Teaching Fellow at the Leeds Institute of Health Sciences, explains, “The motivation stemmed from financial barriers preventing students from participating in international research projects. Post-COVID, costs for travel and research have significantly increased, doubling or tripling in some cases. This has led to frustrating situations where engaged students can’t fully benefit from their research opportunities due to financial constraints. We wanted to give our most disadvantaged and underrepresented students the ability to apply for funding to support travel, accommodation, translation fees, visa costs, and more. Over the past 18 months, we’ve worked with the Plus Programme team to understand the funding landscape and identify resources to support these students.”
Dr. Francis Poitier, also a Teaching Fellow at the Institute, adds, “This collaboration also helped us address equity issues within our student cohort, which includes many from low- and middle-income countries. Providing these students with financial support enables them to enhance their professional development and better understand the contexts they’re studying. The collaboration also benefits our partners in these countries, who often foster long-term professional relationships with our students.”
Dr. Poitier further highlights, “The collaboration has addressed equity issues by enabling more students to take advantage of international research opportunities. For many, this has been transformative, enhancing their academic and professional development.”
To connect with the Plus Programme in relation to the offer for underrepresented students across the University of Leeds, please email The Plus Programme at theplusprogramme@leeds.ac.uk.