Learning & Teaching Enhancement
Academic Skills Centre
Delivering Excellence
in Academic Skills Development
at the University of Bath
EXCHANGE!
Friday 9 May 2014
Maggie Ward Goodbody
Director, Academic Skills Centre
A Vision for Academic Skills at Bath
…that the University of Bath is recognised as a world-
leader in delivering excellence in academic skills support
for students and staff
The new Academic Skills Centre’s Aim
The main aim of the new Academic Skills Centre is to
provide University of Bath students with high quality,
comprehensive and innovative academic skills and
English language proficiency, supporting higher levels
of academic literacy, student attainment and a culture of
continual learning.
Academic Skills Centre – benefits for students
• Increased access to a high quality, coherent academic skills offer –
generic and subject-specific
• Expanded routes to academic skills offer through clear signposting
by academic community and Professional Services
• Flexible, ‘personalised’ academic skills development and
enhancement through creative use of online/digital media and
innovative provision
• Improved personal development opportunities with seamless
transition to wider skills for the future
Academic Skills Centre – new structure
Three strands:
• Pre-sessional – Mary Forbes
• In-sessional – Miranda Armstrong
• Academic Skills Resources – Sarah Turpin (wef 9 June)
Pre-sessional Programme
Aim
• Raise students’ English language level to meet entry requirements
• Prepare students for study at Bath through developing their
academic communication skills to meet the specific requirements of
their discipline/degree programme
Structure
October – June: 11 week courses:
 Pre-sessional Preparation (lower level) – PSP 1, 2 & 3
 Pre-sessional General/Management (higher level) – PS 1, 2 & 3
• July - September
 Pre-sessional Management (ten/five week) – PSM 4 & 5
 Pre-sessional General (ten/five week) – PSG 4 & 5
 Pre-sessional Preparation (eight week) - PSP4
In-sessional Programme
Aim
 To provide expert and extensive support to enhance and develop students’
academic communication skills
 To address the diverse academic communication needs of students and
staff across the university.
Structure
 General programme – 13 different units e.g. academic writing; critical
reading; presentation skills; seminar skills
 Bespoke programme-specific courses in writing and other academic skills
 Academic & Professional Communication Skills (APCS)
 1:1 tutorials/classes
 British Studies units – History, Literature, Linguistics
 Writing Centre
Academic Skills Resources
Aim
To support the development and enhancement of the University’s
academic skills offer.
This will be achieved through:
 Academic Skills Hub - delivering a virtual academic skills offer
 Marketing & Communications
 SALC – language learning resources and support
 Social and Welfare support
Academic Skills Centre
Pre-sessional
In-sessional
Academic Skills
Resources
Academic
Departments
Academic Skills Centre: initial plans
• Academic Skills Hub
• Writing Centre
• Digital Academic Skills Resources
• Academic and Professional Communication Skills
• Bespoke courses, workshops, more flexible provision
• More discipline-specific provision for Pre-sessional and
In-sessional
Questions to consider
• What are the priority areas for students, i.e. where is the greatest
need?
• What types of academic skills support should we focus on in the
short to medium term?
• What modes of delivery should we consider?
• What types of resources might we have available?
• Would there be a physical building/space and what might be in it?
• What might the split between embedded provision (an integral
component of the curriculum), independent learning (self-access to
online study) and open access courses (supported/taught study
delivered by the Academic Skills Centre) be?
• What might academic skills provision look like 5-10 years from
now?
Come and talk to the new ASC team
Maggie Ward Goodbody, Director
m.m.ward-goodbody@bath.ac.uk ext. 6191
Mary Forbes, Head of Pre-sessional
m.f.forbes@bath.ac.uk ext. 3138
Miranda Armstrong, Head of In-sessional
m.armstrong@bath.ac.uk ext. 5122
Sarah Turpin, Head of Academic Skills Resources (wef 9 June 2014)
s.turpin@bath.ac.uk ext. 4355 (current extension only)
Karen Spillard, Operations Manager
k.spillard@bath.ac.uk ext. 5948