George leads Holyrood praise for university
Paisley’s university has been praised in the Scottish Parliament.
The town’s MSP George Adam lodged a motion congratulating the University of the West of Scotland (UWS) for its ongoing improvement in student continuation rates.
The motion follows Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) statistics on annual university retention performance that showed the percentage of students continuing their studies after their first year at UWS has been steadily increasing.
Professor Craig Mahoney, principal and vice-chancellor of UWS, said: “I am delighted that the ongoing effort and commitment of colleagues across the university to increase student retention rates has been recognised by this parliamentary motion.
“The percentage of students continuing their studies after their first year at UWS has increased significantly in recent years and will continue to increase because of the positive and proactive steps we are taking to support our students.
“Independent statistics also show that the number of students completing their studies at UWS, and then moving into meaningful employment or further study is also increasing, particularly within six months of graduating.”
UWS says it takes pride in the fact that it attracts the highest proportion of students from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, particularly students from the most deprived areas.
Many UWS students are the first in their families to experience higher education and the university also has a high number of mature students who have complex responsibilities such as caring for family members or working alongside their studies.
UWS says its successful approach is founded on the delivery of a personalised, flexible, supportive and student- centred learning experience, which accommodates students’ lives, responsibilities and needs in a bid to help ensure their success.
Professor Mahoney added: “We are extremely proud to be leading the way in meeting the Scottish Government’s objective to ensure more people from deprived areas go to university, but with this comes the responsibility of ensuring our students have the best possible experience and support.
“Ou r schools and professional services are focused on ensuring our students are at the centre of everything we do, so they receive the best possible education experience and opportunity to succeed. We have invested in our approach to education delivery, interactive learning studios and technologysupported learning.”