Laurence Lasselle from the University of St Andrews in the UK recently shared her insightful research with the ACSES team during her time as a Visiting Scholar. Her presentation topic “Exploring Ways Forward to Depict ‘Disadvantage’ in the Fair Access Policy in Scotland: Lessons from the Australian Policy Experience” analysed how “disadvantage” in higher education could be better defined and addressed to promote greater opportunity and inclusion in a Scottish context.
By comparing the Scottish and Australian policy frameworks, Laurence’s work suggests valuable lessons for Scotland, particularly in terms of defining disadvantage in a more comprehensive way and cross-examining data at school-level.
Key takeaways from Laurence’s research:
- Short-term goal: Continue using the current socio-economic indicator as a measure of success and progression.
- Medium-term goal: Add more granular indicators to better track policy outcomes.
- Policy suggestion: Combine individual-level and school-level data for a more robust approach.
Reflecting on her time as an ACSES Visiting Scholar, Laurence noted:
“I have managed to have a good mapping of both policy experiences in terms of aim, objectives, definitions, and metrics. Additionally, critically examining the papers leading to the Accord has helped me gain a better understanding of the Accord, which can provide information for potential policy adjustments in the Scottish Fair Access policy.”
During her visit, Laurence delivered two informative seminars, summaries of which are available here:
She also had the opportunity to collaborate with research peers in both Australia and Scotland, including Geoffrey Mitchell, a fellow ACSES Visiting Scholar.
Moving forward, Laurence plans to continue advancing her research, focusing on the debate around disadvantage in higher education. Her next steps include providing policy briefings and strengthening her engagement with policymakers and key stakeholders.
We thank Laurence for sharing insights into her research work with us and look forward to seeing the final results. If you are interested in Laurence’s work and research, you can find out more here.
