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1. Foreword
NUS welcomes the publication of this synthesis with its clear acknowledgment of the role of students in
widening access and improving retention and success in higher education. In the current uncertain political
climate, and in the absence of a national programme for widening participation, it is even more crucial that
institutions and students' unions draw on the resource available to them in innovative ways.
It is evident from the work outlined here that students do and can make a substantial contribution to the
work of widening access. They are often the key catalyst in changing young people‟s expectations and
attitudes to higher education. It is equally clear that more could be done to understand the scope of this
contribution and how it can best be supported.
A holistic account of the student lifecycle takes account of the multiple ways that students engage in their
higher education experience. Although learning is at the heart of that experience students have much to gain
from volunteering and peer support activities. Prospective students, especially those with limited social
capital of their own, tend to benefit from interaction with, and support from, current students. This is often
critical to fostering the sense of belonging so vital to retention and success in higher education.
This synthesis suggests that institutions that invest in developing their students to give something back to
their communities in the form of mentoring or acting as an ambassador for higher education will see
significant rewards. But that investment will have to take place, and the monitoring and evaluation
undertaken, to ensure that meaningful student engagement in widening access continues to develop and
grow. Students need to be at the heart of any future system that builds on the lessons of these national
programmes.
Rachel Wenstone
Vice President
NUS
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