UCAS research forums

The UCAS research forums aim to provide:

  • increased understanding of the UK's education policy context
  • greater appreciation of the admissions experiences of our stakeholders (applicants, higher education institutions, schools and colleges)
  • robust approaches to research in the area of admissions and widening participation.


Please note the forums are held in Cheltenham, at UCAS' offices, from 2.30 to 4.30pm. Tea, coffee and biscuits are served from 2.00pm.

The forums are open to all members of UCAS staff, UCAS member institutions and to external research and policy contacts who would like to attend. There is no charge for attending the forums, but places are limited and therefore allocated on a 'first come, first served' basis. Please contact research@ucas.ac.uk to book a place at any of the forums and to be added to the UCAS research forum mailing list.

Research forum programme for 2011:

17 January 2011, UCAS Research Forum: Laura Graham, Policy Officer, UCAS; Alexis Peters, Senior Project Manager, Open University; Barbara Stephens, Project Director, Open University.

Back on course interim findings report: analysis of retention data from the back on course scheme.

Back on course is a HEFCE funded project that aims to support students who have withdrawn early from their undergraduate studies, by offering impartial information, advice and guidance on opportunities to continue study or other positive outcomes.

The project is jointly run by The OU and UCAS. Using collected retention data, UCAS undertakes research annually into the characteristics and behaviour of the students who engage with the scheme. This presentation will report on data collected during the pilot phase of the project.

For the statistical analysis, the dataset was split into two cohorts: those who had not yet tried to re-engage with HE ('non-completers'), and those who had already reapplied ('reappliers'). There were distinct differences between the behaviour and characteristics of the two cohorts, as well as when compared with the national applicant average. Two themes emerged within the findings: the over-representation of non-traditional characteristics and the over representation of 'unknown or prefer not to say' characteristics within the 'non-completer' group. This research has the objective of informing future policy on retention across the sector.

This research has the objective of informing future policy on retention across the sector. The findings will be presented and discussed in greater detail at the forum, within a more detailed context of the scheme, with healthy option for debate and discussion.

Past research forums:

UCAS has run a full programme of research forums in 2009. For details of forums that have taken place, and pdfs of the presentations, please see past events.