A leading educational charity has warned that FE and HE staff need as much support as students as A Level results are released. Recourse, the only independent charity offering practical and emotional support to academic and administrative staff working in FE and HE, fears that public spending cuts, a lack of available spaces and the increase in tuition fees, will leave university and college staff overworked and harassed.
“It is easy forget that this is not just a difficult time for students and their families, but for lecturers, tutors and admissions staff too,”explains Julian Stanley, Chief Executive of Recourse, formerly the College and University Support Network (CUSN). “They need to make important decisions that can affect someone’s entire life and future career in a very short space of time. Often, admissions staff are dealing with disappointed or disgruntled people, and while they are, of course, professional and prepared, there is little thought paid to their own wellbeing and the emotional support that they may need.”
Juliet* used to be responsible for admissions to an undergraduate course for allied health professionals.
“You can do as much preparation as you like to be ready for results day, but you can never be ready for the stress involved,” she explains. “Your workload increases so rapidly and the picture changes so quickly as students accept or reject offers, or perhaps don’t make the grade. You also have to be there to support concerned parents and terrified school-leavers who feel their futures are in the balance and who may be emotional, but who you can’t always help. It can be a very tense time. I can’t even imagine how stressful it will be this year with all the changes and students desperately trying to get a place before the fees go up.”
It is not just universities feeling the pressure. Staff at FE colleges are also pushed.
“There is a lot of pressure from the college in order for statistics to be put together and although I wasn’t expected to work extra hours, I did because the job needs doing. You just have to plough through it and get on with the stress” explains Jenny*, an administrative officer for Diplomas for an FE college in Norfolk.
Jenny explains that the threat is not just internal. “Some parents when upset with the grades their children receive can become very confrontational. You could already see a blame scenario emerging.”
In the end Jenny felt “disillusioned with education” and left her role. Juliet also no longer works in education.
“It is clear that lecturers, tutors and admissions staff will be working harder than ever over the next few weeks, but disappointing more applicants than ever. There will be a lot of unhappy people, including staff, next week and it is important that they all have a place they can go to get the appropriate support and advice,” says Julian Stanley.
Recourse has produced information and advice to help admissions staff in FE and HE. For help, call our Support Line on 0808 802 03 04 or try our clearing factsheet here.
