The Inclusive Practice Partnerships Scheme
The Inclusive Practice Partnership (IPP) Scheme is a five-year funded programme where students work in partnership with academic staff in their School and the Learning and Teaching Hub. As a key part of both the University of Brighton’s Race Equality Charter Action Plan and Access and Participation Plan, the Scheme reviews the representation of racial, ethnic and cultural identities in undergraduate modules, making recommendations that will diversify and decolonise the curriculum.
First phase of the IPP Scheme (2020/2021)
The first phase of the IPP Scheme begain in November 2020 in the School of Health Sciences, Brighton Business School, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, the School of Applied Social Sciences and the School of Humanities. In February 2021, the second phase of the IPP Scheme roll out took place in the School of Architecture and Design, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Computing, Engineering and Mathematics, School of Art, School of Media, School of Education, School of Sport and Service Management and School of Environment and Technology. We received an overwhelming number of applications for the advertised posts and we were so impressed with the enthusiasm and commitment that students conveyed in the online group interviews. After weeks of shortlisting and interviews, we were delighted to recruit fifty-three Inclusive Practice Partners (IPPs) to their paid roles from across the Schools.
In January 2021, IPPs and their academic staff partners participated in online training workshops focusing on both diverifying and decolonising the curriculum, and partnership working. The live training sessions on Teams were a great opportunity for IPPs to meet each other and share ideas and experiences. From February until June 2020, the IPPs met regularly with academic leads in their Schools to develop their recommendations for modules that they were reviewing and these were then shared with module leaders for implementation in the following academic year where possible.
Some of our IPPs commented:
“I’m enjoying the fact that I get to work alongside my lecturers, having a direct impact on the teaching and educational sources making students and colleagues feel more included and valued within my own course! We are working collaboratively to give further recommendations of literature and educational sources that may be more representative of the current student and patient cohort we face every single day.” (Neesha, IPP studying BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science)
“SET subjects have their history rooted in our colonial past, which is important to recognise not just because of how the skills taught were (and are today) used to effect colonial activities, but how they were developed, where best practices came from and in response to what challenges.” (Tim, IPP studying BSc (Hons) Architectural Technology)
Second phase of the IPP Scheme (2021/2022)
The Learning and Teaching Hub team began recruitment for the second academic year of the Scheme in September 2021, working within a new 8 School structure and with new Inclusive Practice (IP) Lead roles in each School. We successfully recruited 64 IPPs, which included many of our IPPs from our first year of the Scheme, who were offered the opportunity to continue working with us.
Training workshops in both diversifying and decolonising, and partnership working were provided for IPPs and their IP Leads, but this time were also offered to any module staff who would be working with our IPPs on the review of their curriculum. In this second year of the Scheme, this was a significant change, as we realised the need to have staff support to make real and on-going change to the curriculum. IPPs and their academic staff partners have been reviewing their modules since January 2022, and are expected to finalise recommendations with module leaders and staff in May 2022.
A further development in the second year of the Scheme has been the addition of ‘IPP Extra’, a programme of support workshops and ‘drop ins’ for our IPPs, organised by Marina Trowell in the Learning and Teaching Hub. This fantastic programme has included a series of short 30 minute workshops by colleagues and students from across the University on topics such as developing and protecting your well-being, communication skills, career development and oppotunities for postgraduate study. Marina has also hosted a regular drop in space for IPPs to come together to talk and share experiences with each other. The Learning and Teaching Hub team have also developed an IPP community of practice group for both staff and students, which meets every three weeks to discuss and share both progress and challenges of diversify and decolonising work.
To see what some of our IPPs have said about the Scheme view their blog posts here.
For further information please contact:
Dr. Jo Hall
Principal Lecturer in Learning and Teaching
Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash
Emilie Hayter • June 18, 2021