Widening access to higher education

Laurence Lasselle, Senior Lecturer at the School of Management, met Robertson Scholar Samantha MacRae in Glasgow to extend thanks and good wishes at the end of Samantha's summer internship.

As a member of the governance group of Framework for Fair Access (the Framework), Laurence was one of three internship supervisors. The Framework works to promote fair access to higher education in Scotland.

Samantha won a Robertson Trust Internship, which she completed during summer 2020.  A student at the University of Glasgow, she worked as a research intern with the Framework.

The internship focussed on two projects:

• creating new content for the Framework website by mapping information from the QAA's Enhancement Themes website and Transitions Map
• exploring data around rural schools and progression to higher education.

Laurence is a member of a working group on widening participation at the University of St Andrews. One of her key research areas is access to higher education for Scottish rural and remote communities.

Co-supervisors for the internship were Stephanie McKendry, Head of Access, Equality and Inclusion with the University of Strathclyde and Scottish Government Implementation Advisor/Researcher; and Bernadette Sanderson, Director of Focus West.

Laurence Lasselle (left) and Samantha McRae