Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, University of Bristol 2019
In 2019 I was commissioned by the Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and the University of Bristol Temple Quarter Inclusion Committee to develop an inclusive and flexible undergraduate degree pathway for applicants from non-traditional educational backgrounds. The project aimed to enrich the university and wider region by drawing on the diversity of knowledge and experience of people who would not typically access the University of Bristol.
The proposed programme was designed as a flexible pathway with non-UCAS entry, allowing students without formal qualifications to study alongside work and other life commitments. As principal lead, I undertook participatory research with community organisations, adult learners, and inclusion specialists in Bristol to understand the barriers to higher education and what a genuinely flexible degree might look like in practice.
Drawing on this research, I developed a pedagogical and structural model that prioritised inclusion, part-time and modular study, and recognition of lived and professional experience, while remaining compatible with the regulatory and quality assurance frameworks of the University of Bristol. This work required extensive consultation, project management, and the development of academic and funding proposals across school, faculty, and university levels.
Due to shifting strategic priorities at the Centre, the programme was not taken forward to accreditation. However, the research, pedagogical framework, and institutional learning from this project have since informed my approach to degree design, inclusive pedagogy, and teaching across undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.
