Sanctuary Scholarships by Dr Linda Amrane-Cooper

linda_acooper1 — 2025-02-25 14:37:32 UTC

What are the barriers: What are the most likely barriers students who are displaced, excluded due to persecution, or in crisis situations will face in accessing distance learning?

linda_acooper1 — 2025-02-25 14:39:32 UTC

Reducing barriers: What could your DL programme do to reduce those barriers? – Extra challenge, how can you reduce those barriers without using additional resources?

2025-03-13 10:20:38 UTC

How do ongoing political debates about deporting refugees impact their access to education?

Are educational institutions genuinely addressing the issue, or are they merely maintaining the status quo?

2025-03-13 10:24:29 UTC

How do you manage regulations for this group of students? Thinking around equity for all learners and reasons for extensions etc. + how do you ensure staff are aligned to respond compassionately and appropriatly to this group of students (if they work across a range of delivery modes from the institution in particular)?

2025-03-13 10:28:28 UTC

How do you ensure access to technology, WiFi etc? How do you address barriers due to technology and circumstances?

And what have the outcomes of the scheme been? Are the scholarship students completing and achieving at similar rates?

If students are not completing then does this impact on OfS conditions?

2025-03-13 10:29:45 UTC

Great provision. Are these existing DL courses which were already covered financially by tuition fees from non-sanctuary scholarship recipients? How does the university see staffing costs to support the extra support needed etc in the current HE climate?

2025-03-13 10:30:11 UTC

Good morning all. A great presentation. In Nigeria, our DL programmes are also geared towards conflict situations, for e.g during the Boko Haram days in the NorthEast. However all courses are registered and paid for. The takehome from the Leicester Sanctuary scholarship is that many more can be accommodated with DL institutions linking up with Industry for example to provide the scholarships. But what are the funding sources for the Leicester Sacntuary scholarship?

2025-03-13 10:32:00 UTC

Barrier: risk to life due to engaging in activities. What ethical considerations are there for some contexts?

2025-03-13 10:32:12 UTC

Challenges in establishing a community of practices. How do you foster a sense of belonging?

2025-03-13 10:34:52 UTC

Personal tutors will have an important role but might need additional training. Instilling a sense of belonging is always difficult with DL students but probably even more so with those who experience forcible displacement.

2025-03-13 10:37:33 UTC

Most likely barriers are Psychological state of the mind, Mobile device, Power supply and Internet access.
What can be done to reduce the barriers include flexibility in all aspects of education process.

2025-03-13 10:37:48 UTC

Our table had a chat about modes, e.g. "part time". Are the SS students enrolled as flexible learners?. Can they pause and restart easily, or do the uni regs get in the way?

2025-03-13 10:39:24 UTC

In Nigeria, we have a lot of crises ranging from Banditry in the North western states and agitation in South eastern states which affects learning greatly; leading to the learning loss and closure of schools. Mobilizing policy makers to ensure budgetary provision for digital infrastructure just the way they do for classrooms and desks is sacrosanct.

2025-03-13 10:41:34 UTC

The National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) offers a successful scholarship program for individuals who are incarcerated.

NOUN has successfully graduated a significant number of students from this program.

AMBI Philemon Danladi
National Open University of Nigeria