SOAR Project - National Access Conference

23 Apr 2024

Over 100 Access Practitioners and community partners from around the country assembled in UCC for the SOAR Project’s national conference - Access to Higher Education: Emerging Practice and Professional Challenges in a Changing Access Context that took place on April 23^rd & 24^th.

Following the success of The Gathering: Travellers In Education hosted in May 2023 and in response to emerging recommendations from Access Practitioner research, the PATH 3 funded SOAR Project relished the opportunity to host this important event. The conference facilitated the sharing of new models of practice developed nationally, exploration of the challenges and opportunities of the National Access Plan 2022-2028 as well as fostering a community of practice and professional development amongst Access Practitioners to enhance Access knowledge and service.

Keynotes included Muriel Alexander, Development Manager of Scotland’s Community of Access Participation Practitioners (SCAPP), University of Stirling and Dr Louise Callinan, Head of Access Policy, Higher Education Authority (HEA).

SOAR Project Co-Ordinator Sheila McGovern, presented a case study on inter-institutional partnership and  Dr Rebekah Brennan, postdoctoral researcher, spoke to the research findings and recommendations of the Access Practitioner study, the first study of its kind in Ireland.