an evaluation of the coleg - higher education ... 10.1 number of students in receipt of scholarship...

AN EVALUATION OF THE COLEG

CYMRAEG CENEDLAETHOL’S

PROGRESS TO DATE

T06HE/2013/14

Final Report

July 2014

Evaluation of Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol’s Progress to Date

EVALUATION OF THE COLEG CYMRAEG CENEDLAETHOL’S PROGRESS TO DATE

FINAL REPORT

Report to the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW)

Authored by: Einir Burrowes

Peer Reviewed by: Huw Bryer and Angharad Thomas

August 2014

Old Bell 3 Ltd.

4, Lower Galdeford

Ludlow

SY8 1RN

Tel: 01584 876 610

Old Bell 3 Ltd.

57a Rhosmaen Street

Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire

SA19 6LW

Tel: 01558 822 922


www.oldbell3.co.uk

CONTENTS GLOSSARY OF TERMS ......................................................................................................

LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES ......................................................................................

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .....................................................................................................i

1. INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................... 1

1.3 METHOD .................................................................................................................. 1

2. BACKGROUND TO THE COLEG CYMRAEG CENEDLAETHOL .................. 4

2.2 Historical policy context leading to the establishment of the Coleg ................ 4

The Welsh Medium Provision Steering Group ........................................................... 4

The Coleg Ffederal Planning Board ............................................................................ 8

For our Future ............................................................................................................... 11

Welsh-medium Education Strategy ............................................................................ 12

HEFCW Corporate Strategy 2010-11 – 2012-13 ..................................................... 13

2.3 Policy Developments since the establishment of the Coleg ........................... 14

The ‘Browne Report’ and Tuition Fees Policy in Wales .......................................... 14

HEFCW Fee Plan Guidance ....................................................................................... 17

Priorities set out in HEFCW Remit Letters of relevance to the Coleg .................. 17

HEFCW Corporate Strategy 2013-14 – 2015-16 ..................................................... 19

Welsh Government Policy Statement on Higher Education ................................... 21

Welsh Government Policy Statement on Skills ........................................................ 22

Balancing the responsibilities for skills investment: proposals for co-investment

in post-19 adult skills delivery ..................................................................................... 22

Review of Higher Education Funding and Student Finance Arrangements in

Wales .............................................................................................................................. 24

3. AN INTRODUCTION TO THE COLEG CYMRAEG CENDLAETHOL .......... 25

3.2 COLEG AIMS ......................................................................................................... 25

3.3 TARGETS ............................................................................................................... 28

3.4 COLEG REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE ........................................................ 28

3.5 CONSTITUTION .................................................................................................... 30

3.6 STAFFING ARRANGEMENTS ........................................................................... 32


4. MEASURES INTENDED TO DEVELOP THE SUPPLY SIDE: DEVELOPING

AND IMPLEMENTING ACADEMIC AND SUBJECT PLANS......................... 35

4.2 ACADEMIC AND SUBJECT PLANS ................................................................. 35

4.3 THE PLANNING PROCESS ............................................................................... 40

4.4 TARGETS ............................................................................................................... 42

5. MEASURES INTENDED TO DEVELOP THE SUPPLY SIDE: DEVELOPING

WELSH MEDIUM SCHOLARSHIP .................................................................... 47

5.2 RESEARCH SCHOLARSHIP SCHEME ........................................................... 47

5.3 RESEARCH SKILLS TRAINING ......................................................................... 51

5.4 CONFERENCES AND LEARNED SOCIETIES ............................................... 53

5.5 GWERDDON ......................................................................................................... 54

6 MEASURES INTENDED TO DEVELOP THE SUPPLY SIDE: DEVELOPING

WELSH MEDIUM TEACHING CAPACITY ....................................................... 57

6.2 ACADEMIC STAFFING SCHEME ..................................................................... 57

6.3 ADDITIONALITY AND DEADWEIGHT .............................................................. 62

6.4 SUSTAINABILITY ................................................................................................. 63

6.5 ACADEMIC STAFF DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME .................................... 65

7 MEASURES INTENDED TO DEVELOP THE SUPPLY SIDE: DEVELOPING

THE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDED TO SUPPORT WELSH MEDIUM

PROVISION AND SCHOLARSHIP .................................................................... 68

7.2 COLEG BRANCHES ............................................................................................ 68

7.3 TECHNOLOGY ENHANCED LEARNING ......................................................... 73

7.4 DIGITAL AND OTHER RESOURCES ............................................................... 76

7.5 LEARNING SPACES ............................................................................................ 79

7.6 DISTANCE LEARNING SCHEME ...................................................................... 80

8 MEASURES INTENDED TO DEVELOP THE SUPPLY SIDE:

ENCOURAGING AND FACILITATING COLLABORATION IN THE

DELIVERY OF COURSES .................................................................................. 82

9 MEASURES INTENDED TO DEVELOP THE SUPPLY SIDE: OTHER

ACTIVITIES ............................................................................................................ 85

9.2 WELSH LANGUAGE SKILLS CERTIFICATE .................................................. 85

9.3 INITIAL TEACHER TRAINING ............................................................................ 90

10 FINDINGS: MEASURES INTENDED TO DEVELOP THE DEMAND SIDE 92

10.2 ACTIONS TAKEN TO PROMOTE PARTICIPATION IN WELSH MEDIUM

HIGHER EDUCATION ..................................................................................................... 92

10.3 COLEG UNDERGRADUATE AND MASTER’S LEVEL SCHOLARSHIPS . 97


11 FINDINGS: PARTICIPATION IN WELSH MEDIUM HIGHER EDUCATION

............................................................................................................................... 103

12 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS .............................................. 109

12.1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................ 109

12.2 BACKGROUND .................................................................................................. 109

12.3 PROGRESS MADE BY THE COLEG TOWARDS ACHIEVING ITS AIMS111

Aim 2: to provide unity of purpose, cohesion and leadership through a national

strategy ......................................................................................................................... 111

Aim 3: to create a permanent and robust structure, on a national basis ............ 113

Aim 4: increasing the numbers of students studying through the medium of

Welsh; ........................................................................................................................... 116

Aim 5: collaborating with other national bodies in order to contribute to the social,

economic and cultural life of Wales ......................................................................... 121

12.4 ASSESS THE DELIVERY AND MANAGEMENT OF THE COLEG’S

OBJECTIVES ....................................................................................................... 122

12.5 ASSESS THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE VARIOUS ELEMENTS ........... 123

12.6 VALUE FOR MONEY ON THE BASIS OF OUTPUTS AND OUTCOMES 128

ANNEXES ........................................................................................................................ 131

Annex 1: Breakdown of Stakeholders Interviewed ................................................ 132

Annex 2: Logic Model ................................................................................................. 134

Annex 3: Summary of Key themes’ and ‘Strategic Aims’ set out in the Coleg’s

2011/12 – 2013/14 Strategic Plan ............................................................................ 136

Annex 4: Quantitative Targets set for the Coleg ................................................... 140

Annex 5: Subject Discipline Clusters ...................................................................... 143


GLOSSARY OF TERMS

CQFW Credit and Qualification Framework for Wales

FE Further Education

FTE Full Time Equivalent

HE Higher Education

HEFCW Higher Education Funding Council for Wales

HEIs Higher Education Institutions

HESA Higher Education Statistics Agency

HEW Higher Education Wales

ITT International Teacher Training

PgCTHE Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching in Higher Education

QTS Qualified Teacher Status

REF Research Excellence Framework

STEM Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths

The Coleg Coleg Cymraeg Canedlaethol

VLE Virtual Learning Environment

WMES Welsh-medium Education Strategy


LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES

Table 3.1 Coleg Funding from HEFCW

Table 3.2 Coleg Expenditure by Year

Table 3.3 Coleg Membership

Table 4.1 Main Provision and Participation Targets Set

Table 5.1 Research Scholarships Awarded by Subject Area/ Discipline and Year

Table 5.2 Number of Visits to the Gwerddon Web-site

Table 6.1 Appointments Made under the Academic Staffing Scheme by Subject

Area/ Discipline and Year

Table 6.2 Academic Staffing Scheme Expenditure by Year

Table 6.3 Welsh Medium Premia Paid to Institutions

Table 9.1 Candidates Undertaking the Welsh Language Skills Certificate by Year

Table 10.1 Number of Students in Receipt of Scholarship by Year

Figure 3.1 Coleg’s Staffing Structure

Figure 5.1 Research Scholarship Awards by Institution

Figure 6.1 Appointments Made under the Academic Staffing Scheme by Institution

Figure 7.1 Registered Users Accessing via Y Porth by Year

Figure 10.1 Lead Scholarships Awarded by Broad Subject Area and Year

Figure 10.3 Incentive Scholarships Awarded by Broad subject Area and Year

Figure 11.1 Number of Students Undertaking some Elements of their Course

through the Medium of Welsh by Year

Figure 11.2

Number of Students Undertaking some Element of their Course through

the Medium of Welsh in 2012/13 by Institution, Excluding Education

Related Courses

Figure 11.3 Number of Students Undertaking Five and 40 Credits through the

Medium of Welsh

Figure 11.4 The Trend-line in Relation to the Number of Students Undertaking Five

Credits through the Medium of Welsh

Figure 11.5 The Trend-line in Relation to the Number of Students Undertaking 40

Credits through the Medium of Welsh

Figure 11.6 Acceptances to UCAS Institutions of Welsh Domiciled Applicants by

Year


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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1. Old Bell 3 Ltd., in association with Dateb Ltd., was commissioned by the Higher

Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW) to undertake an Evaluation of the Coleg

Cymraeg Cenedlaethol’s (the Coleg) progress to date. The work was undertaken

between April and July 2014.

2. The aim of this study was to ‘enable HEFCW and Welsh Government officials and

stakeholders to:

Assess whether the Coleg is achieving / has achieved its aims and objectives to

date;

Assess the delivery and management of the Coleg’s objectives;

Assess the effectiveness of the various elements (such as the Scholarship

Scheme and the Academic Staffing Scheme), including the impact on

participants;

Examine value for money on the basis of outputs and outcomes; and

Make evidence based recommendations for improvements and the development

and delivery of future activity’.

3. The study involved six main elements of work:

o inception;

o desk research and preparation for fieldwork;

o operational level fieldwork at higher education institutions (HEIs);

o strategic level fieldwork with higher education institutions;

o fieldwork with non-higher education institution stakeholders;

o reporting.

FINDINGS

Background to the Coleg

4. The Welsh Government set out its ambition for a higher education sector which is

responsive to the needs of those wishing to pursue all or part of their degree courses

through the medium of Welsh in its Reaching Higher (2002) policy document. The

Steering Group for Welsh Medium Provision in Higher Education subsequently

established by HEFCW developed a Strategy (2004) which emphasised the need to


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stimulate the demand for and supply of Welsh medium provision, to create momentum

and a positive sense of progress and to put in place systems that would sustain an

increased volume of Welsh medium provision into the future. The Strategy document

recognised the need to increase the numbers of academic staff able to teach through

the medium of Welsh, for institutions to commit to the development of Welsh medium

provision as a ‘mainstream’ part of their activity and for institutions to collaborate on the

development and delivery of provision. Crucially, the Strategy also made it clear that

‘substantial pump-priming funding’ would be needed, as well as a sustainable funding

system which would allow initial gains to be consolidated and continued. The Steering

Group’s recommendations led to the establishment of the Centre for Welsh Medium

Higher Education, building upon the foundations already laid by the University of Wales’

Welsh Medium Teaching Development Unit.

5. The 2007-2011 Assembly Government’s programme included a commitment to

establish a ‘Coleg Ffederal’ as a means of driving the Welsh medium higher education

agenda more forcefully and a Coleg Ffederal Planning Board, chaired by Professor

Robin Williams was established.

6. The Coleg Ffederal Planning Board recommended that a separate body be established

to work with and through HEIs to ‘maintain, develop and oversee Welsh medium higher

education provision’. Importantly, the Board’s report set out for the first time targets for

the numbers of students pursuing at least part of their higher education courses through

the medium of Welsh. The name Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol was adopted in place of

Coleg Ffederal and the organisation came into being in 2011.

7. These developments took place against the backcloth of other significant changes in

higher education, including the introduction of a tuition fees policy; the gradual

withdrawal of a ‘Welsh medium premium’ paid to HEIs in recognition of additional costs

associated with the delivery of Welsh medium provision; and the merging of higher

education institutions in Wales.

8. The Coleg is constituted as a company limited by guarantee and is governed by a Board

of Directors which comprises the Chair, representatives of six higher education

institutions and six ‘stakeholder members’ which include a representative of Welsh

medium teaching staff, a student representative and four independent members. Coleg

membership comprises prospective students, university students, university staff and

associate members. Membership stood at almost 5,000 in June 2014.


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9. The Coleg employs 24 core staff (21.8 full time equivalent) at its offices in Carmarthen

and Cardiff. It also funds the employment of branch officers at seven of Wales’ eight

HEIs.

10. The Coleg is principally funded by HEFCW, with its total annual budget standing at just

short of £8 million in 2014/15. This amount includes a ring-fenced provision of £330,000

for Coleg undergraduate and master’s level scholarships.

Planning Welsh Medium Provision

11. Shortly after its formation in 2011, the Coleg published its first Strategic Plan. This

document set out a number of strategic aims for the period 2011/12 to 2013/14. In

September 2012, the Coleg published its Academic Plan, which set out how it would

work with HEIs to strengthen provision already in place and to develop new provision in

new locations and/or disciplines. Importantly, the Academic Plan set out a framework for

determining appropriate locations for Welsh medium provision.

12. The Academic Plan was developed by an Academic Board comprising representatives

of each HEI in Wales, academics from selected disciplines and student representatives.

The open and inclusive approach taken to the academic planning process helped to

establish and build respect for the Coleg as an organisation that has an overview of

Welsh medium higher education provision.

13. The Academic Plan built upon the overarching target for the numbers of students

pursuing some element of their courses through the medium of Welsh set in the Coleg

Ffederal Planning Board’s report. It introduced a number of more specific targets

relating to the availability of and participation in provision of 40, 80 and 120 credits’

worth of Welsh medium content each year. This was very much in keeping with the spirit

of Welsh Government policy that students should have the right to study in Welsh,

should they choose, and signalled the Coleg’s intention to raise the bar in terms of the

depth of Welsh medium content within courses. More recently, HEFCW has required

HEIs to set targets for participation in courses involving five or more and 40 or more

Welsh medium credits in their fee plans.

14. The Academic Plan provided the foundation for a series of subject plans, which were

developed in consultation with subject panels made up of subject experts from relevant


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HEIs, as well as Coleg officers. To date 19 subject plans have been approved by the

Coleg’s Board of Directors and others are in the pipeline.

15. The subject planning process inevitably involved a degree of compromise between a

national vision for Welsh medium higher education and accommodating individual

institutions’ capabilities and ambitions. Whilst considerable progress has been made in

developing subject plans, the Coleg has yet to resolve the practical implications of

competition that exists between institutions and how it should target its support in order

to build sustainable provision in a limited number of locations.

Developing Welsh Medium Scholarship

16. A key aim of the Coleg is to develop a credible, well respected and sustainable Welsh

medium higher education community and central to this has been its award of 39

Research Scholarships to individuals studying for a doctorate, either entirely or largely

through the medium of Welsh. Our research has shown that individuals in receipt of

these scholarships would not have pursued doctoral level studies through the medium of

Welsh were it not for the Coleg’s support.

17. The majority of Scholarships have been awarded to research students at HEIs which

have a tradition of Welsh medium scholarship and/or higher levels of research intensity,

though appointments have also been made at institutions which have limited research

tradition.

18. Stakeholders spoke of the quality of the appointments made and of the importance of

developing Welsh medium research capacity in order to enrich Welsh medium higher

education and to inspire future generations of scholars to work through the medium of

Welsh. It was also felt that scholarships play an important part in guaranteeing a supply

of lecturers capable of working through the medium of Welsh, both to succeed existing

academics nearing retirement and to expand the community of Welsh medium teaching

staff.

19. In addition to the Research Scholarships, the Coleg offers a Research Skills Programme

designed to develop Scholarship holders and other doctoral students’ Welsh medium

research and teaching skills. This Programme sits alongside HEIs’ own research skills

training programmes, which are almost exclusively delivered in English and do not deal

with the skills needed to work through the medium of Welsh. The Coleg’s Research


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Skills Programme was generally well received by Scholarship holders, not least because

it brought them together with others in a similar position to themselves and allowed them

to feel part of a wider community of Welsh medium researchers.

20. Other measures which the Coleg supports in order to develop Welsh medium

scholarship include organising conferences and occasional high profile lectures. Events

of this kind help to raise awareness of Welsh and Welsh medium scholarship within the

academic world and beyond. Conferences also provide Research Scholarship holders

with an opportunity to present papers through the medium of Welsh.

21. The Coleg’s academic e-journal, Gwerddon, provides access to Welsh medium

scholarly material and provides a place for academics and research students to publish

through the medium of Welsh. Whilst readership of Gwerddon will inevitably be fairly

limited, it was felt that the standard of articles published is high and that the journal

represents an important symbol of Welsh medium scholarship and is also a valuable

source of material for academics, students and the wider population.

Developing Welsh Medium Teaching Capacity

22. The Coleg’s Academic Staffing Scheme provides higher education institutions with

funding to employ academic staff in order to build their Welsh medium teaching

capacity. It represents the biggest single line of expenditure for the Coleg each year.

Overall, 95 appointments have been made, with roughly equal proportions of

appointments made at institutions with an established tradition of delivering Welsh

medium provision and institutions where Welsh medium provision is not yet well

developed. The staff appointed work across a range of disciplines, though there has

been an increasing emphasis over the last two years upon disciplines which are

associated with fields of employment where it is perceived that Welsh language skills

are in demand.

23. Stakeholders felt that the Academic Staffing Scheme has been the Coleg’s single most

important and far-reaching investment. It was thought that the appointment of a

relatively large cohort of new Welsh medium lecturers has helped to create momentum,

to make Welsh medium provision and the Coleg itself more visible within institutions and

to foster more positive attitudes towards Welsh medium provision among the wider

academic community. The value of the Academic Staffing Scheme certainly outstrips

the amounts historically paid to HEIs in respect of Welsh medium provision (via the


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Welsh medium premium) and there is evidence to show that there has been an increase

in the numbers of lecturers actually teaching through the medium of Welsh beyond

those appointed under the Academic Staffing Scheme.

24. Stakeholders spoke of the quality of the appointments made under the Academic

Staffing Scheme and several foresaw that the individuals appointed will, in time,

progress into senior academic positions. However, it was clear that some of the posts

created will be vulnerable when the five year period of Coleg funding comes to an end,

quite simply because many Welsh medium modules/courses will struggle to attract the

numbers of students required to make them viable. Previous research has suggested

that it costs 25% more to put on Welsh medium provision alongside English medium

courses and that, on average, between 16 and 20 students are needed in order for

provision to break even. It was argued that HEIs will require on-going support, possibly

alongside an element of compulsion, to sustain some of the lecturing posts created.

25. Alongside the Academic Staffing Scheme, the Coleg offers an Academic Staff

Development Programme which is intended to provide academics who teach (or wish to

teach) through the medium of Welsh a means of developing appropriate language and

pedagogical skills. Again, this Programme sits alongside HEIs’ own staff development

programmes, though most of these are delivered in English and do not deal with the

skills needed to teach through the medium of Welsh. The Academic Staff Development

Programme was thought to be particularly helpful to new lecturers at the start of their

careers, though more experienced participants also valued the opportunity to encounter

and share experiences with lecturers in a similar position to themselves.

Developing the Infrastructure Needed to Support Welsh Medium Provision and

Scholarship

26. The Coleg has established a network of ‘branches’ across seven of Wales’ eight higher

education institutions. The branch network forms a key part of the Coleg’s interface with

institutions and each branch is supported by a ‘branch officer’ funded by the Coleg, but

employed by the host HEI. Branch officers facilitate the flow of information between the

Coleg and institutions, though the way in which they work differs from one HEI to

another, largely reflecting the numbers of Coleg sponsored appointments made and the

numbers of undergraduate and master’s level scholarships awarded to students at the

university.


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27. It was felt that branches help to create a sense of community amongst lecturers working

through the medium of Welsh. They also help to increase the visibility of the Coleg and

Welsh medium provision within institutions, albeit that branches are more evident in

some HEIs than others. It was argued that the location of branches as an obvious

physical presence is important, though the use of Coleg branding by funded lecturers

and research scholars is also important in raising the Coleg’s profile.

28. Coleg branches get involved, to differing degrees, in activities designed to promote

Welsh medium provision at their host institutions, both to potential students and to

freshers. They also offer support to existing students (again to differing degrees) and

this was valued by some students who contributed to this study. However, other

students were less informed about the work of the Coleg and its branches and there

was some suggestion that branches could do more to engage with students, most

notably Welsh speakers who choose to undertake none or little of their courses through

Welsh.

29. Y Porth is the Coleg’s e-learning platform which provides access to specialist Welsh-

medium resources, some on an open access basis. Y Porth sits alongside institutions’

own learning platforms and provides a means of sharing teaching and learning

resources across institutions, thus avoiding duplication and facilitating collaboration. Use

of Y Porth has grown markedly since its launch in 2009, though the actual proportion of

Coleg members logging-on has been somewhat disappointing.

30. A number of factors have hindered the use of Y Porth, most notably the need to go

through a separate logging-on process. The Coleg has taken on board users’ feedback

in this regard, however, and a facility has recently been introduced which allows access

to Y Porth and institutions’ VLEs from a single log-in.

31. Lecturers appointed under the Academic Staffing Scheme are required to develop

materials to complement the Welsh medium modules they teach and to share those

materials via Y Porth. The Coleg has also funded the development of additional

materials under a small grants scheme and, under the guidance of subject panels, has

commissioned a number of more substantial or advanced resources, including some in

audio and video format. Some of the video content accessible via Y Porth is also

available via the Coleg’s iTunesU site.

32. Lecturers generally welcomed the addition of new resources, though there was a

question as to the extent to which the materials developed are actually used by


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academics beyond those involved in their development. This clearly raises questions

about the value which HEIs derive from at least some of the Coleg’s investment in

teaching and learning resources and suggests that more needs to be done to promote

existing resources.

33. In order to facilitate real-time communication and collaboration between member

institutions, the Coleg has established a network of video-conferencing facilities, known

as ‘learning spaces’, across six universities. It was thought that there is scope to make

greater use of these learning spaces, particularly for teaching purposes in subjects

where individual institutions struggle to attract reasonable numbers of students.

34. In September 2014, the Coleg intends to launch a new part-time Welsh Medium Studies

Scheme. This will allow anyone over the age of 18, regardless of their educational

background, to study through the medium of Welsh at home or in their workplace.

Encouraging and Facilitating Collaboration in the Delivery of Courses

35. The Coleg’s Academic Plan stresses the importance of inter-institutional and/or inter-

disciplinary collaboration and goes on to say that academic staff and/or ‘substantial

projects’ funded by the Coleg will support developments in other locations. Stakeholders

generally accepted that collaboration within and across institutions represents a sensible

approach to ensuring the viability of provision where the take-up of Welsh medium

options will inevitably be limited.

36. Some progress has been made in delivering modules on a collaborative basis, but it

was acknowledged that there is some way to go and that bringing about inter-

institutional collaboration represents a considerable challenge for the Coleg. Among the

barriers which it was said hinder collaboration was the competition that exists between

HEIs and the fact that institutions’ regulations, standards and working practices differ.


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Other Activities

37. In 2012, the Coleg launched a Welsh Language Skills Certificate which provides

students a means of demonstrating higher level Welsh language skills. Over 200

employers have pledged their support for the Welsh Language Skills Certificate as a

mechanism of identifying job applicants who have the skills required to work

professionally through the medium of Welsh.

38. All students in receipt of Coleg undergraduate and masters’ level scholarships are

required to work towards the Welsh Language Skills Certificate. Students are able to

access a range of information and learning resources relating specifically to the Welsh

Language Skills Certificate via Y Porth and the Coleg’s iTunesU sites. In addition to

this, the Coleg, working with HEIs, offers students seminars designed to help them hone

their Welsh language skills and prepare them for assessment.

39. Hitherto, some 200 candidates have sat the Welsh Language Skills Certificate and 84%

of these have passed, 15% of those with distinction. The Certificate is currently awarded

by the Coleg, though the Coleg is exploring the appointment of one or more awarding

bodies to perform that function.

40. Whilst contributors were generally positive about the Welsh Language Skills Certificate,

it is clear that further consideration needs to be given to how it fits with other Welsh

language related qualifications, whether it should be a graded qualification, the

assessment process and how the Certificate is promoted to students.

41. In its 2012/13 grant letter, HEFCW sought the Coleg’s advice on the implications of

introducing a specific Welsh language entry requirement for Initial Teacher Training

(ITT) courses in Wales. This followed on from the introduction GCSE grade B in English

and mathematics as an entry requirement to courses leading directly to Qualified

Teacher Status (QTS).

42. The Coleg undertook a review of existing practice in terms of recognising and recording

ITT participants’ competence to teach through the medium of Welsh and made specific

recommendations to HEFCW. This led to a further request from HEFCW that the Coleg

develop a ‘certificate of competence’ in Welsh medium teaching, based on the Welsh

Language Skills Certificate. This work will be undertaken during 2014/15.

Measures Intended to Develop the Demand Side


x

43. The Coleg employs a number of strategies to promote Welsh medium higher education,

including visiting schools and colleges, having a presence at various higher education

and cultural events and using its web-site and social media to broadcast key messages

and to provide information. Earlier research has found that the Coleg’s approach to

marketing is on the right track, but that more needs to be done to raise awareness of the

opportunities available to study in Welsh at university and to persuade individuals to

capitalise upon those opportunities. Earlier research has also reinforced the point that

messages about the benefits and availability of Welsh medium higher education need to

be conveyed and reinforced over time to ensure that they reach and gain traction with

key audiences.

44. The Coleg published its first stand-alone prospectus in late 2013. The document brings

together information about opportunities available to study through the medium of Welsh

in one place.

45. The Coleg awards three different types of undergraduate scholarship to students

undertaking specific proportions of their studies through the medium of Welsh: incentive

scholarships for those studying 40 credits or more; lead scholarships for those studying

80 credits or more; and the William Salesbury scholarship for those studying 100% of

their courses through the medium of Welsh. The Coleg also awards scholarship to

taught postgraduate students pursuing at least 60 credits of their master’s degree

through the medium of Welsh.

46. Lead scholarships have predominantly been awarded to students pursuing Arts and

Humanities subjects, where Welsh medium provision is better established, whilst

incentive scholarships have mainly been awarded to students of Social and Economic

Sciences and, increasingly, to Science students. This shift in the profile of subjects

being studied by awardees is significant because it bears witness to the availability and,

indeed, the take-up of Welsh medium provision in new fields.

47. Stakeholders and students were mixed as to the influence which scholarships have

upon students’ decision to study through the medium of Welsh, with some suggestion

that there might a high level of deadweight attaching to lead scholarships in particular.

It was argued that the timetable for the submission of applications for scholarships

makes it more likely that scholarships will be awarded to those considering Welsh


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medium higher education anyway and prevents scholarships from being used to

encourage others to undertake at least part of their courses in Welsh.

Participation in Welsh Medium Higher Education

48. Data relating to participation in Welsh medium education are available only up to the

2012/13 academic year. These data suggest that the numbers undertaking some of

their higher education through the medium of Welsh increased steadily over the three

years running up to the creation of the Coleg before falling in 2011/12 and recovering in

2012/13. This apparent dip was thought to reflect changes in the way in which data were

managed rather than any significant change in reality. Between 2011/12 and 2012/13,

there was a 13% increase in the numbers pursuing five credits or more through the

medium of Welsh and an increase of 4% in the numbers undertaking a more substantial

part of their courses in Welsh.

49. The proportions of students pursuing five credits or more and 40 credits or more through

the medium of Welsh also varied between institutions. Overall, however, some 48% of

students undertaking at least five credits in Welsh actually studied 40 or more Welsh

medium credits.

50. Although it is not possible to determine a trend from two years’ data, we are optimistic

that the Coleg can meet its headline target of 5,600 students studying at least five

credits by 2015/16, though the picture is a little less promising in relation to the numbers

studying at least 40 credits through the medium of Welsh.

RECOMMENDATIONS

51. The report concludes by making 17 recommendations which relate to:

1. arrangements for scrutinising HEIs’ fee plans and for enabling the Coleg to work

with HEIs to ensure the consistency of their ambitions;

2. the potential for making provision within the Higher Education (Wales) Bill as to

how Welsh medium provision should be dealt with in institutions’ fee plans;

3. the implications of Academic Staffing Scheme grants coming to an end and how

HEIs might sustain such posts beyond the agreed funding period;

4. ways of supporting more marginal Welsh medium provision in the longer term;


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5. focusing future Research Scholarship awards on subject areas/disciplines where

there is likely to be a shortage of academic staff capable of working through the

medium of Welsh or on themes of interest to policy makers;

6. increasing awareness and promoting the benefits of Welsh medium higher

education and encouraging more students to consider studying through the

medium of Welsh;

7. arrangements within HEIs for promoting Welsh medium provision;

8. evaluating the effects and effectiveness of the Coleg’s undergraduate and

master’s level scholarships and making changes as appropriate;

9. how institutions might be encouraged to embrace the Welsh medium agenda at a

practical level, including the possibility of attaching conditions to future funding

awards;

10. how changes to level of funding allocated to the Coleg might be dealt with;

11. what might be done to increase the relevance and appeal of the Coleg’s research

skills programme;

12. whether the Coleg needs to be more explicit about what it expects its branches to

do;

13. the location of Coleg branches within HEIs;

14. promoting Y Porth and increasing the use made of the site;

15. promoting Gwerddon to a wider readership;

16. honing the Welsh Language Skills Certificate;

17. spelling out the requirement to work towards the Welsh Language Skills Certificate

more clearly to undergraduate and master’s level scholarship recipients.


1

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Old Bell 3 Ltd., in association with Dateb Ltd., was commissioned by the Higher

Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW) to undertake an Evaluation of the

Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol’s (the Coleg) progress to date. The work was

undertaken between April and July 2014.

1.2 The aim of this study was to ‘enable HEFCW and Welsh Government officials and

stakeholders to:

Assess whether the Coleg is achieving / has achieved its aims and objectives to

date;

Assess the delivery and management of the Coleg’s objectives;

Assess the effectiveness of the various elements (such as the Scholarship

Scheme and the Academic Staffing Scheme), including the impact on

participants;

Examine value for money on the basis of outputs and outcomes; and

Make evidence based recommendations for improvements and the development

and delivery of future activity’.

1.3 METHOD

1.3.1 The study involved six main elements of work:

o inception;

o desk research and preparation for fieldwork;

o operational level fieldwork at higher education institutions (HEIs);

o strategic level fieldwork with higher education institutions;

o fieldwork with non-higher education institution stakeholders;

o reporting.

1.3.2 The desk-top element of the study involved reviewing the background documents as

well the Coleg’s main and ancillary web-sites and individual HEIs’ web-sites. This

document review provided the basis for the logic model shown at Annex 2, which is

intended to capture schematically the expected relationship between investments

made in the Welsh medium higher education system, the activities undertaken by the

Coleg and its partners and their expected effects, both short and long term. The

model also identified external factors which are likely either to help or to hinder the

achievement of the Coleg’s ambitions.


2

The logic model informed the development of a questioning framework and a series

of research instruments which were used to guide semi-structured interviews with a

range of different stakeholders. These instruments were agreed with HEFCW before

being used in the field.

1.3.3 We also reviewed a number of datasets appertaining to participation in Welsh

medium higher education over the period 2009/10 to 2012/13 and to various

schemes sponsored by the Coleg.

1.3.4 Our fieldwork at higher education institutions involved undertaking face to face

interviews with different types of stakeholders, either on a one to one basis or in

small groups. The tables set out at Annex 1 show the numbers of people from each

category interviewed at each institution, but all in all, we interviewed:

eight university Pro-Vice Chancellors or their Deputies1. Six of these

individuals sit on the Coleg’s Board of Directors;

16 heads of university departments or schools, or their Deputies;

seven Coleg branch chairs/vice chairs;

seven Coleg branch officers;

18 lecturers appointed under the Academic Staffing Scheme;

11 recipients of the Coleg’s doctoral level Research Scholarships;

21 recipients of Coleg undergraduate scholarships;

21 students undertaking some or all of their studies through the medium of

Welsh, though not receiving Coleg Scholarships;

eight Welsh speaking students not studying through the medium of Welsh.

1.3.5 Our fieldwork with students was undertaken between the Easter recess and the start

of the university examination period. It was recognised from the outset that this was

less than ideal timing and that it was likely to prove difficult to persuade students to

contribute. We are grateful to Coleg branch officers for the effort they made in

securing student input, but the number of student contributors was lower than we had

hoped and, given the method employed in recruiting students to talk to us, we

recognise the possibility of selection bias within the population interviewed.

1.3.6 Our fieldwork with stakeholders from outside the higher education sector involved our

undertaking face to face interviews with 18 individuals, as follows:

1 One individual HEI senior manager was interviewed over the telephone


3

five Welsh Government representatives;

three members of staff from HEFCW;

two individuals from the Welsh Language Commissioner’s Office;

the chair of the Coleg Board of Directors;

three ‘independent’ members of the Coleg Board of Directors (other than HEI

representatives);

the Coleg’s Chief Executive, Dean (who also sits on the Coleg’s Board of

Directors) and Registrar;

three other stakeholders.


4

2. BACKGROUND TO THE COLEG CYMRAEG CENEDLAETHOL

2.1 In this chapter, we consider the policy context for the Coleg. The chapter is divided

into two parts which look at:

the historical policy context leading up to the establishment and launch of the

Coleg;

key policy developments that occurred alongside and after the Coleg’s

establishment.

2.2 Historical policy context leading to the establishment of the Coleg

The Welsh Medium Provision Steering Group

2.2.1 In 2001 the HEFCW, alongside HEIs, began to provide support for a ‘small Welsh

Medium Teaching Development Unit’, located at the time within the University of

Wales, to work with the higher education sector in strengthening Welsh medium

provision2.Following on from this initial work, in 2003 HEFCW established a ‘Steering

Group for Welsh Medium Provision in Higher Education’3 to develop an initial ‘Welsh

Medium Provision in Higher Education Strategy’, with the aim of responding to the

Welsh Government’s aspirations to increase the number of students studying through

the medium of Welsh.

2.2.2 The Welsh Medium Provision in Higher Education Strategy, which was submitted to

the Welsh Government in October 20044, reiterated the statement made by the

Welsh Government in relation to Welsh medium higher education in its ‘Reaching

Higher’5 policy document, viz:

‘We [the then Welsh Assembly Government] are committed to working to make

bilingualism a reality in Wales . . . We want an HE sector which is responsive to

individuals including those who wish to pursue elements of their degrees

through the medium of Welsh. Over time it should be viewed as part of

mainstream provision covering a selection of courses and modules. We want

2 Source: HEFCW Website

3 Which was chaired by Andrew Green, who became the second chair of the Coleg Board of Directors in 2013

4 Steering Group for Welsh Medium Provision in Higher Education, July 2004, Strategy

5 Welsh Assembly Government, March 2002, Reaching Higher – Higher Education and the Learning Country – A

Strategy for the Higher Education Sector in Wales.


5

institutions to work flexibly and collaboratively to look at how they can meet

Welsh medium demand’6.

2.2.3 The Welsh Medium Provision in Higher Education Strategy also drew attention to the

specific target set out in Reaching Higher that:

‘The proportion of full-time and part-time students in Welsh higher and further

education institutions in Wales undertaking some element of their higher

education course through the medium of Welsh to increase from 3.4%

(2000/01) to 7% (2010/11)’7.

2.2.4 Based on this policy backdrop, the Strategy set out two strategic aims, which were to:

a) ‘set out measures and activities to support the higher education sector in

Wales and the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales in achieving the

Welsh Assembly Government's target in Reaching Higher’.

b) ‘set out actions to create a sustainable system for Welsh medium higher

education in the future’8.

2.2.5 The Strategy document made it clear that in order to achieve these two aims, a

‘number of inter-related timescales are required’ which were:

‘in the short-term: Programmes and changes which need to be introduced as

soon as possible to stimulate increases in the demand for, and supply of,

Welsh medium provision, and to create momentum and a positive sense of

progress;

in the medium-term: Programmes to enable short-term gains to be

consolidated and further progress made;

in the long-term: The systems and structures which need to be in place to

sustain an increased volume of high quality Welsh medium provision in the

future’9.

2.2.6 The Strategy also considered the nature of student demand and concluded that this

‘will always be varied’ and is likely to include a number of different ‘elements and

groups’. In terms of contextualising this demand, the strategy identified two key

groups:

6 Reaching Higher, p.15

7 Reaching Higher, p. 21

8 Steering Group for Welsh Medium Provision in Higher Education. Strategy. July 2004, p.6

9 Ibid. Page 6.


6

a ‘core of students who wish to study all or a substantial part of their courses

through the medium of Welsh’;

students who ‘wish or who could be encouraged to take specific elements or

modules of their course through the medium of Welsh’.

2.2.7 Within these categories, the Strategy recognised that:

the ‘needs of full-time students may differ from those of part-time students’;

and as such ‘it will be important that providers do not focus only on traditional

delivery of Welsh medium education’;

in some instances ‘it may be necessary to take account of whether students

are first or second language Welsh speakers and whether additional language

support is needed’;

the balance between the different categories of students will ‘be fluid and will

vary from institution to institution’;

there will be ‘concentrations and specialisms’ in particular institutions but

there should be an ‘emphasis on trying to create a system which makes

Welsh medium opportunities as accessible as possible to students’10.

2.2.8 In terms of stimulating demand for Welsh medium provision, the Welsh Medium

Provision in Higher Education Strategy acknowledged that ‘achieving a balance

between supply and demand, including latent demand can be difficult’. Crucially, the

document also recognised that on the one hand, students might become

‘disillusioned because of a lack of Welsh medium higher education provision’ but that

on the other, ‘new provision can fail because of insufficient take-up’. The Strategy

argued that ‘to break this vicious circle’ concerted action on both fronts would be

required, including:

promoting the opportunities and benefits of Welsh medium provision to

existing and prospective students;

influencing students at an earlier stage, particularly in schools so that ‘in a

context of investment in increasing the supply of provision, they can be

motivated to continue with Welsh medium education through to higher

education;

publicising the ‘needs of employers for bilingual staff’11.

10

Ibid, p.6 11

Ibid, p.7


7

2.2.9 In terms of staffing and institutional development (i.e. within HEIs), the Strategy noted

that ‘investment in developing new provision or stimulating demand will be in vain

unless there is strengthened staff capacity which can be maintained over the long

term’ and that ‘significant improvements can only be made by bringing new staff with

the ability to teach through the medium of Welsh into the sector’12.

2.2.10 Importantly, the Strategy recognised that, in the context of sustainability, institutions

would have to ‘commit to it [i.e. Welsh medium provision] as an essential and

mainstream part of their activity’13. It also made clear that in order to achieve the

Reaching Higher target, ‘substantial pump-priming funding’ would be needed but that

‘when such time-limited funding is withdrawn, there needs to be a sustainable

funding system in place which will allow gains to be consolidated and continued’14. It

needs to be remembered of course that the Steering Group’s work took place in a

very different financial climate to the one in existence almost 10 years later when the

Coleg was established.

2.2.11 The Strategy emphasised the importance of a ‘collaborative approach to the

development of Welsh medium provision’ and that this should go beyond working

together to ‘make effective use of funding’ but should also ‘bring together expertise

and skills from across the sector [to]…create strong networks for staff and

students’15.

2.2.12 The document also dealt with the issue of funding and noted a proposal at that time,

to submit a bid to the HEFCW Reconfiguration and Collaboration Fund to support,

inter alia, a Postgraduate Scholarship and Teaching Fellowship Scheme. The

Strategy noted that the bid included an options appraisal of possible delivery models

and the Steering Group’s preference that the model adopted should be collaborative

in nature.

2.2.13 Following on from the Welsh Medium Provision in Higher Education Strategy, funding

was made available from HEFCW’s Reconfiguration and Collaboration Fund and the

Welsh Medium Teaching Development Unit evolved into the Centre for Welsh

Medium Higher Education. Then, during 2006/07, HEFCW worked with the HE sector

12

Ibid, p.7 13

Ibid, p.7. 14

Ibid, p.7 15

Ibid, p.8


8

and Higher Education Wales (HEW) to establish a new strategic framework and

national development plan for Welsh medium provision.

The Coleg Ffederal Planning Board

2.2.14 The ‘One Wales’ agreement, which formed the basis of the 2007-2011 Assembly

Government’s programme, included a commitment to establish a ‘Coleg Ffederal’.

This commitment responded both to the demand, over a number of years, to

establish such a body, and to the developments, outlined above, which had taken

place since devolution. There was some ambiguity as to the precise nature of a

‘Coleg Ffederal’, however, and the then Welsh Assembly Government’s Minister for

Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills, therefore, announced the

establishment of a ‘Coleg Ffederal Planning Board’16 chaired by Professor Robin

Williams. The Board presented its report ‘Y Coleg Ffederal’ (also referred to as the

‘Robin Williams Report) in June 200917.

2.2.15 In its report, the Board recommended that the Coleg Ffederal should be taken

forward on the basis of:

a new, ‘independent legal entity with a Constitution, based on an appropriate

legal Memorandum’. The Coleg should ‘not be a single, geographical entity

and should not be a degree awarding body in its own right, but should work

with and through existing HEIs in Wales’ (the essence of the federal concept);

the Coleg’s mission being to ‘maintain, develop and oversee Welsh medium

higher education provision in Wales’;

HEIs in Wales ‘as a group…being the main stakeholder in the ownership of

the Coleg Ffederal’. The Board recommended that all HEIs should be

‘corporate members of the Coleg Ffederal and have representation on the

governing body’. It also recommended that ‘staff and students who participate

in Welsh medium teaching and learning may be members of the Coleg’;

the new Coleg building on and incorporating the activities of the Welsh

Medium Higher Education Sector Group and the Centre for Welsh Medium

Higher Education;

16

The Board was chaired by Professor Robin Williams, CBE, FRS 17

Professor Robin Williams, June 2009. Y Coleg Ffederal: Report to the Minister for Children, Lifelong Learning and Skills


9

funding from the Welsh Assembly Government and HEFCW being

‘channelled through the Coleg Ffederal including development funding for

HEIs receiving HEFCW funding for teaching’;

the Coleg being ‘run on a day-to-day basis by an executive, who need not be

large in number’ and that there ‘will be branches in the HEIs in Wales’;

as ‘much of the financial resource as possible’ being ‘directed towards

teaching and learning’;

a ‘recurrent stream of funding’ to enable the Coleg to achieve its goals18.

2.2.16 In its report, the Board went on to set out a series of ‘considerable benefits’ that the

new Coleg would bring to the ‘economic, cultural and social life of Wales’. These

envisioned benefits included:

providing a single and centrally governed organisation with responsibility for

‘maintaining, developing and overseeing’ Welsh medium higher education

provision and providing ‘unity of purpose, coherence and leadership via a

national strategy’;

ensuring ‘choice for prospective students’;

promoting and expanding ‘Welsh medium scholarship in a wide range of

disciplines’;

completing the ‘institutional system of Welsh medium education from nursery

to higher education’ with the further benefit of acting as a ‘stimulus for

increasing Welsh medium provision in secondary schools, tertiary colleges,

further education colleges and lifelong learning as well as increasing the

number of pupils/students undertaking that provision’;

being a ‘key element’ in the Welsh Assembly Government’s ‘national

language strategy’;

contributing to the development of a ‘professional, well-trained, highly skilled

and educated bilingual workforce to meet the needs of the Welsh economy’;

supporting and ‘reinforcing national identity and promoting the national life of

Wales’;

advancing the Welsh language and ‘promoting its public status’;

co-operating with external bodies to ‘promote various initiatives through

research and the provision of expertise to benefit society in Wales’;

18

Ibid, p.6


10

contributing to the ‘development of the Welsh language in the public and

private sectors by preparing graduates in a wide range of Welsh medium

disciplines’;

stimulating ‘career opportunities through the medium of Welsh and

strengthen[ing] the position of the Welsh language in current developments’19.

2.2.17 The Board’s report also set out that ‘the Coleg Ffederal would establish annual

targets for increased Welsh medium provision agreed with the Assembly

Government and HEFCW, following discussions with the HEIs’20.Specifically, the

report noted that in 2006/07 Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) data showed

that ‘the numbers of students in HEIs in Wales studying all or part of their course

through the medium of Welsh was 4,080, of which 2,735 were full time and 1,345

part time’. It went on to say that, at the time, this represented ‘around 3.1% of all

students in higher education in Wales’ and that of these 4,080 students, 3,760 were

Welsh-domiciled’, representing ‘around 5.1% of all Welsh domiciled students’. 21

2.2.18 Following on from this analysis, the Board set out the following statement in relation

to targets for increasing the number of Welsh-domiciled students studying at least

part of their HE course through the medium of Welsh:

‘the Board considers that the number of Welsh-domiciled students studying at

least part of their course in the HEIs through the medium of Welsh can be

increased by 50% over five years (i.e., from the 3,760 in 2006/07 to around

5,600), given appropriate commitment, drive and funding. It also considered that

an increase of 100% (i.e. to around 7,500) after ten years was a highly

challenging, but worthy aim. There should, however, be a full review of progress

after five years to inform the setting of future targets and funding and this review

should also cover the structure and operation of the Coleg. In the long term a

realistic aim would be to have provision in Welsh, all or in part, somewhere in

Wales in most subjects’22.

19

Ibid, p.7 20

Ibid, p.9 21

Ibid, p.9 22

Ibid, p.10


11

For our Future

2.2.19 In November 2009, the then Welsh Assembly Government published ‘For our Future:

The 21st Century Higher Education Strategy and Plan for Wales’23. In terms of Welsh

medium provision, For our Future noted that the Welsh Assembly Government

expected ‘higher education in Wales to be embedded more inherently within our

wider framework for lifelong learning’. The document went on to say that one of the

ways in which this was expected to be achieved was through ‘the establishment of Y

Coleg Ffederal to grow Welsh medium higher education, programme design and

learning support’ as part of this wider ‘transformation agenda’24.

2.2.20 Building on the Coleg Ffederal Planning Board’s report, For our Future stated that

‘The Coleg Ffederal model will provide an independent oversight, management, and

development of Welsh medium higher education across Wales’. It also explained

that the Coleg would ‘help deliver social justice for those who seek to learn through

the medium of Welsh’ but that it also ‘carries potential economic benefit through

wider access to workforce development, and business opportunities which exploit the

potential offered by a bilingual environment’25.

2.2.21 In taking forward this policy commitment, the Welsh Assembly Government explained

in For our Future that ‘HEFCW will be given a remit to implement this plan’ and that

one of the specific actions would be to ‘establish the Shadow Coleg Ffederal Board in

line with the recommendations made in Professor Robin Williams’ report, with a view

to commencing operations in 2010’26. The Shadow Coleg Ffederal Board was

established in late 2009, and charged with drawing up an implementation plan for the

new organisation. As a result of the Shadow Board’s deliberations, the name ‘Coleg

Cymraeg Cenedlaethol’ was adopted in place of ‘Coleg Ffederal’, a more complex

constitutional and legal framework was adopted (which was subsequently approved

by all Welsh HEIs), and an Academic Board (not mentioned in Professor Williams’

Report) was established. This process took longer than initially expected so that the

Coleg was eventually established in 2011 rather than in 2010 as originally envisaged.

23

Welsh Government, November 2009, For Our Future: The 21st

Century Higher Education Strategy and Plan for Wales 24

Ibid, p.4 25

Ibid, p.14 26

Ibid, p.19


12

Welsh-medium Education Strategy

2.2.22 In April 2010, the Welsh Government published its Welsh-medium Education

Strategy (WMES)27. The vision contained in the WMES was to:

‘Have an education and training system that responds in a planned way to the

growing demand for Welsh-medium education, reaches out to and reflects our

diverse communities and enables an increase in the number of people of all

ages and backgrounds who are fluent in Welsh and able to use the language

with their families, in their communities and in the workplace’28.

2.2.23 In terms of higher education specifically, the WMES outlined that:

‘Linguistic progression in Welsh first language and in opportunities to study

Welsh-medium options from age 14 through to higher education is a priority. In

higher education, while there have been some significant developments in

recent years, there is considerable variation in the Welsh-medium provision

offered both between institutions and across subjects. In some cases, there is

the opportunity to undertake all or substantial parts of a course through the

medium of Welsh, and in others it may be limited to part of a module, such as

seminars or tutorial support’29.

2.2.24 Strategic aim 2 of the WMES set out ‘to improve the planning of Welsh-medium

provision in the post-14 phases of education and training, to take account of linguistic

progression and continued development of skills’30. Sitting beneath this aim, the

WMES concluded that ‘there needs to be effective progression into, and further

development of, Welsh-medium course options in higher education’ and that

‘proactive planning on the basis of improving access to Welsh-medium and bilingual

provision should be a guiding principle’31.

2.2.25 Two of the strategic objectives (under aim 2) of the WMES are specifically relevant to

the Coleg:

Strategic Objective 2.6: to ‘Encourage partnership working between the

higher education sector (including the planned Coleg Ffederal) and the post-

27

Welsh Government, April 2010, Welsh-medium Education Strategy 28

Ibid, p.4 29

Ibid, p.6 30

Ibid, p.14 31

Ibid, p.14


13

16 sector on effective progression pathways for learners from post-16

provision into Welsh-medium higher education’32;

Strategic Objective 2.7: to ‘Improve the planning of pathways for Welsh-

medium progression into and within higher education, both in academic

subject areas and in priority vocational areas’33.

2.2.26 The WMES stressed the importance of progression and in the context of higher-level

learners, pointed out that ‘the successful implementation of the strategy needs a

sufficient supply of university graduates in Welsh, coming from a pool of learners who

have studied A level Welsh’.

HEFCW Corporate Strategy 2010-11 – 2012-13

2.2.27 HEFCW’s Corporate Strategy (2010-11 - 2012-13)34 was developed following the

publication of For our Future, which made the commitment to establish the Coleg.

The Corporate Strategy made two direct references to the Coleg, which were that:

‘The contribution of higher education to Welsh culture will be significantly

increased through the major development of Welsh medium education which

will result from the establishment of the Coleg Ffederal’35;

‘During the period of the strategy, we [HEFCW] will work to establish the

Coleg Ffederal to extend the range of Welsh medium provision’36.

2.2.28 In terms of ‘student experience’, the Corporate Strategy committed HEFCW to

‘enable study through the medium of Welsh to take place in a wider range of

programmes and locations in Wales’37.

2.2.29 In order to measure progress against this commitment, HEFCW’s Corporate Strategy

also made a direct reference to the ‘target’ set out in the Robin Williams report,

stating that:

‘The number of Welsh domiciled students at Welsh higher education institutions

and further education institutions undertaking some element of their course

32

Ibid, p.15 33

Ibid, p15 34

Higher Education Funding Council for Wales, 2011, Corporate Strategy 2010-11 – 2012-13 35

Ibid, p.1 36

Ibid, p.12 37

Ibid, p.13


14

through the medium of Welsh will rise from 4,667 in 2008/09 to 5,600 in

2012/13’38.

2.3 Policy Developments since the establishment of the Coleg

The ‘Browne Report’ and Tuition Fees Policy in Wales

2.3.1 On the 12th October 2010, the UK Government’s Department for Business,

Innovation and Skills published an independent review of higher education funding

and student finance, known as the ‘Browne Report’39. On the same day as it was

published, the then Welsh Assembly Government’s Minister for Children, Education

and Lifelong Learning made an oral statement in response to the Browne Review40.

The statement noted that:

‘Lord Browne’s report recommends the removal of the tuition fee cap in

England, allowing fees to rise to £6,000 or even higher; greater competition

between higher education institutions in England for students; the removal of

public subsidy for courses other than priority courses, meaning that higher

education institution income will principally be dependent on student numbers,

and there will be cuts in public spending on higher education in England

accordingly; changes to student support arrangements, including for part-time

students; and changes to the bodies regulating higher education in England,

two of which are cross-border’41.

and that:

‘The One Wales Government does not believe in full-cost or near full-cost fees.

We question the long-term sustainability of Lord Browne’s approach in a world

where higher education institutions in Europe are offering high-quality courses

through the medium of English at low or no fees’42.

38

Ibid, p.13. The target was also repeated in Annex A of the document. 39

Securing a Sustainable Future for Higher Education. An Independent Review of Higher Education Funding & Student Support. 12 October 2010. The Review was chaired by Lord Browne of Madingley, FRS, FRENG 40

See: http://wales.gov.uk/about/cabinet/cabinetstatements/2010/101012hes/?lang=en 41

Ibid, p.1 42

Ibid, p.3

http://wales.gov.uk/about/cabinet/cabinetstatements/2010/101012hes/?lang=en


15

2.3.2 Following this initial response, the Minister then made an oral statement to the

National Assembly on 30 November 201043. In it, he said that:

‘I am announcing today that we propose the following: basic tuition fees in

Wales will increase to £6,000 per annum from the academic year 2012-13 and

higher education institutions will be able to charge tuition fees up to £9,000 per

annum, provided that they can demonstrate a commitment to widening access

and other strategic objectives through fee plans approved by the Higher

Education Funding Council for Wales in line with its corporate strategy

announced in June this year; the income repayment threshold for student loans

will increase from £15,000 to £21,000, and variable progressive rates of interest

charged depending on income; part-time students will be able to access a

tuition fee loan depending on the level of intensity of their course; and to help

control the total cost of higher education to the Assembly Government’s budget

there will continue to be a cap on the number of publicly-funded student places

in Wales. The intention is that the changes proposed would be introduced with

effect from 2012-13 for new students only’.

2.3.3 The Minister also said that:

‘Welsh-domiciled students will pay no more in 2012-13 than they would have done

if fees were not being increased to those levels. From 2012-13, Welsh-domiciled

students will continue to be eligible for subsidised loans to meet the cost of fees

up to the current level. However, the Welsh Assembly Government will also

provide a non-means-tested tuition fee waiver or grant for the balance over and

above current fee levels. This grant will be payable through HEFCW on behalf of

Welsh-domiciled students wherever they study. In other words, the increase in

fees for Welsh-domiciled students, whether they study in England or Wales or

Scotland or Northern Ireland, will be paid by the Welsh Assembly Government.

Welsh-domiciled students will not have to find either £6,000 or £9,000 to study.

The public purse will continue to subsidise higher education for Welsh-domiciled

students’.

and that:

‘We will pay for this by top-slicing the HEFCW teaching grant. However, Welsh

higher education institutions will still enjoy a higher level of teaching grant

support than institutions in England. The Browne report proposed an 80 per

43

See: http://www.assemblywales.org/bus-home/bus-chamber/bus-chamber-third-assembly-rop.htm?act=dis&id=204497&ds=11/2010#dat2

http://www.assemblywales.org/bus-home/bus-chamber/bus-chamber-third-assembly-rop.htm?act=dis&id=204497&ds=11/2010#dat2

http://www.assemblywales.org/bus-home/bus-chamber/bus-chamber-third-assembly-rop.htm?act=dis&id=204497&ds=11/2010#dat2


16

cent cut in the university teaching grant in England, which appeared to be

confirmed in the CSR. In Wales, the teaching grant will be reduced by only 35

per cent. The income of Welsh higher education institutions will be at least the

same in real terms in 2016-17 as it will be in 2012-13’.

2.3.4 This fundamental shift towards the payment of tuition fees means that the level of

funding available to HEFCW for other priorities has diminished. This includes funding

to support a ‘Welsh medium premium’ which HEFCW has paid to universities over a

number of years in recognition of additional costs associated with the delivery of

Welsh medium provision. Quite simply, Welsh medium modules cost more to deliver

per student than comparable English medium modules, primarily because of the

smaller numbers participating in Welsh medium provision and HEIs’ resultant inability

to realise economies of scale. Indeed, London Economics (2006) estimated that the

‘additional cost of provision in both languages is around 25%’ and that the ‘break-

even’ point in terms of the numbers of students per module might be ‘in the range 16-

20 students’.44 The Welsh medium premium essentially served to level the playing

field by addressing the inbuilt disincentive attached to the delivery of more expensive

Welsh medium provision.

2.3.5 As a consequence of the diminution of teaching grant funding, HEFCW has been

forced progressively to withdraw the Welsh medium premium in respect of full-time

undergraduate students45, as evidenced in HEFCW’s submission to the National

Assembly for Wales’ Finance Committee’s Inquiry into Higher Education Funding:

‘The requirement to meet the costs of the tuition fee grant is now the first call

on the HEFCW budget. This has meant that we have had to significantly

reduce or completely withdraw a number of funding lines which previously

provided targeted support for specific areas of Welsh Government policy. The

funding lines which have been withdrawn include…support for the additional

costs of Welsh medium provision (Welsh medium premium around £1.5m in

2011/12)’46.

44

London Economics, June 2006, Study of the Costs of Provision Through the Medium of Welsh in Higher Education Institutions in Wales 45

Final payments will be made in respect of full-time undergraduate students completing their courses in 2014/15 46

See: http://www.senedd.assemblywales.org/documents/s21847/FIN4-21-13p2.html?CT=2

http://www.senedd.assemblywales.org/documents/s21847/FIN4-21-13p2.html?CT=2


17

HEFCW Fee Plan Guidance

2.3.6 It could be argued that the withdrawal of the Welsh medium premium undermines the

Welsh Government’s ambition to increase the volume of Welsh medium provision on

offer. However, since the introduction of the tuition fee grant, HEFCW has required

higher education institutions in Wales to submit annual ‘fee plans’ setting out ‘the

additional investment they will make in support of equality of opportunity and the

promotion of higher education, and the objectives they will set to secure these

outcomes’. Fee plans essentially represent a key mechanism by which HEFCW can

bring pressure to bear on institutions to support Welsh Government policies. Within

the context of ‘equality and sustainability’ considerations, successive fee plan

guidance circulars have indicated that HEFCW will take into account ‘the impact of

[HEIs’] policies on the Welsh language, and Welsh language provision’.47 Specific

reference to Welsh medium provision was made for the first time in Appendix B to the

2014/15 guidance circular and institutions were asked to set out targets for the

numbers of students undertaking five and 40 credits or more through the medium of

Welsh.

Priorities set out in HEFCW Remit Letters of relevance to the Coleg

2.3.7 In its Remit Letter for 2011-2012, the Welsh Government tasked HEFCW with the

following in relation to the Coleg:

‘Increasing the availability of, and participation in, Welsh medium higher

education remains a Welsh Assembly Government priority. I am pleased with

the progress achieved to date with Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol. I look to the

Council to ensure that the necessary arrangements are in place to permit the

launch of the Coleg in April, prior to its becoming operational in September

2011’48.

2.3.8 In its Remit Letter for 2012-2013, the Welsh Government made the following

statements in relation to the Coleg:

‘I would like the Council to continue to focus on the delivery of subjects of

strategic importance…[including] the delivery of Welsh medium learning and

47

See for example, HEFCW, April 2011, Fee Plan Guidance 2012/13 48

Higher Education Council for Wales Remit Letter 2011-2012


18

the disciplines of what might be called Welsh studies, including the study of

Welsh history and literature, culture, society and politics in both languages’49;

‘I am pleased to see that the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol is now well-

established. I expect the Council to continue to undertake its role in funding

and monitoring the Coleg’s activity, including its management of the Welsh

language scholarship schemes’;

‘I expect the Council to continue to monitor progress made towards its

Corporate Strategy target of increasing the number of Welsh domiciled

students undertaking some element of their course through the medium of

Welsh and take appropriate action where necessary’;

‘As on-line learning becomes an increasingly popular mode of study, I expect

the Council to work with the Coleg to increase the availability and accessibility

of Welsh medium e-learning resources. Consideration should be given to the

most efficient and effective means of delivery taking account of the latest

technological developments, the capacity of platforms and the needs of

learners’.

2.3.9 In its Remit Letter for 2013-2014, the Welsh Government noted that ‘the Coleg

Cymraeg Cenedlaethol has moved forward considerably during 2012-13 with the

publication of the Academic Plan, the funding of more lecturers and the development

of the Welsh Language Skills Certificate’ and that the Minister expected HEFCW to

do the following:

continue to fund and monitor the Coleg’s activity, including its management of

the Welsh language scholarship schemes;

undertake an evaluation of the outcome of the Coleg’s activities, including a

review of the funding provided to the Coleg;

develop a revised target for the number of students undertaking some of their

course through the medium of Welsh;

ensure that the Coleg works closely with the post-16 sector to further develop

clear continuity paths from Welsh-medium post-16 education in sixth forms

and colleges to higher education, particularly in more vocational subjects;

work closely with the Coleg, Welsh Government and associated working

groups as they seek to ensure that Wales can develop its own research base

and intelligence in the use and development of technology and digital media.

The Council’s aim should be to support the Welsh language as outlined in the

49

Higher Education Council for Wales Remit Letter 2012-13


19

Welsh Language Strategy ‘A living language: a language for living’

recognising also that the language-economy agenda is vitally important;

consider with key partners the implications of introducing a specific Welsh-

medium entry requirement for ITT50 and the impact that it might have on both

the quality of applicant entering and Welsh medium teacher supply in terms of

take-up of Welsh medium places should a statutory requirement be

introduced.

2.3.10 In its Remit Letter for 2014-2015, the Welsh Government tasked HEFCW with the

following in relation to the Coleg:

‘Continue your role in funding and monitoring the Coleg's activity, including its

management of the Welsh language scholarship schemes, and supporting the

Welsh language as outlined in the Welsh Language Strategy ‘A living language:

a language for living’.

and:

‘Through the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol (Welsh medium):

a) consider with key partners the detailed implications and consequences of

introducing a specific Welsh-medium entry requirement for ITT and the impact

that it might have on both the quality of applicants entering and Welsh

medium teacher supply in terms of take-up of Welsh medium places should a

statutory requirement be introduced; and

b) facilitate with key partners the development and implementation of a pan-

Wales Welsh language ITT competence certificate with the aim of award to all

prospective teachers who wish to teach through the medium of Welsh.

HEFCW Corporate Strategy 2013-14 – 2015-16

2.3.11 In its Corporate Strategy document for the period 2013-14 – 2015-1651, HEFCW

noted under the heading of student experience that:

‘Welsh medium provision continues to be a key priority for the Welsh

Government including in higher education. During the period of the strategy, we

have seen the establishment of the new Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol, which is

50

Initial Teacher Training 51

Higher Education Funding Council for Wales. Corporate Strategy 2013-14 – 2015-16


20

a virtual college working with universities to plan and promote Welsh medium

provision’52.

that:

‘This development is helping to extend the supply of Welsh medium provision

but this has yet to impact on the numbers of students studying some element of

their course through the medium of Welsh and forecasts indicate that our target

will not be met’53.

and that:

‘We [HEFCW] will continue to support Y Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol to extend

the range of Welsh medium provision and increase student participation in Welsh

medium higher education, including in more vocational subjects. During the period

of the strategy we will undertake an evaluation of the outcome of the activities of Y

Coleg’54.

2.3.12 In terms of the ‘target’ relating to Welsh medium provision within higher education, it

is notable in the 2013/14 – 2015/16 Corporate Plan that the target (referred to as

target T6) had changed somewhat to:

‘The number of students studying higher education courses at higher education

institutions and further education institutions in Wales undertaking at least 5

credits of their course through the medium of Welsh, per annum, will rise from

4,335 in 2011/12 to 5,600 in 2015/16, including a rise from 2,269 to 3,030 in the

number of those studying at least 40 credits per annum’55.

This subtle change in the target was made, following discussions and in agreement

with the Coleg, in order to ensure that provision contained a sufficient level of Welsh

medium content to render it meaningful. We deal in further detail with this target and

progress made against it later on in this report.

52

Ibid, p.6 53

Ibid, p.6 54

Ibid, p.15 55

Ibid, p.16


21

Welsh Government Policy Statement on Higher Education

2.3.13 The Welsh Government’s policy statement on higher education was published in

June 2013. One of the main headings contained within the policy statement related to

‘Widening access to higher education’56 and in this context the statement made it

clear that widening access initiatives (amongst other things) would need to ‘promote

and increase progression opportunities to Welsh-medium HE opportunities’57.

2.3.14 The statement also spelled out that:

‘In addition to improving access and progression routes, specific activities which

would benefit from a more coherent regional planning framework include the

transfer of knowledge, Welsh-medium provision, sharing of good practice and

actions to address higher-level skills gaps and promote business

development’58.

2.3.15 The statement also contained a specific heading on Welsh-medium education which

included the ‘key message’ that:

‘The Welsh Government’s vision is to see the Welsh language thriving in Wales.

Higher education providers have a key part to play in making that vision a

reality. Through the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol, the Welsh Government will

continue to support the development of Welsh-medium higher education and a

confident bilingual Wales’59.

2.3.16 The statement went on to explain that the establishment of the ‘Coleg Cymraeg

Cenedlaethol in 2011 has been an important step in the continued development of

Welsh-medium higher education’ and that the ‘Coleg has made significant progress

since it was established’60. Moreover, it stated that following the launch of its first

Academic Plan (in September 2012), ‘the Coleg and higher education institutions in

Wales’ will ‘make a very substantial contribution to the goal…of creating a confident

bilingual Wales’61.

56

Ibid. p.15 57

Ibid, p.16 58

Ibid, p.19 59

Ibid, p.30 60

Ibid, p.31 61

Ibid, p.31


22

2.3.17 Going forward, and of specific relevance to the work of the Coleg, the policy

statement made the clear recommendation that:

‘Closer links now need to be forged with schools and the FE sector in order to

enhance progression into higher education and to underpin the Welsh Medium

Education Strategy’62.

2.3.18 More broadly on tuition fee policy, the statement explained that ‘the Welsh

Government has set a clear strategy in terms of tuition fees and support – the higher

education funding and tuition fee support policies introduced in 2012–13 will remain

in place at least until the end of the current Assembly term’63.

Welsh Government Policy Statement on Skills

2.3.19 In January 2014, the Welsh Government released a policy statement on skills64. The

remit of the policy statement covered ‘the post-19 element of further education,

higher education, work based learning, elements of adult community learning, the

post-19 commitments of our Youth engagement and progression framework and

future employment and skills support for employers and individuals’65.Of relevance to

the Coleg, the statement said that:

‘In 2011 we established Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol which, by 2012, had

launched its first academic plan to create a confident bilingual Wales. Our

Welsh-medium Education Strategy, launched in April 2010, sets out how we

intend to strengthen Welsh-medium provision and highlights the importance of

effective progression pathways for learners into Welsh-medium higher

education and training’66.

Balancing the responsibilities for skills investment: proposals for co-

investment in post-19 adult skills delivery

2.3.20 In February 2014, the Welsh Government issued a consultation document67 leading

on from the launch of its Policy statement on Skills (30th January 2014). The aim of

62

Ibid, p.31. Bold emphasis carried over from the Policy Statement itself. 63

Ibid, p.34 64

Welsh Government, January 2014, Policy Statement on Skills

65 Ibid, p.2

66 Ibid, p.11

67 Welsh Government, February 2014, Balancing the responsibilities for skills investment: proposals for co-

investment in post-19 adult skills delivery


23

the consultation was to provide further context for how co-investment between

government, employers and, in some cases, individuals will be implemented in Wales

and to seek the views of key stakeholders and employers on such arrangements.

2.3.21 Of potential relevance to the work of the Coleg, the consultation document sought

views on the following point:

‘The recent UK Employer Skills Survey recognised oral and written Welsh

language Skills gaps among the workforce (although these were not as

common as issues with other skills such as planning and organisation skills).

We want to ensure that, where possible, individuals are supported to utilise

these skills in the workplace. As such we are considering the benefits of

waiving or limiting the level of co-investment required from employers

depending on the qualification being undertaken and its impact on the Welsh

language’68.

Higher Education (Wales) Bill

2.3.22 The Welsh Government has acknowledged that ‘HEFCW’s influence over the higher

education sector through conditions attached to the recurrent grant allocated to

institutions will reduce over time as a significantly greater proportion of institutions’

funding is derived from tuition fees.’69 Nevertheless, it still considers that institutions

‘which benefit from a degree of financial subsidy in the form of statutory student fee

loans or grants should be expected to make a contribution to the wider public good’.70

As a result, the Welsh Government is seeking ‘provision for HEFCW to have

regulatory oversight of all higher education courses automatically designated for

statutory student support delivered in Wales’.71 Current proposals would empower

HEFCW to ‘direct’ institutions ‘to spend a specified amount of [their] fee income on

access and outreach activities’.72

2.3.23 These proposals are framed in terms of providing ‘fair access’ to higher education

and specifically mentions ‘changes to the existing widening access premium under

68

Ibid, p.8 69 Welsh Government, May 2013, Consultation Document: Higher Education (Wales) Bill: Welsh Government

response to the higher education proposals of the FE and HE (Wales) Bill White Paper, and further technical

consultation, p.13 70

Ibid, p.19 71

Ibid, p.13 72

Ibid, p.35


24

HEFCW’s revised funding arrangements’.73 The proposals make no specific

reference to Welsh medium provision or to changes to the Welsh medium premium,

possibly suggesting that the increased emphasis upon Welsh medium provision seen

in recent fee plans might not feature quite so prominently in future.

Review of Higher Education Funding and Student Finance Arrangements in

Wales

2.3.24 In November 2013, the Welsh Government’s Minister for Education and Skills asked

Professor Sir Ian Diamond to chair a Panel which will Review of Higher Education

Funding and Student Finance arrangements in Wales.

2.3.25 The Panel’s report will be published by September 2016. The Review will focus on:

The promotion of social mobility and widening access to higher education;

The promotion of postgraduate learning opportunities in Wales and for Welsh

domiciled students;

The funding of higher education (HE) in the light of continuing constraints on

public expenditure;

Full-time and part-time tuition fees policy;

Cross-border HE funding policy and arrangements;

Student finance arrangements (including maintenance support for HE and

further education (FE) students, with an emphasis on supporting learners from

the lowest income backgrounds and most deprived communities in Wales);

Funding routes (AME74, near cash and non cash);

The Higher Education Funding Council Wales’ role in the delivery of student

finance; and

Student debt.

73

Ibid, p.36 74

Annual Managed Expenditure: refers to the way in which loans issued to students are recorded in the government’s accounts


25

3. AN INTRODUCTION TO THE COLEG CYMRAEG

CENDLAETHOL

3.1 In this chapter we provide an introduction to the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol

in terms of:

its aims and themes that emerge from its Strategic Plan;

the targets set for and by the Coleg;

the Coleg’s revenue and expenditure;

its constitution;

its staffing structure.

3.2 COLEG AIMS

3.2.1 The ‘main aims’ of the Coleg are set out in its first Strategic Plan, which was

published soon after its formation in April 2011. Those aims are:

to advance learning and knowledge in line with its constitution, by promoting,

maintaining, developing and overseeing Welsh medium provision in higher

education in Wales, working with and through higher education institutions in

Wales75;

as a centrally governed body, which takes an overview of all Welsh medium

provision, to provide unity of purpose, cohesion and leadership through a

national strategy;

to create a permanent and robust structure, on a national basis, to secure full

status for the Welsh language as a medium of teaching and research within

the universities;

to enrich, deepen and broaden the provision for students, stimulating and

responding to demand from students and thereby increasing the numbers of

students studying through the medium of Welsh;

collaborating with other national bodies in order to contribute to the social,

economic and cultural life of Wales’76.

75

This aim echoes the ‘objects’ of the limited company as set out in clause 4 of the Articles of Association 76

Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol, Strategic Plan 2011/12 – 2013/14, (preface)


26

3.2.2 The Strategic Plan goes on to identify eight ‘key themes’ which form the basis of a

number of ‘strategic aims’ for the period 2011/12 to 2013/14. These are summarised

at Annex 3, but can be summarised as:

1. ‘Academic Planning’77 in order to increase ‘the number of Welsh medium

study routes on an all-Wales basis’. The 12 strategic aims identified under this

theme revolve around developing a national academic plan, in conjunction

with HEIs, to underpin the Coleg’s investment. This section of the Strategic

Plan introduces for the first time targets relating to the proportion of Welsh

medium content within undergraduate courses and emphasises the

importance of postgraduate and doctoral level provision. It also sets a target

for the appointment of academic staff funded by the Coleg;

2. ‘Students’78 or increasing ‘the number of students studying through the

medium of Welsh’. This theme gives rise to 10 strategic aims, the first of

which acknowledges the importance of meeting targets set by the Welsh

Government in respect of the numbers participating in Welsh medium higher

education. It also talks about promoting the advantages of a Welsh medium

higher education and sets targets for the award of ‘incentive scholarships’.

Strategic aims relating to Coleg membership, the branch network and student

involvement in Coleg committees are also presented under this theme;

3. ‘Skills for the Workplace’79 or planning strategically to ‘meet the demand for

bilingual skills in the workplace’. This theme gives rise to five strategic aims to

do with promoting ‘the value of Welsh language and bilingual skills for

employment’, supporting relevant students to develop work related language

skills, promoting training in Welsh language skills and introducing a means of

accrediting such skills;

4. ‘Enhancing the Student Experience’80 or being ‘innovative in the use of

information and communication technologies to enrich the student experience

and the quality of education’. The six strategic aims presented under this

theme revolve around developing and making accessible a range of new and

existing study support resources via the Coleg’s Virtual Learning

Environment, Y Porth. The need to make use of ‘technological possibilities’ to

share ‘academic expertise … across institutions’ is also highlighted.

77

This is the heading used in the Coleg’s 2012/13 Annual Report 78

Again, this heading is taken from the Coleg’s 2012/13 Annual Report 79

Taken from the Coleg’s 2012/13 Annual Report 80

Taken from the Coleg’s 2012/13 Annual Report


27

5. ‘Teaching and Research’81 or appointing ‘educators and researchers of the

highest standard’ and promoting and developing ‘scholarship, research and

publishing through the medium of Welsh’. This theme gives rise to 10

strategic aims and sets specific targets relating to the funding of

‘Postgraduate Research Scholarships’ and ‘new academic posts’. It

emphasises the importance of appointing ‘lecturers of the highest quality’ and

providing academic staff with on-going development opportunities, including

‘an appropriate qualification for university teaching’. It also deals with

arrangements for the publication of academic volumes and for the

establishment of an Academic Board to advise on academic matters;

6. Collaboration or leading on the implementation of Welsh Government Welsh

language related strategies within the higher education sector. This theme

gives rise to six strategic objectives to do with ‘progression between and

within different educational sectors’, Initial Teacher Training and working with

stakeholders, including Reaching Wider partnerships, to ‘promote and

increase Welsh medium provision across all educational sectors’;

7. ‘Marketing and Promotion’82 developing effective collaboration with

branches and partners and effective communication with the Welsh

community more widely in order to further the aims of the Coleg. Nine

strategic aims are presented under this theme, largely dealing with the

Coleg’s communications strategy’ and its use of websites and ‘alternative

communication methods’;

8. Governance and Management: ‘providing a working environment that allows

all who are associated with the Coleg to develop and fulfil their potential’. This

theme gives rise to eight strategic aims which revolve around the Coleg’s

governance and its relationship with staff and stakeholders.

3.2.3 Crucially, the Strategic Plan argues that ‘the Welsh language cannot take its rightful

place in academic life and in university education until the provision and choice for

students is substantially broadened to correspond to the patterns already established

in other educational sectors, including primary and secondary schools. The task

facing the Coleg is a long term one and the results of these efforts will not be fully

realised in the short term’.83

81



Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol, Strategic Plan 2011/12 – 2013/14, (p.6)


28

3.2.4 It should be noted at this point that the Coleg has prepared a new Strategic Plan for

the period 2014/15 to 2016/17. The final draft of this Plan was approved by the Coleg

Board of Directors in June 2014.

3.3 TARGETS

3.3.1 The Strategic Plan 2011/12 to 2013/14 acknowledges ‘the importance of firm targets

for increasing the numbers of students studying through the medium of Welsh’. It

goes on to say that ‘the Coleg will respond positively to such targets set by the Welsh

Government and the Funding Council, and where necessary will set its own targets

for individual academic subjects and individual institutions’84.

3.3.2 Various documents refer to targets that the Coleg needs to meet. Annex 4 sets out

national level quantitative targets and identifies the documents in which they are set.

In some cases, targets have not been quantified, though measures have been

agreed in principle e.g. those set-out in the Academic Plan, which form the basis for

targets at a subject level within subject plans.

3.3.3 The targets set in Professor Robin Williams’ report assumed a 2007 baseline.

However, given that it took some time to actually establish the Coleg after the

recommendations were made, HEFCW adopted the targets recommended by

Williams as the 2011 baseline. The targets set for the Coleg, therefore, cover five

years from 2011 to 2016.

3.3.4 As indicated above, a new Strategic Plan has recently been developed and contains

new targets for the period to 2016/17. It is also notable that subject plans set targets

for 2019/20, essentially acknowledging that the development of a wide range of

sustainable Welsh-medium provision is a long term endeavour.

3.4 COLEG REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE

3.4.1 The Coleg is principally funded by HEFCW. Annual grant letters issued by HEFCW

set out the amounts to be made available to the Coleg but also make it clear that

HEFCW may not be able to sustain the level of grant made available, given other

84

Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol, Strategic Plan 2011/12 – 2013/14, p.6


29

financial pressures. Successive grant letters also state that ‘HEFCW anticipates that

the Coleg will seek income from other sources’85. In this context, it is probably worth

saying that as a promoter and facilitator of Welsh medium higher education, the

Coleg cannot realistically be expected to generate significant sums of external

funding. Whilst there is scope for the Coleg to attract some funding at the margins

(see paragraph 3.4.5 below), it is difficult to see how it can generate larger sums

without essentially competing with its member HEIs.

3.4.2 Table 3.1 below shows the funding awarded by HEFCW to the Coleg each year since

its establishment, though in practice, the amounts drawn down by the Coleg in

respect of Scholarship Schemes have fallen short of the funding awarded.

Table 3.1: Coleg Funding from HEFCW

Funding period Funding

line

WMHEC

grant

balance

Funding

Line

main Coleg

grant

Scholarship

Schemes

Total

April 2011 – July 2011 £21,161 £1,315,000 £1,336,161

August 2011 – July 2012 £4,143,549 £130,000 £4,273,549

August 2012 - July 2013 £5,303,549 £230,000 £5,533,549

August 2013 - July 2014 £6,495,549 £330,000 £6,825,549

August 2014 – July 2015 £7,643,549 £330,000 £7,973,549

3.4.3 The small grant of £21,161 represented the balance of money owing to the Coleg’s

predecessor body, the Centre for Welsh Medium Higher Education, when the Coleg

was first established in 2011. The Coleg’s 2011 audited accounts also indicate that

balances held by the Centre for Welsh Medium Higher Education were transferred to

the Coleg on 31 March 2012 when it inherited the Centre’s assets and

responsibilities.

3.4.4 Funding for the Coleg’s scholarship schemes is made available by virtue of a

separate agreement between the Welsh Government and HEFCW on the basis that

HEFCW does not have powers to support students directly. Scholarship scheme

funding does not, therefore, form part of the Coleg’s main grant from HEFCW, but is

essentially ring-fenced for the provision of scholarships and cannot be diverted to

other purposes.

85

HEFCW Funding Agreement 2013/14 item 3.2, p.5


30

3.4.5 In addition to the revenue derived from HEFCW, the Coleg attracts £99,000 per

annum from HEIs in respect of ‘subscriptions’ and £12,000 per annum from Natural

Resources Wales in respect of scholarships. More recently, the Coleg has been

awarded a grant by the Wikimedia Foundation to support a ‘Wikipedian in Residence’

for six months.

3.4.6 Table 3.2 shows how the Coleg has invested its funding over the last three years. It

can be seen that the cost of the Academic Staffing Scheme increased substantially

between 2011/12 and 2012/13, as more staff were appointed. This figure will

continue to increase until 2015/16 when the planned 100 (FTE) lecturers will have

been appointed and some early appointments draw towards the end of the initial five

year funding period.

Table 3.2: Coleg Expenditure by Year

2010/1186

£000

2011/12

£000

2012/13

£000

Academic staffing scheme 1107 2296

Teaching Fellowships 311 132

Research Scholarships 713 406

Projects 775 564

Branches 345 362

Activities in universities 405 3,251 3,760

National activities 453 617 775

Coleg staffing costs 190 693 866

Governance costs 10 25 24

Total 1,058 4,586 5,425

3.4.7 Staffing costs represent 16% of expenditure in 2012/13 compared to 15% in 2011/12.

Staffing costs are approved by the Coleg’s Board on an annual basis.

3.5 CONSTITUTION

3.5.1 The Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol was established as a company limited by

guarantee in March 2011 and has also been granted charitable status. The

organisation is governed by a Board of Directors/Trustees which comprises the

Chair, representatives of six higher education institutions and six ‘stakeholder

86

Five months to 31 July 2011


31

members’ which include a representative of Welsh medium teaching staff, a student

representative and four independent members87.

3.5.2 A 2013 review of the Board’s performance88 found that:

the business dealt with during Board meetings had evolved over the Coleg’s

first two years in existence, ‘as the Coleg itself developed’;

there was ‘healthy cooperation between directors and also between the Board

and the management team’;

Members of the Coleg Board of Directors were committed to the Coleg’s aims

and strategy and felt able to ‘express opinions and offer ideas in order to

improving performance’;

whilst directors generally understood the Board’s role, more work was needed

to ensure that they fully understood their legal responsibilities;

directors were content that risk assessment processes and the Board’s

‘appetite’ for risk were appropriate;

there was a need for ‘one extended meeting’ each year to ‘consider strategy’

and allow for a ‘training session’.

3.5.3 A number of other stakeholders attend Coleg Board of Directors meetings in an

executive capacity or as observers.

3.5.4 The Coleg has four categories of membership:

prospective students: who benefit from being members by receiving

information about Coleg activities and by being eligible to apply for Coleg lead

and incentive scholarships;

university students: who benefit by having access to a range of learning

resources and opportunities to participate in collaborative provision via Y Porth.

Student members also receive information about postgraduate scholarships,

events, work experience opportunities and are eligible to apply for Coleg

Masters Level Scholarships and Postgraduate Research Scholarships;

university staff: who benefit by being able to apply for funding via the Coleg’s

Projects and Strategic Developments Fund, receive information about funding

opportunities e.g. via the Postgraduate Research Scholarships Scheme and

the Staffing Plan, have access to learning and teaching resources via Y Porth

87

There are currently three independent members 88

Wyn Mears Cyfathrebu a Hyfforddi, 2013, Bwrdd Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol Cymru: Hunanwerthusiad


32

and receive information about training and Coleg activities e.g. research

conferences;

associate members of Cymdeithas Cyfeillion y Coleg: who generally join in

order to show their support for the Coleg and its work.

3.5.5 Membership has grown steadily since the establishment of the Coleg, as shown in

Table 3.3.

Table 3.3: Coleg Membership

Membership Category July 2012 July 2013 June 2014

Prospective students 455 c. 90089 1,727

Students 1,228 1,600 2,116

Staff 552 750 818

Friends 68 c. 120 177

Total 2303 c. 3,370 4,838

3.6 STAFFING ARRANGEMENTS

3.6.1 The Coleg employs a total of 24 core staff, equivalent to 21.8 FTEs. The core team is

based in Carmarthen, whilst the organisation has a small team at its office in Cardiff.

The team has grown somewhat since the creation of the Coleg and a couple of

stakeholders felt that there should be no further increase in staffing levels,

particularly given Professor Robin Williams’ recommendation that the executive ‘need

not be large in number’.

3.6.2 The Coleg operates a branch structure, with branches at each Welsh HEI apart from

Glyndŵr University, reflecting a decision on that university’s part not to set up a

formal branch at this stage. The purpose of the Coleg branches is to help in

planning, promoting and overseeing the activities of the Coleg within individual

institutions. The nature of each branch varies, depending on local circumstances and

branch staff are all employees of their host institutions rather than the Coleg.

89

Approximate figures only provided


33

Figure 3.1: Coleg’s staffing structure

3.6.3 As mentioned above, the Coleg’s staffing costs increased from 15% of expenditure in

2011/12 to 16% in 2012/13. Given the increase in expenditure over that period,

however, this actually represented a 25% increase in staffing costs, reflecting a

growth in workload as the Coleg put its plans into action. Overall in 2012/13, the

Coleg managed some £212,829 of expenditure for every member of staff it

employed.

3.6.4 Given the unique nature of the Coleg and its mission it is difficult to identify other

organisations which might reasonably provide benchmarks in terms of management

structures and costs. Possibilities might include:

Expenditure

in 2012/13

Number of

staff

Expenditure

managed per

member of

staff

The Equality Challenge Unit (ECU),

which exists ‘to further and support

£1.55

million90 91

21.65 (full

time

£71,594

90

Higher Education Funding Council for England, October 2013, Equality Challenge Unit 2013 Progress Review, p.2

Chief Executive

Senior Academic Manager and

Registrar

Information Services Manager

E-learning and Web Developer

Technology and E-learning

Development Officer

Senior Finance Officer

Work Placement and Partnerships

Development Officer

Senior Academic Manager and Board

Secretary

Projects Development Officer

0.8

Board Secretary Support Officer

0.5

Chief Language Tutor 0.6

Language Tutor

0.5

Senior Academic and Staff

Development Manager

Academic Development Officer

Academic and Projects

Development Officer

Work Placement and Academic Staff

Development Officer

Editor

Senior Manager: Corporate Affairs

and Human Resources

Communications Manager

Marketing and Communications

Development Officer

Marketing and Communications

Development Officer

0.6

Office Manager

Information and Data Development Officer

0.8

Administrative Officer


34

equality and diversity for staff and

students’ in HE across the UK. The

ECU is funded by higher education

funding councils (including HEFCW)

and devolved government

departments.

equivalent)92

The office of the Welsh Language

Commissioner (WLC), which exists ‘to

promote and facilitate use of the

Welsh language’, including ‘raising

awareness of the official status of the

Welsh language in Wales and by

imposing standards on organisations’.

£3.57

million93

45.28 staff94 £78,843

91

This is the figure given for the ECU’s income for the year: £1.25m core funding plus £300k other income 92

Ibid 93

Welsh Language Commissioner, 2013, Annual Accounts 2012-13, p.40 94

Welsh Language Commissioner, 2013, Annual Accounts 2012-13, p.5


35

4. MEASURES INTENDED TO DEVELOP THE SUPPLY SIDE:

DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING ACADEMIC AND

SUBJECT PLANS

4.1 In this chapter, we first consider the content of the Coleg’s Academic and subject

plans (section 4.2) before discussing the planning process employed by the Coleg

and stakeholders’ views of the plans put in place. Finally, we present various targets

set for and by the Coleg (section 4.3).

4.2 ACADEMIC AND SUBJECT PLANS

4.2.1 In September 2012, the Coleg published its Academic Plan, building on the 2011/12

– 2013/14 Strategic Plan. The Academic Plan sets out how the Coleg, working with

HEIs, intends to ‘strengthen provision that is already in place, and to develop new

provision in new locations and/or disciplines’95. The Academic Plan recognises ‘four

key themes that are core to planning the provision’96:

I. Innovative Learning of the Highest Quality: this theme emphasises:

the importance of ensuring the quality of Welsh medium provision, whilst

acknowledging that responsibility for quality assurance processes for

individual modules and courses lies with universities;

the importance of ‘educational collaboration at inter-institutional and inter-

disciplinary level’;

the role to be played by ‘a national e-learning platform’ (Y Porth) in

facilitating collaborative provision;

the need for ‘learning spaces for collaborative provision’ within institutions;

the importance of promoting ‘a first rate Welsh-medium research culture

which gives rise to internationally recognised publications in Welsh’. The link

is made with the recognition of such publications within the Research

Excellence Framework (REF) and ‘the further mainstreaming of Welsh-

medium developments in the activities of the universities’;

the need for ‘a range of appropriate texts in Welsh’ to ‘reinforce the provision

and enrich the student experience’;

95

Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol: Academic Plan (2012), (p.5) 96

Ibid, (p.5)


36

the importance of training, both in terms of pedagogical and research skills;

II. Sustainability: the Coleg makes ‘clear that its objective is to create a

sustainable basis for Welsh-medium higher education that will endure for a

generation and longer’97. In this context, the Academic Plan notes:

the need for ‘a sufficient number of academic staff’ to ‘maintain the quality

and range’ of provision. The document suggests that ‘it is neither

sustainable nor consistent with best academic practice for a

school/department to offer a subject broadly through the medium of Welsh

(e.g. at least 80 credits per year) unless at least four members of academic

staff are involved in the provision’;

the need to ‘plan to develop and expand the workforce of prospective

Welsh-medium lecturers’ and to ‘identify Welsh-medium staff outside Wales

who could contribute in some way to developments’;

the need for HEIs themselves to invest in Welsh-medium provision and the

importance of striking an appropriate ‘balance between Coleg investment

and university investment’ in specific disciplines;

the need to ‘designate the number of institutions that should offer provision

in individual fields’;

that student numbers in some disciplines will remain low and that provision

in such cases may be on ‘a different model (e.g. self-directed learning

packages)’;

the ‘need to ensure sustainable progression for students within the

university’ and to plan postgraduate provision at a national level;

III. Employability and Society: this theme emphasises:

the need for subject plans (see below) to address ‘employability and the

relevance of the provision developed to the needs of the economy’;

the need for the Coleg to build relationships with employers in order to

understand their needs and in order to facilitate work experience

opportunities for scholarship students;

the importance of ‘a recognised qualification to enable students to prove to

prospective employers their linguistic proficiency and level of Welsh

language skills’;

97

Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol: Academic Plan (2012), (p.8)


37

IV. Partnership with students: this theme notes:

the importance of student involvement in the Coleg’s strategic and academic

planning processes;

the need to build student membership of the Coleg;

the need to stimulate demand for Welsh-medium higher education through

putting relevant provision in place and through marketing at both a national

and institutional level;

the Coleg’s expectation that the Welsh Government’s Welsh-medium

Education Strategy will ‘bear fruit’ in terms of ‘a further surge in student

numbers wishing to study through the medium of Welsh’;

the potential role of access courses, foundation degrees, part time and work

based provision in attracting students wishing to pursue courses in Welsh;

the need for ‘close collaboration’ with UCAS and ensuring that ‘students and

parents [are given] full opportunities to deal with UCAS in Welsh’;

the importance of ‘support services in developing an effective environment

to study through the medium of Welsh’ and in supporting students ‘whose

Welsh is less secure’;

the need for ‘language awareness’ provision, particularly for Health and

Social Sciences; Tourism, Leisure and Business students.

4.2.2 The Academic Plan sets out a framework for determining appropriate locations for

Welsh medium provision. Three factors are considered, viz:

I. Students: ‘the numbers of fluent Welsh speaking students studying the subject

at a specific location as well as the number of students who are members of the

Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol’;

II. Staff: ‘number of full time permanent staff who are contributing/will contribute to

the provision and how many other staff contribute to the teaching’;

III. Institutional Commitment: ‘whether offering the subject is within the university’s

Welsh-medium strategy, and provide details about the university’s investment in

Welsh-medium teaching in the field’.


38

4.2.3 The document notes that ‘there needs to be further consideration of the best way to

measure these elements while recognising the very different contexts of various

disciplines and institutions’.98 However, it sets out seven guiding principles for the

development of subject plans and quantifies them as follows:

‘At locations99 that offer full provision (120 credits) or provision that qualifies for

the Coleg’s Lead Scholarships – at least 10 students in a typical year fluent in

Welsh and members of the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol, and at least four

members of staff (FTE) contributing to the provision, including at least one

permanent member of staff;

At locations that offer at least 40 credits a year – at least 6 students in each

regular year fluent in Welsh and members of the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol,

and at least two members of staff contributing to the provision, including at least

one permanent member of staff;

For subjects which have very small numbers (one location) – that a clear plan be

agreed with the designated university, with clear and realistic aims consistent

with the need to ensure best value for money;

For locations that wish to offer provision which is less than 40 credits, where

provision already exists elsewhere, clear evidence of institutional investment and

commitment; and evidence of regular demand from students (even at a low

level)’100.

4.2.4 The Academic Plan sets out ‘specific aims’ for Welsh-medium provision across 33

subjects/disciplines (see Annex 5) in terms of the number of locations at which

provision should be made available, the intensity of undergraduate provision and the

spatial level at which postgraduate provision should be planned.

4.2.5 In June 2012, the Coleg invited HEIs to provide information about the Welsh-medium

provision they already offered and the provision that they were committed to

providing in the future101. This represented the start of the subject planning process

and provided discussion material for ‘subject panels’ in coming up with subject plans.

98

Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol, 2012, Academic Plan, p.19 99

It is noted that some ‘locations’ extend over more than one university in this case. There are already

some cases of joint development between institutions where it is intended that one group of staff teach Welsh-medium students across different institutions. 100

Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol, 2012, Academic Plan, p.21 101

Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol, June 2012, Circular 11/12: Academic Planning by subject area


39

4.2.6 Thus far, 19 subject plans have been approved, each one setting out:

a brief overview of Welsh-medium provision in the subject area /discipline;

a note of the nature of Welsh-medium provision offered at each relevant

institution, the number of staff involved in its delivery and the number of students

fluent in Welsh pursuing the discipline, whether through the medium of Welsh or

English at each institution;

the subjects which existing students of the discipline under consideration

typically studied prior to embarking on higher education;

a discussion of employer demand for graduates with Welsh language skills in the

disciplines under consideration;

whether or not foundation degree or part time provision exists;

institutions’ ambitions/intentions in terms of the depth and breadth of provision to

be offered and the numbers of staff involved in delivery (whether funded by the

institutions or by the Coleg)

the number of Coleg scholarships previously awarded to students of the

particular discipline under consideration;

a discussion of post-graduate provision, both historical and future;

opportunities for ‘national and collaborative’ provision;

the amount invested by the Coleg in the baseline year;

priorities for investment;

overall targets for 2016/17 and 2019/20 in terms of the numbers of students

pursuing specific numbers of credit through Welsh, the numbers of staff teaching

in Welsh, the locations where Welsh medium provision is to be offered, the

numbers of foundation and postgraduate level courses offered;

the amounts invested via different Coleg funding streams (e.g. scholarships,

staffing scheme) in successive years.

4.2.7 Whilst each subject plan identifies priorities for investment, they also make clear that

the Coleg lacks the resources to meet every priority identified and that, as a

consequence, emphasis will be put upon those priorities which ‘are most likely to

contribute to achieving the Coleg’s targets in terms of extending and enriching

provision and increasing the numbers of students’.


40

4.3 THE PLANNING PROCESS

4.3.1 The Coleg’s Academic Plan was developed by an Academic Board established in

2011. The Board comprises representatives of each ‘member’ institution, academics

from selected disciplines (who are appointed by the Coleg for their expertise),

representatives of Further Education Institutions and student representatives from

across Wales. Stakeholders felt that the inclusive nature of the Academic Board and

the consultative approach taken to developing the Academic Plan had resulted in a

document to which institutions could subscribe and which provided a useful starting

point for more detailed subject plans. Members of the Coleg Board of Directors and

other stakeholders alike echoed the statement made in the foreword to the Academic

Plan that this is ‘the first time that any institution in the field of higher education has

planned Welsh-medium provision at a national level’102.

4.3.2 Several contributors said that the Coleg has succeeded in bringing about a genuine

desire and commitment among senior figures within Wales’ higher education

institutions to improve the supply of Welsh medium provision and increase the

numbers studying through the medium of Welsh. Particular praise was bestowed

upon the Dean and Coleg officers for the ‘energy’, ‘enthusiasm’ and ‘openness’ with

which they have approached universities and there was a widespread feeling among

contributors that the Coleg has, in a relatively short time, established itself as ‘a body

that can look across universities, can see where the need is and has the money to do

something about that need’.

4.3.3 Institutions were invited to contribute to the more detailed work of developing subject

plans. Whilst the Coleg coordinated background information to populate subject plan

templates (drawing upon information received from institutions about their existing

and planned Welsh medium provision), subject panels were made up of university

staff (including those sponsored under the Coleg’s Staffing and Research

Scholarship schemes), students and in some cases, external stakeholders103.

4.3.4 Contributors who were involved in subject panels generally found the process useful

in that it gave them the opportunity to ‘stand back’ and better understand the nature

of Welsh medium provision already in place and the challenges faced in planning a

coherent and sustainable pattern of Welsh medium provision for the future. Indeed,

102

Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol, 2012, Academic Plan, Foreword 103

Several subject panels actually existed before the Coleg was established and these were harnessed for the purposes of subject planning


41

one contributor said that involvement of staff in subject panels had ‘forced the

individual departments within the university to think strategically about what they’re

doing’ in relation to Welsh medium provision. It was felt that involvement in subject

panels also helped develop relationships between staff from different institutions and

strengthened some individuals’ sense of belonging to a wider Welsh medium higher

education community. Whilst members were generally positive about subject panels,

some felt that they could turn into ‘talking shops’ rather than decision making fora on

occasion. One contributor felt that there is a ‘disconnect’ and a lack of

communication between some subject panels and the Academic Board. The Coleg

was, nevertheless, able to introduce an element of national planning by virtue of the

fact that it was able to make available funding to enable the expansion of provision.

4.3.5 It was recognised by Members of the Coleg Board of Directors and Coleg officers

that the subject planning process represented ‘a compromise’ between working

towards a national vision for Welsh medium higher education on the one hand, and

accommodating individual institutions’ capabilities and ambitions on the other. This

was inevitable given the situation inherited by the Coleg, whereby each institution

already offered some Welsh medium provision (albeit that the nature, breadth and

depth of that provision varied significantly) and that the Coleg is ‘totally dependent

upon universities’ to enable it to implement its plans. As one external stakeholder put

it, the Coleg had focused (rightly, in his view) on ‘tackling the art of the possible’ in its

first few years of existence. However, it was clear from our discussions with

stakeholders that the relationship between national and institutional planning has

‘matured significantly’ since the creation of the Coleg, with several acknowledging

that ‘it’s a matter which is now discussed at a senior level … and there are

institutional strategies in place’. Nevertheless, stakeholders were clear that the sum

of the institutional strategies does not, at this stage, amount to a national strategy. It

was argued, however, that this is not peculiar to Welsh medium provision in that ‘it’s

just difficult to plan a national academic strategy when each institution has its own

strategy … we’ve moved away from a world where it was possible to do that’,

particularly since the advent of the Fees Policy.

4.3.6 Hitherto, subject plans have focused primarily on extending and deepening Welsh

medium provision. This means that whilst it has by no means supported every

proposal put forward by institutions, the Coleg has not been particularly directive in

terms of the places where particular types of provision should be delivered. Few

subject plans make express statements about the number of institutions at which it


42

should be possible to sustain significant levels of provision, for example, which

arguably means that the Coleg has not yet addressed the practical implications of the

competition that exists between institutions for the relatively small pool of potential

Welsh medium students. Members of the Coleg Board of Directors and Coleg officers

acknowledged that in moving forward, the Coleg may need to target its support more

carefully in order to build sustainable provision in a more limited number of locations

on the basis that ‘you can’t do everything everywhere’. In this context, it is worth

noting that all subject plans will be subject to a formal review process, which will

include discussing patterns of provision across different institutions. The review

process will be operational from the 2014/15 academic year.

4.4 TARGETS

4.4.1 Members of the Coleg Board of Directors and Coleg officers were acutely aware of

the need to meet various targets, not least the overarching target set in Professor

Robin Williams’ report. However, they also recognised the inherent tension between

striving to meet student number targets and the need for the Coleg to:

increase the range of Welsh medium provision on offer beyond well-established

routes such as Music, History and Education;

make provision available in subject areas where demand is currently limited, but

where labour market intelligence suggests that Welsh language skills are needed

within the workforce. Examples include Healthcare disciplines and Business;

invest in subject areas where demand is currently limited (for both Welsh and

English medium provision), but which reflect Welsh Government priorities for

Wales’ economic development. Examples include Modern Foreign Languages

and Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) subjects;

ensure that the provision on offer is of sufficient depth and intensity to allow

students to undertake a sufficient proportion of their learning through the medium

of Welsh to allow them to develop the language skills needed in the workplace;

invest in the long term sustainability of provision.

4.4.2 Whilst the Board is committed to working towards the headline 2015/16 student

number target, members acknowledged that it is possible that it will not be met.

However, both members of the Coleg Board of Directors and other stakeholders

questioned the veracity of this target on the basis of:


43

the reliability of data relating to Welsh medium provision in previous years, with

the implication that this may have been overstated;

assumptions made at the time of setting the target that the Welsh-medium

Education Strategy would increase the throughput of students demanding Welsh

medium provision. This has yet to happen in practice;

flawed assumptions about how quickly provision could be put in place and

student demand stimulated;

the impact of maximum fee grant arrangements on institutional recruitment

efforts within Wales;

restrictions on recruitment onto Initial Teacher Training courses and the absence

of targets in respect of the number/proportion of trainee teachers who should be

studying through the medium of Welsh.

4.4.3 Stakeholders also questioned the reliability of data relating to student participation in

very limited (5 credits or less) elements of Welsh medium provision, particularly since

the introduction of the new funding method and the gradual removal of the Welsh

medium premium, which at least provided some motivation for institutions to record

such participation.

4.4.4 The Coleg’s Academic Plan introduced a number of more specific targets to be used

as ‘key benchmarks to measure the progress’ made. These targets relate to the

availability of and participation in provision of 40, 80 and 120 credits’ worth of Welsh

medium content each year. This effectively raised the bar in terms of the depth of

Welsh medium content within courses and signalled the Coleg’s intention to move

beyond the targets previously set for the number of students undertaking ‘some’ of

their courses or ‘five credits’ through the medium of Welsh. It was argued by one HE

representative that these more definite and challenging targets ‘provide institutions

with a means of structuring their thinking in relation to Welsh medium higher

education’, with the 40 credit target very much seen as a ‘baseline benchmark’ which

defines what Welsh medium provision actually is. The same contributor was anxious

to add, however, that provision involving fewer than 40 credits ‘is better than nothing’.

4.4.5 Of course, these more challenging targets are very much in keeping with the spirit of

Welsh Government policy that students should have the right to study in Welsh,

should they choose. However, stakeholders, including members of the Coleg Board


44

of Directors and Coleg officers, recognised that in many subject areas, it will still not

be possible to pursue whole degree courses through Welsh in the foreseeable future.

4.4.6 Table 4.1 below summarises the main provision and student participation related

targets set by various stakeholders. The provision related targets indicate an

expectation on the Coleg’s part (informed by institutions and subject panels) of a

modest overall growth in Welsh medium provision over the next six years.

4.4.7 The situation in relation to participation targets is a little more complicated, reflecting

the way in which targets have evolved since the single target set in Professor Robin

Williams’ 2009 report. Of particular note is that:

the sum of the student participation targets set in institutions’ fee plans for

2014/15, as agreed by HEFCW, falls some 10% short of the 2015/16 target set

in HEFCW’s Corporate Strategy for 2013-16104;

the sum of the student participation targets set in institutions’ fee plans for

2014/15 falls almost 20% short of the sum of the targets set in the subject plans

already agreed by the Coleg. Whilst some of this difference might be attributable

to the slight change in the wording of the target from ‘at least part’ of courses to

‘at least 5 credits’ through the medium of Welsh, the change is unlikely to

represent the whole difference. It is also notable that some subject plans have

yet to be agreed, suggesting that the gap between the fee plans target and

subject plans targets is likely to widen;

the sum of the targets for students undertaking at least 40 credits through the

medium of Welsh set in institutions’ fee plans for 2015/16 exceeds the sum of

the targets set in the subject plans agreed by the Coleg by some 47%.

Agreement of further subject plans, for example Welsh, Education Studies and

Initial Teacher Training, will narrow the gap significantly, such that the fee plans

and Subject plans are broadly consistent.

4.4.8 Historically, differences between targets set in institutions’ fees plans and in the

Coleg’s subject plans (which were of course informed by figures provided by

institutions) may have suggested a disconnect in the planning and target setting

process at an institutional level. Over the last year, however, a greater degree of

consistency has emerged between institutions’ fee plans and the Coleg’s subject

104

We understand that targets set in institutions’ 2015/16 fee plans, excluding that of the Open University, amount to 96% of the target set in HEFCW’s 2013-16 Corporate Strategy, although we have not had sight of these documents


45

plans. In this context, it is notable that the Coleg does provide HEFCW with

‘projections’ to inform negotiations with HEIs surrounding their fee plans, thus

enabling HEFCW to ‘push institutions’ to bring their Welsh medium targets in line with

Coleg expectations. Beyond this, the Coleg plays no part in the process of approving

fee plans, other than to offering ‘comments on the targets after they’ve been

presented’.

Table 4.1: Main Provision and Participation Targets Set

Source 2011/12 Base-line

2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 2019/20

Provision Related Targets

The number of undergraduate locations/subjects where it is possible to study 80 or more credits a year through the medium of Welsh

CCC Subject Plans

24 29

The number of undergraduate locations/subjects where it is possible to study at least 40 credits a year through the medium of Welsh

CCC Subject Plans

50 58

The number of foundation degrees offered where at least one third of the degree is through the medium of Welsh

CCC Subject Plans

13 18

The number of postgraduate subjects where master’s degrees are offered with at least half of the degree through the medium of Welsh

CCC Subject Plans

17 17


46

Source 2011/12 Base-line

2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 2019/20

Participation Related Targets

Number of students studying at least part of their course through the medium of Welsh

2013/14 Fees Plans

4,931

105

CCC Subject

Plans106

6,257 6,475

Number of students undertaking at least 5 credits through the medium of Welsh per annum

2014/15 Fees Plans

4,259

HEFCW107

5,600

2014/15 Fees Plans

5,038

108

The number of students studying a significant proportion of their course through the medium of Welsh (at least 40 credits each year)

2014/15 Fees Plans

1,744109

2,646

HEFCW110

3,030

CCC Subject

Plans

2,856 3,200

The number of students studying two-thirds or more of their course through the medium of Welsh (at least 80 credits a year)

CCC Subject

Plans

1,814

2,000

The number of students studying their entire degree course (120 credits a year) through the medium of Welsh

CCC Subject

Plans

1,342

1,500

105

This figure excludes Glyndŵr University, for which no figures were given 106

Including Subject plans that have been agreed by subject panels, but are awaiting final approval from the Academic Board. 107

This target is drawn from HEFCW’s Corporate Strategy for 2013-16 and has featured in HEFCW’s 2013/14 and 2014/15 Grant Letters. It represents a slight adaptation of the target set by Professor Robin Williams 108

Excepting that of Glyndŵr University for which no figures were given 109

This figure excludes figures for Glyndŵr University and the University of Wales Trinity Saint David as no baseline figures were given in these institutions’ 2014/15 fees plans 110

This target is drawn from HEFCW’s Corporate Strategy for 2013-16 and has featured in HEFCW’s 2013/14 and 2014/15 Grant Letters. It represents a slight adaptation of the target set by Professor Robin Williams


47

5. MEASURES INTENDED TO DEVELOP THE SUPPLY SIDE:

DEVELOPING WELSH MEDIUM SCHOLARSHIP

5.1 In this chapter, we consider measures taken by the Coleg to develop Welsh medium

scholarship. We consider the Coleg’s Research Scholarship Scheme (section 5.2.),

the Coleg’s research skills training programme (section 5.3), conferences and learner

events supported by the Coleg (section 5.4) and Gwerddon, the Coleg’s research

journal (section 5.5).

5.2 RESEARCH SCHOLARSHIP SCHEME

5.2.1 The Coleg’s Research Scholarships are awarded to individuals studying for a

doctorate, either entirely or largely through the medium of Welsh. Research

Scholarships provide three years’ funding to cover ‘standard institutional fees’, a

‘maintenance grant’ for Scholarship holders and funding ‘to support fieldwork and/or

laboratory work, attending conferences or contributing towards other research costs’.

They are equivalent in value to ‘postgraduate scholarships awarded by the Research

Councils’111.

5.2.2 The purpose of the Research Scholarship Scheme is to attract ‘the most brilliant and

enthusiastic graduates’ to become ‘part of a wider community of people working

through the medium of Welsh within the higher education sector’ and to promote and

develop ‘scholarship, research and publishing through the medium of Welsh’. Welsh

medium scholarship is seen as a key underpinning component of a credible, well

respected and sustainable Welsh medium higher education community. Over time,

the Research Scholarship Scheme is expected to increase the supply of highly

qualified academic staff working through the medium of Welsh.

5.2.3 Since the establishment of the Coleg, 39 Research Scholarships have been awarded

(including 10 in 2014/15). In addition, the Coleg has continued to fund 14

scholarships awarded by its predecessor body, the Centre for Welsh Medium Higher

Education. Scholars to whom we spoke were clear that they would not have pursued

doctoral level studies through the medium of Welsh were it not for the Research

Scholarships. Figure 5.1 below shows the number of awards made by the Coleg to

research students at each institution.

111

Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol, September 2013, Circular 13/02: Research Scholarships Scheme 2014/15, p.4


48

Figure 5.1: Research Scholarship Awards by Institution112

5.2.4 Over 30% of awards have been made to Scholars based at Bangor University and

20% to individuals based at Aberystwyth University. This reflects the fact that these

two institutions had an established tradition of Welsh medium scholarship and were

better placed than others to build upon that from the outset. Scholars from Cardiff

University represented another 20% of the awards made, in this case, reflecting the

institution’s research intensity. Two awards have been made each to research

students at Cardiff Metropolitan University, the University of South Wales and the

University of Wales Trinity Saint David.

5.2.5 Competition for Research scholarships has intensified over the last two years or so,

with the number of applications now outstripping the number of Scholarships

awarded. Over the past four years, scholarships have been awarded across a range

of disciplines, as illustrated in Table 5.1.

Table 5.1: Research Scholarships Awarded by Subject Area/ Discipline and Year

112

Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol data

2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 Total

The A

rts a

nd

Hum

anitie

s

Welsh and Celtic Studies 1

1 2 4

11

History, Welsh History, the Classics and Archaeology

1 1

Theology and Religious Studies

1

1

Creative Industries 2

1 3 Education and Childhood Studies

1

1

2


49

Socia

l a

nd E

con

om

ic

Scie

nces

Law 1

1

11

Politics

1 1

2

Philosophy

1

1

Sociology and Social Policy 1 1

2

Journalism

1

1

Sports Sciences

1 1 2

Business Studies 1 1

2

He

alth

Scie

nces a

nd

So

cia

l C

are

Psychology 1

1 2

4 Nursing and Midwifery 1

1

Medicine

1 1

Health Professions

0

Scie

nces

Geography 1 2

3

13

Computing/Computer Sciences

1 1

Mathematics and Physics 1

1 2

Engineering

2

2

Biological and Biochemical Sciences

1 1 1 3

Environmental and Agricultural Sciences

1

1

2

Total

11 8 10 10 39

5.2.6 Institutions are required to set out a detailed case for Research Scholarships,

including how recipients will contribute to particular subject plans. The expectation is

that Scholarship holders will write their doctoral theses in Welsh113, though it is

accepted that there are circumstances where this may not be practicable, e.g. where

wider research teams work in English or where it is impossible to find external

examiners capable of working in Welsh114. Even where it is agreed that theses need

not be written in Welsh, Scholarship holders are still expected to publish in Welsh as

far as possible and certainly to teach/supervise Welsh medium under and post-

graduate students, up to a maximum of five hours per week in the second and third

years of the Scholarship. Academic schools/ departments are expected to provide

the Coleg with annual reports on the progress made by Scholarship holders.

113

See Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol, Research Scholarships Scheme 2014/15 Circular 13/02, September 2013 114

This is not withstanding that students have the right to submit theses in Welsh and it is the institution’s responsibility to translate if, all other avenues having been exhausted, there is no Welsh-speaking external examiner available

2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 Total


50

5.2.7 A number of stakeholders said that it is ‘absolutely critical’ that Welsh medium

researchers, as well as Welsh medium teaching staff are developed. Individual

contributors argued that:

‘the ignorant view … there’s an assumption that teachers just teach … but

where does the content come from that they’re delivering … the answer is from

cutting edge research. If the Coleg wants Welsh academia to be excellent and

wants to facilitate excellent higher education teaching, then it has to support

research’;

‘PhD scholars are particularly important to Welsh medium provision because it

feeds back into provision’;

‘it’s about commissioning research that helps our courses keep vibrant, current

and relevant’.

5.2.8 Several contributors spoke of the quality of appointments made and their confidence

that Research Scholarship holders would help to enrich Welsh medium higher

education. Indeed, it was argued that some Research Scholars have already

developed ‘an international profile’ and have shown others in academia ‘that it is

possible to discuss subjects through the medium of Welsh’. Nevertheless, an

academic contributor from one institution spoke of difficulties in attracting candidates

of the quality sought, with the requisite Welsh language skills for a Research

Scholarship it had to offer.

5.2.9 Some felt that those awarded Research Scholarships have ‘become role models’

within their schools and will, in time, ‘inspire future generations’ of scholars to work

through the medium of Welsh or bilingually. It was also said that the appointment of

Research Scholars has helped to create a ‘career focus … and create a collegiate

feeling’ among some Welsh medium academics, which it was argued ‘spreads to

students’.

5.2.10 As already suggested, the Coleg’s Research Scholarship Scheme is, to some extent,

seen as a means of ‘developing new blood’ to take up lecturing posts, including those

funded via the Academic Staffing Scheme. Indeed, a number of those awarded

Research Scholarships by the Centre for Welsh Medium Higher Education (prior to

the establishment of the Coleg)115 have been taken on by their alma-maters as

lecturers or post-doctoral researchers with some teaching responsibilities, and it was

115

Scholars supported by the Coleg have yet to complete their research


51

recognised that ‘a number of the people appointed … would not be in post were it not

for that earlier investment’. Some Scholarships have been awarded with succession

in mind, for example, where academics who currently teach through the medium of

Welsh are approaching retirement. However, there is no guarantee of academic

posts at the conclusion of Scholarship holders’ doctoral research studies and it is

important to stress that institutions were clear that appointments to post-doctoral

posts are made entirely on merit. As one head of school said ‘the importance of REF

to the school means that it would not indulge in positive discrimination in order to

appoint Welsh speaking staff’.

5.2.11 It is notable, however, that some contributors spoke of difficulties in providing

Research Scholarship holders with teaching opportunities ‘because there are so few

undergraduate students doing their courses in Welsh’ and, in some cases, because

lecturers funded under the Coleg’s Academic Staffing Scheme essentially meet such

demand as there currently is for Welsh medium provision at particular institutions. On

a related note, a handful of contributors spoke of the difficulties which individuals who

complete doctorates in science subjects have in securing teaching posts without first

undertaking an element of post-doctoral research ‘because, post-docs are the norm’.

It was argued that consideration should be given by the Coleg to funding a small

number of ‘fellowships that sit between the Scholarships and Lectureships’ in science

subjects in particular. Indeed, the Coleg has indicated its intention, subject to

funding, to introduce a ‘supplementary scheme’ from October 2016 to help

institutions ‘to bridge the gap between the Research Scholarships and full-time

lectureships’116.

5.3 RESEARCH SKILLS TRAINING

5.3.1 Research Scholarship holders are required to participate in the Coleg’s Research

Skills Programme in order to develop their ‘skills as educators and researchers, and

to promote their employability so that they can compete for academic positions at the

end of their studies’117. The Research Skills Programme involves ‘a minimum of 14

two-hour training workshops during the scholarship’s first year, and seven training

116

Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol, September 2013, Circular 13/02: Research Scholarships Scheme 2014/15, p.5 117

http://www.colegcymraeg.ac.uk/en/ourwork/researchskills/


52

workshops in each of the following two years, as well as attending the Coleg’s annual

research conference during each year of the scholarship’118.

5.3.2 All but one of the Research Scholarship holders to whom we spoke had participated

in the Coleg’s Research Skills Programme. Contributors were very positive about the

training they had received, describing it as ‘excellent’ and ‘very useful’. However, one

Scholarship holder felt that the Coleg’s Research Skills Programme ‘is geared up

more for those studying humanities subjects than scientists’ and was under the

impression that the Coleg’s training ‘isn’t compulsory for people doing PhDs in the

sciences’. In this context, some contributors noted that their own institutions also

offer research skills training and there was a suggestion that there is an element of

overlap between these and the Coleg’s Research Skills Programme. However, in-

house research training offered by institutions is almost exclusively delivered in

English and does not deal with the professional skills needed to work through the

medium of Welsh. Training of this kind undertaken by contributors seemed to be very

context specific, for example, ‘SPSS119 … and on-going training in the lab’.

5.3.3 Contributors felt that the Coleg’s Research Skills Programme had helped them in

developing knowledge of legislative aspects of research and skills such as reading,

archiving, referencing and ‘trans-languaging’120. Several contributors also spoke of

the benefits of ‘residential’ experiences, including the Coleg’s annual research

conference, in terms of providing participants with the opportunity to ‘immerse’

themselves in a Welsh medium environment and to ‘network’ with other Research

Scholarship holders from across Wales. Research Scholarship holders spoke of

feeling part of a wider community of Welsh medium researchers as a result of

meeting others in similar positions to themselves.

5.3.4 Research Students did not think that much could be done to improve the Coleg’s

Research Skills Programme, though it was suggested that a session on ‘effective

interviewing’ as an element of qualitative research might be useful. One contributor

also noted that it becomes increasingly difficult to identify sessions of

interest/relevance to Scholarship holders in their second and third years, which can

make it challenging to attend the prescribed number of sessions.

118

Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol, September 2013, Circular 13/02: Research Scholarships Scheme 2014/15, p.6 119

SPSS is a data analysis tool commonly used in quantitative research 120

This is the term used to describe conveying the meaning of text presented in one language in another language without translating literally or sticking slavishly to the original i.e. translating idiomatically whilst also contextualising or précising


53

5.4 CONFERENCES AND LEARNED SOCIETIES

5.4.1 The Coleg has established a Research and Publications Committee chaired by a

member of the Coleg Board of Directors who is a Pro-Vice Chancellor. The Coleg

also supports a number of events designed to promote Welsh medium scholarship

and to bring together a community of Welsh medium academics and others with an

interest in Welsh medium education. These events include:

an annual Welsh-medium multidisciplinary Research Conference and subject

specific conferences during which Research Scholars are encouraged to

present papers alongside established academics;

an International Conference, held for the first time in 2014;

an Annual Congregation during which those who have secured a doctorate

under the auspices of the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol’s Research

Scholarship Scheme are honoured, prizes are awarded and Honorary Fellows

are invested;

an Annual Lecture given at the National Eisteddfod;

an Annual Lecture organised jointly with the Learned Society of Wales;

an Annual Science Conference.

5.4.2 On the whole, stakeholders felt it important that the Coleg supports this kind of

activity because it helps to raise awareness of Welsh and Welsh medium scholarship

‘within the academic world’. In this context, a couple of contributors argued that

‘being a Welsh-medium lecturer can be very lonely’, but that conferences organised

by the Coleg can help individuals to ‘feel part of something’ and thus ‘boost’ morale

and confidence. A number of Research Scholarship holders talked about their

intention to present papers at the Coleg’s Research Conference, seeing this very

much as a step along their academic journeys.

5.4.3 Several contributors felt that the International Conference held in 2014 was ‘just the

kind of thing the Coleg should be doing’ in that it provided a high profile opportunity to

showcase Wales’ achievements in terms of developing and delivering ‘higher

education in a minority language’. It was also felt that the event was valuable in terms

of portraying the Coleg as a ‘serious and successful organisation’ and providing an

opportunity for the Coleg to engage with politicians and policy makers as well as

stakeholders from the higher education world. Having said this, however, a couple of

contributors cautioned against the Coleg becoming too esoteric at the expense of the


54

day to day practicalities of facilitating the development and delivery of Welsh medium

higher education.

5.5 GWERDDON

5.5.1 Gwerddon is an academic e-journal which is intended ‘to stimulate and encourage

first-class academic discussion across as wide a range of subjects as possible

through the medium of Welsh and to create a store of scholarly material for the use

of research students and academics’.121 Gwerddon’s ‘editorial board’ comprises

representatives of several higher education institutions, across a range of academic

disciplines. The publication conforms to the guidelines of the 2014 Research

Excellence Framework.

5.5.2 Gwerddon first appeared in 2007, though work to establish the e-journal started a few

years before that. The dedicated Gwerddon website122 provides access to current

and past editions, a list of contributors and some general news items. The Coleg

aims to issue at least two editions a year, though five editions were published in

2013/14 including thematic ‘special editions’, partly reflecting the volume of articles

submitted for publication by researchers and academic staff supported by the Coleg.

A total of 59 academic articles have been published across a range of subjects, with

titles as diverse as:

‘One Cry Four Voices: The influence of choral singing on health and welfare in

Wales’

‘The sun's corona: A study of the structure of the sun's atmosphere’;

‘The noise of the fighting in our ears': Presenting the Great War in Welsh’

‘An analysis of the use of code-switching by student teachers in a bilingual

Secondary School class: A case from Wales’123.

5.5.3 It is notable that the Gwerddon web-site does not include a facility to enable readers

to search for articles by broad subject area/discipline or theme.

5.5.4 Table 5.2 shows the numbers of users visiting the Gwerddon web-site since its re-

launch in July 2012.

121

http://www.colegcymraeg.ac.uk/en/publications/gwerddon/ 122

http://www.gwerddon.org/en/home/ 123

Gwerddon, issue 10/11, August 2012

http://www.colegcymraeg.ac.uk/en/publications/gwerddon/

http://www.gwerddon.org/en/home/


55

Table 5.2: Number of Visits to the Gwerddon Web-site

2012 2013 2014

January - June

Unique visits 1,994 4,489 2,083

5.5.5 Whilst it was accepted that readership of Gwerddon will inevitably be fairly limited, it

was argued that the Coleg has ‘a ‘responsibility’ to publish it because it ‘provides

evidence that it’s possible to discuss subjects in Welsh’ and publishing in Welsh ‘isn’t

something that universities would prioritise’. It was also felt that Gwerddon provides a

useful place for budding academics ‘to publish short articles in Welsh’ as well as a

means of ‘including academics from outside Wales in the academic process … as

readers and referees’. A handful of interviewees had themselves contributed articles

to Gwerddon, in some cases, drawing upon aspects of their doctoral theses. Other

lecturers and researchers intended to contribute articles to Gwerddon over the next

year or two, though Coleg officers noted that material is already in hand for four

editions of Gwerddon to be published between now and 2016.

5.5.6 The majority of academic stakeholders interviewed referred to Gwerddon, generally

browsing through new editions for articles that might be of relevance to their subject

areas. Whilst reading was generally confined to individuals’ own subject areas, a

couple of interviewees said that they read more widely with one saying ‘sometimes, if

there’s a title that interests me, say in the field of education, I might read it … I

wouldn’t do that with English publications because I’d never go to look for them’. The

same contributor argued that whilst readers may not always understand elements of

an article, it is useful for academics to read outside their specialist field from time to

time. Whilst it could be argued that Gwerddon covers too many fields of interest, this

was not a criticism levied by academic contributors, with individuals commenting that

they were just glad to have something of Gwerddon’s quality available in Welsh.

5.5.7 Some external stakeholders referred occasionally to Gwerddon, ‘flicking through’ for

articles of particular interest to them. Indeed, one external stakeholder questioned

whether Gwerddon is promoted widely enough, for example to key policy makers

within the Welsh Government. Having said this, the Coleg has received requests for

permission to reproduce articles published in Gwerddon from outside agencies

including Welsh Government departments and the WJEC.


56

5.5.8 Contributors generally felt that the standard of articles published in Gwerddon is high

and a number of the articles published have been included in institutions’

‘submissions to REF’. A couple of research students interviewed said that they had

cited featured articles in their own work and a handful of lecturers said that they had

used material from Gwerddon to enrich modules/ courses they teach and to provide

students with a flavour of how to write academic papers in Welsh. In this context, one

lecturer observed that the articles featured in Gwerddon are more appropriate for

postgraduate rather than undergraduate level students and it was argued that

consideration might be given to publishing shorter, less challenging articles (in terms

of content and terminology) from time to time, in order to allow undergraduate and,

possibly, sixth form/further education students to become accustomed to basic Welsh

medium academic writing at an early stage.

5.5.9 Whilst stakeholders were generally very positive about Gwerddon, it was recognised

that it is one of a large number of academic journals and Welsh medium students

and academics will inevitably need to read and publish more widely. It was also

argued that the Welsh medium higher education community faces an up-hill struggle

in encouraging the publication of academic articles in Welsh, particularly given that

Gwerddon (alongside a number of international journals) is not a recognised journal

for REF purposes in the sciences. The pressure will inevitably be upon academics to

publish in English, with one contributor arguing that ‘if it’s an important piece of

scientific work, you need more people to read it … you’re not going to get citations by

publishing in Gwerddon’.


57


DEVELOPING WELSH MEDIUM TEACHING CAPACITY

6.1 In this chapter, we consider measures taken by the Coleg to develop Welsh medium

teaching capacity. We consider the Coleg’s Academic Staffing Scheme (section 6.2.),

additionality and deadweight attaching to the Scheme (section 6.3), the sustainability

of the Academic Staffing Scheme (section 6.4) and the academic skills development

programme (section 6.5).

6.2 ACADEMIC STAFFING SCHEME

6.2.1 The Coleg’s Academic Staffing Scheme provides higher education institutions with

funding to employ academic staff in order to build their Welsh medium teaching

capacity. Appointees are ‘responsible for teaching and developing Welsh medium

provision within their respective subject areas’ as well as contributing ‘to the

intellectual life of Welsh universities through research work, facilitating collaboration

with other departments and institutions, and promoting the Welsh language within

their subject areas and their institutions’124.

6.2.2 Since the establishment of the Coleg, 95 appointments have been made (assuming

appointments are made in relation to the 20 awards to commence in 2014/15). Figure

6.1 below shows the number of staff appointed at each institution.

Figure 6.1: Appointments Made under the Academic Staffing Scheme by Institution125

124

Source: http://www.colegcymraeg.ac.uk/en/ourwork/staffing-scheme/ 125


0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Aberystwyth University

Bangor University

Cardiff University

Cardiff Metropolitan University

Open University

Swansea University

University of South Wales

University of Wales Trinity St David's

National

Coleg Sir Gar

Number of Staff Appointed

Inst

itu

tio

n

http://www.colegcymraeg.ac.uk/en/ourwork/staffing-scheme/


58

6.2.3 It is notable that a quarter of all appointments have been made at Bangor University

and almost a fifth at Aberystwyth University. In large part, this reflects the fact that

these institutions had an established tradition of delivering some Welsh medium

provision and were better placed than others to build upon existing provision or to

develop new Welsh medium courses from the outset. The number of awards made to

Bangor and Aberystwyth Universities has declined since 2013/14, whilst the numbers

awarded to Cardiff and Swansea Universities have increased slightly. Between them,

Cardiff and Swansea Universities represent just over a quarter of all appointments

and it is notable that many of these have been in subject areas where little Welsh

medium provision has existed in the past, for example, Law, Medicine and Nursing

and Midwifery. An equal number of appointments have been made at Cardiff

Metropolitan University, the University of South Wales and the University of Wales

Trinity Saint David.

6.2.4 The staff appointed work across a range of disciplines, as illustrated in Table 6.1. In

the first two years after the establishment of the Coleg, a greater proportion of the

appointments made were in subject areas where Welsh medium teaching was better

established, including History, Music and Education. As time has gone on, however,

greater investment has been made in disciplines which are associated with fields of

employment where it is perceived that Welsh language skills are in demand, such as

Law, Business, Journalism, Nursing and Midwifery and other health care related

professions. A number of stakeholders expressly endorsed the Coleg’s boldness in

‘breaking new ground’ by supporting the development of ‘a mix of [new Welsh

medium] vocational courses’.

Table 6.1: Appointments Made under the Academic Staffing Scheme by Subject

Area/ Discipline and Year

2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 Total

The A

rts a

nd H

um

anitie

s

Welsh and Celtic Studies 1 2 1 4

34


2 1

1 4

Creative Industries 2 3 1 3 9

Art and Design

1

1

Music 2 2

5 Education and Childhood Studies

1 4 1 1 7

Languages 3 2

5


59

Socia

l a

nd E

con

om

ic

Scie

nces

Law 1 2 3 2 8

26

Politics 1

1 2

Philosophy

1

1

Sociology and Social Policy 1 1

2

Journalism

1 1 2

Sports Sciences 1 2 2

5

Business Studies 1 1 2 2 6

Health S

cie

nces

and S

ocia

l C

are

Health Sciences and Social Care

1

1

15 Psychology 1

1 1 3

Nursing and Midwifery 1

2 3 6

Medicine

2

2

Social Work

1 1 1 3

Scie

nces

Geography 2 1

1 4

19


3

3

Mathematics and Physics 2 1

1 4

Chemistry 1

1


1 2

3


2 1

1 4

Part time & distance learning

1

1 1

Total

25 29 21 20 95

6.2.5 Two appointments (in different subject areas and at different institutions) were

terminated when it became clear to the Coleg and employing institutions that demand

for the provision developed would not be sufficient. The Coleg’s support for a third

post was reduced by 50% as it became apparent that demand did not justify a full

time Welsh medium teaching post. This appointment was, however, in a discipline

where no Welsh medium provision previously existed and the Coleg was anxious to

maintain at least an element of choice for students. Whilst stakeholders clearly

regretted that these appointments had not been successful, it was argued that the

Coleg enabled the institutions concerned to risk being innovative and valuable

lessons had been learnt from the experience. In particular, the experience taught the

Coleg that it possibly needed to be more rigorous in assessing the likely level of

demand for Welsh medium provision in specific fields.

2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 Total


60

6.2.6 The Academic Staffing Scheme represents the biggest single line of expenditure for

the Coleg each year. Table 6.2 shows the amount invested by the Coleg in the

Academic Staffing Scheme since its launch, as well as the amounts invested by the

Coleg in the Centre for Welsh Medium Higher Education’s predecessor Teaching

Fellowships Scheme.

Table 6.2: Academic Staffing Scheme Expenditure by Year126

2011/12

£000 2012/13

£000

2013/14127

£000

2014/15

Budget128

£000

Academic Staffing Scheme 1,107 2,296 2,900 3,900

Teaching Fellowships 311 132

Total 1,418 2,428

6.2.7 In agreeing to fund appointments, the Coleg requires institutions to prepare fairly

detailed proposals which then form the basis of project plans/work schemes for the

staff appointed. These include details of modules (and their credit values) which

appointees are expected to teach, new modules which appointees are expected to

develop, research which appointees are expected to undertake, publish and present

and actions which appointees are expected to take to promote provision to potential

students. Appointees and their line managers are required by the Coleg to submit

six-monthly ‘monitoring reports’ detailing the progress made in working towards

specific objectives or targets agreed as well as other outcomes.

6.2.8 It was thought that this approach has provided the Coleg with a sound understanding

of developments and has helped to guard against displacing institutional investment

in Welsh medium academic posts. However, several contributors felt that the level of

detail involved might have become over burdensome, particularly as the number of

staff appointed approaches 100. As one stakeholder put it, it has ‘taken a lot of time’

to ‘discuss things with universities job by job’.

6.2.9 There was a feeling among some stakeholders that, given the benefit of lessons

learnt over the last three years, now might be an apposite time for the Coleg to

review the system so that it becomes less detailed and labour intensive and ‘focused

more on results rather than inputs’.

126

Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol 127

This is a preliminary figure at this stage and could be subject to change 128

This represents the value of commitments made by the Coleg


61

6.2.10 Since the establishment of the Coleg, there has been a steady growth in the numbers

of academic staff able to teach through the medium of Welsh and in the numbers

actually doing so, at least part of the time. These include staff appointed under the

Academic Staffing Scheme, but it is notable that the increase in the numbers actually

teaching through the medium of Welsh exceeds the numbers appointed under the

Scheme, suggesting that some HEIs have invested in Welsh medium provision

alongside the Coleg. By 2012/13, some 9% of lecturers at Welsh HEIs were able to

teach through the medium of Welsh and some 70% of these (or 633 individuals) did

so.

6.2.11 The overwhelming majority of stakeholders, and members of the Coleg Board of

Directors especially, felt that the Academic Staffing Scheme had been the most

important and far-reaching initiative taken by the Coleg. Individual contributors

argued that the Scheme has led to the appointment of a ‘cohort of young lecturers

who bring a new spirit’ to Welsh medium provision and that ‘the number [appointed]

is so significant and the quality of the people so high’ that it represents ‘a bit of a

revolution’. Contributors felt that the Academic Staffing Scheme is having a

‘significant and clear effect’ upon the availability of Welsh medium provision, not least

because the value of the investment made far outstripped the amounts historically

invested by the majority of institutions in Welsh medium provision. Table 6.3 below

sets out the value of Welsh medium premia paid to institutions in recent years,

though this does not of course necessarily equate to the amounts actually invested in

Welsh medium provision by HEIs. Institutions were free to invest more and a number

of them did.

Table 6.3: Welsh Medium Premia Paid to Institutions

2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14

full-time undergraduate

and PGCE provision

£1,152,809

£659,973

part-time and

postgraduate taught

provision

£280,603 £303,971

Total £1,489,095 £1,498,707 £1,433,412 £963,944

6.2.12 It was also felt that the Academic Staffing Scheme has ‘made the Coleg more visible’

within institutions and has helped to foster more positive attitudes towards Welsh

medium higher education among university school heads and teaching staff. Whilst

the situation clearly differs from one institution to another and, indeed, between

schools and departments within the same institution, the Academic Staffing Scheme


62

has undoubtedly paved the way for discussions about Welsh medium provision,

where they would not otherwise have taken place. It was also argued that, in

institutions which do not have a strong Welsh medium tradition, some lecturers

appointed under the Academic Staffing Scheme have succeeded in engaging other

Welsh speaking staff in the ‘campaign’ to extend the availability of Welsh medium

provision.

6.3 ADDITIONALITY AND DEADWEIGHT129

6.3.1 A handful of stakeholders suspected that at least some of the lecturers funded under

the Academic Staffing Scheme would have been taken-on by their employing

institutions regardless of the Coleg’s funding, albeit that recruitment would have been

‘on a far reduced scale’. Discussions with senior figures within universities suggested

a high level of additionality and minimal deadweight, however, with individual

contributors saying:

‘I can tell you it definitely wouldn’t have happened otherwise … having the

Coleg’s investment and support is a real ace card when it comes to addressing

the challenges of recruitment’;

‘It’s been crucial’ as the school in case would not have made any Welsh

medium appointments without the Coleg’s support;

‘we’re the smallest school in the university and it would have been difficult to

support the posts’ without Coleg funding;

‘there would be no Welsh medium provision at the university’ beyond the

limited amount offered by Welsh speaking staff motivated to champion the

cause;

‘the truth is that [university] has always provided a core of courses through the

medium of Welsh … what the Coleg has allowed us to do is invest in areas like

art through the medium of Welsh, religion through the medium of Welsh,

business through the medium of Welsh … and I don’t think the investment

would have been as much by the university’.

129

The term additionality, in this instance, relates to appointment of lecturers to teach through the medium of Welsh where, in the absence of Coleg support, appointments would not have been made at all, would have been made for fewer hours or would not have been made as quickly. Deadweight refers to the degree to which universities would have employed those lecturers for the same number of hours, at the same point in time, regardless of the assistance received from the Coleg


63

6.3.2 Several stakeholders referred to the ‘quality’ of individuals appointed under the

Academic Staffing Scheme and it is notable that there have been very few

appointments which were felt, in hindsight, to have been inappropriate. A number of

contributors noted that most of the lecturers appointed under the Academic Staffing

Scheme are ‘at the start of their careers’ and potentially represent the kernel of a

‘talent base’ capable of being promoted to more senior positions within universities

over time. In this context, it is notable that some institutions have experienced

difficulties in attracting candidates of the quality required for some Academic Staffing

Scheme funded positions, but have not been prepared to compromise on their

requirements.

6.4 SUSTAINABILITY

6.4.1 The Academic Staffing Scheme provides institutions with the funding necessary to

support lecturing posts for up to five years, with an expectation that they will take

responsibility for the on-going funding of those posts thereafter. Discussions with

senior figures within higher education institutions suggested that some schools have

clear plans in place to sustain the posts created once the period of Academic Staffing

Scheme funding comes to an end. Individual contributors said:

‘our intention at the moment is to sustain the jobs that we’ve created’;

‘if the worst were to happen and the Coleg’s funding was withdrawn, I think we

would sustain our current position … [but] we’d then have to ask ourselves,

“could we do more”, and the answer is probably not’;

‘once it’s established, I think it becomes more difficult for a University to take

provision like that away’.

6.4.2 However, a number of senior figures from universities were candid that some posts

created with Academic Staffing Scheme support will be very vulnerable when the

funding period comes to an end, at least in their current form. Individual contributors

said:

‘as a school we couldn’t pay for them … I’d try to keep one … but not both’;

‘we’d like to keep [lecturer] on, but she might have to teach in English if the

numbers aren’t there for Welsh medium’;

that a forthcoming change to the institution’s funding policy could lead to the

withdrawal of modules followed by fewer than 10 students, rendering Welsh

medium provision particularly vulnerable.


64

6.4.3 These findings very much echo the tenor of recent detailed discussions between the

Coleg and institutions, which suggested that:

in about 20% of cases, there are plans in place to continue employing

appointees at institutions’ expense and, where this is the case, the appointees

were ‘generally seen as people who would contribute to other agendas, such

as REF in particular’;

in about 30% of cases, there are plans for institutions to take over ‘some

element’ of the costs of the posts, but not the whole cost. In these cases,

appointees would probably be called upon to teach through the medium of

English, possibly at the expense of Welsh medium teaching, if further funding

were not made available by the Coleg;

in about 50% of cases, there are no plans to keep funding the posts without on-

going Coleg funding. Although institutions have been ‘very happy’ with

appointees and are, in principle, supportive of Welsh medium provision,

financial pressures would prohibit the continued funding of posts.

6.4.4 Given that Welsh medium higher education opportunities will only ever be taken up

by a relatively small number of students, many Welsh medium modules/courses will

inevitably struggle to become or remain viable in terms of the funding models

employed within the higher education sector. Indeed, as previously mentioned,

London Economics (2006) suggested that it costs 25% more to put on Welsh

medium provision alongside English medium courses and that, on average, between

16 and 20 students are needed in order for provision to break even. This clearly

renders the Welsh medium lecturing posts created under the Academic Staffing

Scheme vulnerable. In this context, several stakeholders argued that it is ‘unrealistic

to expect that HEIs will just pick up the baton and run with it’ unless the ‘business

proposition is viably attractive’ or unless they are compelled to do so. Indeed, one

contributor argued that ‘Welsh is a minority language so it’s appropriate to talk about

minority rights and human rights … you can’t expect human rights and equality rights

to be sustained by goodwill … in an ideal world it would be fine, but we all know that

you have to have laws and resources to ensure that society works fairly’.

6.4.5 A number of stakeholders argued that sustaining some, if not most, of the lecturing

posts created will require some ongoing commitment from the Coleg, though not

necessarily on the same basis as is presently the case. It was also thought that in


65

order to maintain the momentum gained thus far, the Coleg will need to support the

creation of new Welsh medium posts (albeit fewer of them) for several years to

come, including posts that will inevitably arise as a result of staff turnover. Some

argued that HEFCW (or possibly the Welsh Government) should become more

directive with institutions in this respect by requiring them to state in their fee plans

how much funding they will set aside to support Welsh medium provision specifically,

rather than as is currently the case, to include Welsh medium related funding within a

wider ‘equal opportunities’ pot. Of course, regulations currently in place do not

provide for this and it is notable that the Higher Education (Wales) Bill currently under

consideration does not make specific provision for Welsh medium provision either.

6.4.6 The Coleg is actively considering how it will work with higher education institutions to

sustain the posts that have been created and to develop provision further post 2016.

6.5 ACADEMIC STAFF DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

6.5.1 Alongside the Academic Staffing Scheme, the Coleg offers an Academic Staff

Development Programme which is intended to provide academics who teach (or wish

to teach) through the medium of Welsh a means of ‘sharing experiences as they

nurture good academic practice and develop their teaching skills’130. The Programme

is open to anyone working within Welsh higher education institutions, but lecturers

appointed under the Coleg’s Academic Staffing Scheme are specifically required to

participate.

6.5.2 The Academic Staff Development Programme comprises two main strands:

a series of monthly ‘training workshops’ on a diverse range of themes such as

‘Evaluating and Developing your Teaching’, ‘Developing Digital Interactive

Learning Resources’ and ‘Student Care and Welfare’131. The majority of these

workshops are delivered via video conferencing, through the network of

‘learning spaces’ supported by the Coleg;

the Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching in Higher Education (PgCTHE) which

is offered through the medium of Welsh by five separate institutions132 across

130

Source: http://www.colegcymraeg.ac.uk/en/ourwork/staffdevelopment/ 131

http://www.colegcymraeg.ac.uk/en/ourwork/staffdevelopment/calendar/ 132

The institutions which offer this qualification through the medium of Welsh are Aberystwyth University, Bangor University, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Swansea University and University of Wales Trinity Saint David

http://www.colegcymraeg.ac.uk/en/ourwork/staffdevelopment/


66

Wales. The course involves a two day residential induction organised by the

Coleg, followed by a series of workshops (including those referred to in the

previous bullet point) that allow participants to ‘build a portfolio reflecting their

teaching skills’133. This qualification accords with the UK Professional Standards

Framework (UKPSF) for higher education teaching.

6.5.3 The Coleg’s Academic Staff Development Programme sits alongside those of

individual higher education institutions and it was argued that there can, at times, be

elements of overlap. However, two contributors commented that their employing

institutions only provide continuous professional development sessions through the

medium of English, which meant that those offered by the Coleg were of particular

value to lecturers working through the medium of Welsh.

6.5.4 Individuals who had participated in elements of the Coleg’s Academic Staff

Development Programme tended to feel that the Programme is most appropriate for

new lecturers ‘at the start of their careers’, possibly reflecting the fact that novice

lecturers simply have more to learn. Indeed, it is notable in this context that

institutions provide in-house early career training, though in most cases, this training

is offered exclusively through the medium of English. The Coleg’s Academic Staff

Development Programme adds value by offering development opportunities of

relevance to lecturers teaching through the medium of Welsh. A handful of lecturers

made specific reference to the benefit that they had derived from workshops on

‘developing and verifying modules’ and on ‘marking’ soon after taking up their posts.

Contributors who had participated in elements of the Programme said that they

attended fewer training sessions as time went on and they gained more experience.

Some contributors said that they found it difficult to commit to workshop sessions

because of their workload, including in one case, personal academic studies.

6.5.5 The majority of contributors said that the workshops in which they had participated

had been relevant and of good quality. Several volunteered that they had found the

experience of meeting and talking to people in similar situations to their own

particularly helpful in that it helped them realise that they were not alone in grappling

with fundamental questions such as ‘how do you award one person 55 and another

65?’ Contributors also found it useful to share ideas with people from other

133

http://www.colegcymraeg.ac.uk/en/ourwork/staffdevelopment/certificate/

http://www.colegcymraeg.ac.uk/en/ourwork/staffdevelopment/certificate/


67

institutions, for example about student ‘recruitment’, though in this case it was

recognised that institutions do potentially compete against each other.

6.5.6 A number of contributors had participated in workshops delivered via video-

conference, involving two or more sites. Whilst some spoke of being ‘let down by the

technology’ on occasion, most said that it was usually possible to ‘sort out problems’

fairly easily, helped by the fact that the Coleg has provided training on the use of

video-conferencing and users are able to access guidance on the use of the

technology from Y Porth. It was acknowledged, however, that the ‘dynamics are

different’ when participating in disbursed workshops using video conferencing and it

can take participants a little time to get used to the experience.


68


DEVELOPING THE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDED TO SUPPORT

WELSH MEDIUM PROVISION AND SCHOLARSHIP

7.1 In addition to the policies designed to develop Welsh medium academic and teaching

capacity within higher education institutions, the Coleg has put in place measures to

support the effective assimilation of Welsh medium provision within institutions and to

facilitate communication, collaboration and sharing across the Welsh medium higher

education community. In this chapter, we consider the Coleg’s branch network,

(section 7.2), the use of technology to support the delivery of Welsh medium

provision (section 7.3), digital and other Welsh medium resources (section 7.4), the

Coleg’s ‘learning spaces’ (section 7.5) and its new distance learning scheme (section

7.6).

7.2 COLEG BRANCHES

7.2.1 The Coleg operates a ‘branch’ network across seven of Wales’ eight higher

education institutions, the exception being Glyndŵr University. The branch network

forms a key part of the Coleg’s interface with institutions, ‘bringing together members

of staff teaching in Welsh and other representatives to discuss and consider Welsh

medium issues at institutional and national levels’134. As one stakeholder put it,

branches exist in recognition of the fact that ‘the Coleg can’t work independently of

institutions … it has to work with and through them’. Branches are, in essence,

expected to perform a dual role:

‘To be a key part of the machinery of the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol - to

discuss national developments and feed recommendations from the Branch to

the Academic Board’; and

‘To discuss and consider institutional plans for the development of Welsh

medium education and make recommendations where appropriate to

institutional committees’135.

7.2.2 Although no Coleg branch currently exists at Glyndŵr University, the institution has a

‘Welsh Language and Welsh Medium Committee’ which involves staff and student

representatives. Efforts have been made to follow meetings of the Welsh Language

and Welsh Medium Committee with ‘informal branch’ meetings involving a wider

134

Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol (2011) Circular 11/10, Formation of Branches 135

Ibid


69

population of Welsh speaking students. Whilst attendance at these meetings has

been poor to date, the institution is keen to develop a more active and visible ‘branch’

type arrangement as part of its wider ambition to strengthen its Welsh medium

credentials. In this context, it is notable that Glyndŵr University plans to establish a

‘Welsh Unit’ as part of an ongoing restructuring programme.

7.2.3 Branch membership is made up of Coleg members at particular institutions, and

some branches have a committee or ‘working group’ made up of a senior manager

(e.g. a Pro Vice-Chancellor), academic and support staff involved with Welsh

medium provision, under and postgraduate students and student union

representatives. Branches are chaired by senior figures with responsibility for

aspects of Welsh medium provision within institutions and these chairs are, in some

cases, members of various internal university committees e.g. Welsh language policy

committees, Welsh medium studies committees or institutional academic boards or

senates, though arrangements vary from one institution to another. Branch chairs

also sit on the Coleg’s Academic Board, thus providing a link at the strategic level

between institutions and the Coleg.

7.2.4 Beyond requiring branches to ‘meet at least once a term and conduct at least one

general meeting each year’, the Coleg does not seek to dictate how branches

operate. It does, however reserve the right for its own officers to ‘attend branch

meetings at least once a semester and the Chief Executive of the Coleg usually [to]

attend at least one meeting each year’136 at each branch. The Dean (who is also

Chair of the Coleg Academic Board) attends a meeting at each branch at least once

during the academic year.

7.2.5 In addition, the Coleg funds the post of a ‘branch officer’ at each institution to

‘operate on behalf of the Coleg on a practical level’137. Whilst these individuals are

actually employed by their host universities and report to line managers within those

institutions, their work is also reviewed on an annual basis by the Coleg. Branch

officers also meet as a group with Coleg officers on a monthly basis and this helps to

facilitate the flow of information between the Coleg and institutions. It also helps to

ensure a degree of consistency in the way in which branches work, though it is clear

that the role actually played by branch officers differs quite significantly from one

institution to another, reflecting local circumstances, in particular the numbers of

136

Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol (2011) Circular 11/10, Formation of Branches 137

http://www.colegcymraeg.ac.uk/cy/ycoleg/canghennau/


70

Coleg sponsored appointments made and the numbers of scholarships awarded to

students at the university. One stakeholder said that the branch officer role extends

along a continuum from ‘administering’ Coleg business at institutions (where Welsh

medium provision is better established), to ‘creating and sustaining a community’ of

Welsh medium educators and students in settings where Welsh medium provision is

less well developed. In Bangor University, for example, the branch officer sits within a

team of some 30 or so staff at Canolfan Bedwyr, the university’s long established

centre for Welsh language services. By contrast, the branch officer at Cardiff

Metropolitan University sits within a small Welsh Language Unit, and also performs

the function of the University’s Welsh Language Scheme Coordinator.138

7.2.6 Stakeholders generally welcomed the existence of Coleg branches within institutions.

Senior figures within institutions spoke of the part played by Coleg branches in

‘increasing the visibility of Welsh’ and Welsh medium higher education among

university staff and students. Indeed, senior figures from institutions with little

tradition of Welsh medium education argued that the presence of the Coleg branch

helped convey those institutions’ seriousness about the Welsh medium agenda to

various audiences. However, other contributors argued that branches are not

particularly ‘obvious’ to university staff who are not members of the Coleg or whose

departments have little involvement in the delivery of Welsh medium provision. To

some extent, differences in the visibility of Coleg branches owed something to where

they sit within university structures and the links they have to academic

schools/departments. There was also a strong suggestion that it is important for the

Coleg branch to have an obvious physical presence in a central location within the

institution, for example alongside student support service areas, libraries or

cafes/refectories, rather than in, say, humanities buildings, where staff and students

from other schools are unlikely to come across it. The location of the Coleg branch

clearly presents a greater challenge for institutions which are spread across two or

more sites.

7.2.7 Of course, the Coleg’s visibility within institutions was not entirely down to branches

(whether in their widest membership sense or in terms of their ‘physical presence’):

the use of Coleg branding by lecturers funded under the Academic Staffing Scheme

and Research Scholars (e.g. signage on office doors and the use of the Coleg logo

on e-mail signatures) has helped to raise the Coleg’s profile. However, branch

138

The Coleg does not fund the proportion of the CMU branch officer’s time which is spent on the Welsh Language Scheme function.


71

officers have also been responsible for ensuring that Coleg promotional materials are

displayed around campuses e.g. ‘a pop-up in the main library’ and ‘posters on notice-

boards’. Some have also worked with institutions’ web-teams to ensure that the

branch has a fairly obvious presence on the university’s web-site.

7.2.8 Most of the work done by branches revolves around:

disseminating information about the Coleg and its activities (including, for

example, forthcoming conferences and Academic Staff Development

Programme workshops) to university staff and encouraging them to engage

with or contribute to the Coleg’s work; and

disseminating information to student members, seeking to involve them in a

wider Welsh community and encouraging them to get involved in the work of

the Coleg, including, for example, joining subject panels.

7.2.9 Several lecturers and researchers said that they attended branch meetings and most

said that they found them a useful means of keeping abreast of developments both

within the university and with the Coleg. Some argued that branch meetings lessened

the burden upon funded lecturers and also helped to create a sense of community

amongst lecturers working through the medium of Welsh. However, it is notable that

a small number of contributors said that they were ‘still unsure’ of what Coleg branch

committees or meetings are designed to achieve. One lecturer said that she was ‘not

sure what the role of the branch is … or what my role is within the branch’, whilst

another commented that ‘the purpose isn’t entirely clear … it’s less of a talking shop

than it could be, but it doesn’t make any kind of decisions’.

7.2.10 Some branches had done more than others to promote the work of the Coleg and the

support it can offer. One branch officer said presentations, across academic schools,

on the role of the Coleg had led to a surge in interest in the Coleg and the academic

staffing scheme in particular, with signs that more schools ‘want a piece of the

action’.

7.2.11 Students at some institutions spoke highly of the way in which Coleg branches keep

them informed of academic and social opportunities available to them and it was felt

that branch officers would ‘fight [their] corner’, should any issues arise in relation to

Welsh medium provision. It was also obvious that the fact that branches sponsored

social events helped to raise their profile and paint the Coleg in a positive light

among students. Students were fairly mixed in their reactions to information received


72

from Coleg branches, with some saying that they had attended events as a result of

receiving e-mails from the branch and others saying that branch e-mails do little more

than ‘clog up inboxes’.

7.2.12 Other students were rather unsure of what Coleg branches do and suspected that

they may not have taken full advantage of services available. Some regarded Coleg

branches as somewhere to go for information and advice about anything to do with

Welsh medium courses or the Welsh language more generally within the institutions.

Others perceived that branches provide additional support to help students cope with

Welsh medium modules. Indeed, some academic staff also spoke of the importance

of Coleg branches in supporting Welsh medium learners, including in some cases

providing students with additional support to develop the requisite Welsh language

skills, though this probably reflects where branches sit within particular institutions’

hierarchies.

7.2.13 Some also commented that the branch at their institution was not terribly visible, not

least because of where it was located. In this context, of course, it needs to be

remembered that the students to whom we spoke were aware of the Coleg and the

branch’s existence, regardless of whether they were Coleg Scholarship recipients or

not. On this basis, it is probably fair to conclude that the Coleg’s branches are even

less visible to a swathe of Welsh speaking students who undertake none or little of

their courses in Welsh, but could potentially be convinced to do so or at least to

consider working towards the Welsh Language Skills Certificate. Indeed, some

students suggested that branches could work more closely with the student union in

order to engage Welsh speaking students and help develop a sense of community

and interest in Welsh medium education amongst them.

7.2.14 Some Coleg branches got considerably more involved than others in activities

designed to promote Welsh medium provision at the institution, both to potential

students and to freshers. Branch officers variously got involved in coordinating

academic staff involvement in running ‘A or AS level revision sessions’ for local

schools, recruiting ‘student ambassadors’ for the Coleg at university open days,

usually alongside the Welsh students union, and organising or sponsoring events

such as ‘gigs’ and quizzes in order to raise the profile of the Coleg and the local

branch.

7.2.15 As already stated, there is considerable variation in the way in which branches

operate and it was recognised that the role of Coleg branches will probably evolve


73

further, but some called for the Coleg to be clearer about what it wants branches to

achieve, even if this means agreeing an agenda with each institution for its local

branch.

7.3 TECHNOLOGY ENHANCED LEARNING

7.3.1 The Coleg has invested significantly in technology to facilitate access to Welsh

medium learning resources and provision across institutions. Central to this is Y

Porth, the Coleg’s e-learning platform, ‘which uses Blackboard Learn and other e-

learning technologies’139 to enhance the learning experience of students pursuing

Welsh-medium higher education.

7.3.2 Y Porth essentially sits alongside institutions’ own learning platforms (or Virtual

Learning Environments - VLEs) and provides access to specialist Welsh-medium

resources, some developed by lecturers funded under the Academic Staffing

Scheme and some commissioned/funded separately by the Coleg. A number of the

resources available via Y Porth are open access and, thus, available to the world at

large. Y Porth also provides access to support material relating to the Academic Staff

Development Programme and the Research Skills Programme.

7.3.3 A number of stakeholders spoke of the importance of Y Porth as a means of sharing

resources, avoiding duplication and facilitating collaboration in the delivery of Welsh

medium provision. Indeed, it was argued that ‘using technology to share resources

across institutions makes more sense’ in a Welsh medium context than it does in

many other situations. It was also argued that the Coleg has been ‘innovative’ in

introducing Y Porth and encouraging collaboration through the use of technology and

in ‘throwing the doors open’ to a wider population of learners by developing open

access resources. One contributor added that a particular value in making resources

available in digitised form is that they ‘will be there forever’, thus emphasising the

enduring nature of the Coleg’s investment.

7.3.4 The Coleg’s provision of open access resources is very much in keeping with the

commitment made by the Vice-Chancellors of Welsh universities to ‘embedding

Open Educational Practice (OEP) across the Welsh higher education community’

and to ‘facilitate an improved, quality educational experience for students through

139

http://www.colegcymraeg.ac.uk/en/ourwork/tel/yporth/


74

Open Education Resources (OER)’140. The OER Wales Cymru project involves the

establishment of ‘a portal to showcase the best Open Educational Resources in

Wales’141.

7.3.5 Use of Y Porth has increased markedly since its launch in 2009. The number of

registered users actually accessing content from the site grew to some 750 during

the 2013/14 academic year142. Figure 7.1 shows that the growth in the numbers of

students using Y Porth has been particularly pronounced over the last two academic

years, with the number of staff accessing resources levelling out over the last three

years at around 150 per annum. Of course, these figures relate to registered users

and do not take account of users viewing open access resources without actually

logging-in to the system. It should also be noted that most users accessed Y Porth

several times during the year.

Figure 7.1: Registered Users Accessing Resources via Y Porth by Year143

7.3.6 However, the Coleg has over 2,000 student members and over 800 staff members,

all of whom are able to log-in to Y Porth to access resources should they choose. It is

disappointing, therefore, that fewer than a third of student members and fewer than a

140

Higher Education Wales, The Wales Open Education Declaration of Intent 141

http://www.oerwales.ac.uk/declaration-of-intent-to-use-online-services-in-welsh-universities/ 142

This is the figure for the period from 1 October 2013 to 16 June 2014 and, therefore, possibly understates the number of visits for the whole year. 143


0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14

Staff

PostgraduateStudents

UndergraduateStudents

http://www.oerwales.ac.uk/declaration-of-intent-to-use-online-services-in-welsh-universities/


75

fifth of staff members actually did so in the last academic year. This clearly raises

questions about the value which the Welsh medium higher education community is

actually deriving from the Coleg’s investment in resources and in the Y Porth

platform.

7.3.7 Our fieldwork pointed to a number of factors that have hindered the use of Y Porth by

academics and students alike. The first, and probably the most significant factor is

that, until fairly recently, accessing modules via Y Porth involved using a separate

log-in process to that required to log-in to institutions’ own VLEs. Some contributors

also said students often experienced difficulties in registering as users of Y Porth and

it was argued that this puts them off using the system from the outset. Lecturers and

students alike argued that these issues ‘added another layer of complexity’ which

simply made using Y Porth ‘inconvenient’. One lecturer noted that ‘students get

confused … it’s difficult for them to understand that they need to’ log-in to two

separate systems whilst others noted that ‘it’s just one thing too many at the moment’

and ‘it needs to be made hassle free for students otherwise they won’t use it’.

Students echoed these views, saying that accessing Y Porth is ‘too complicated’, is

‘frustrating’ and ‘a bit of a faff to be honest’. The Coleg has taken on board users’

feedback and a facility has now been introduced which allows staff and students to

access Y Porth and institutions’ VLEs from a single log-in. However, whilst a number

of lecturers saw this as a ‘step in the right direction’, it was clear that other lecturers

and students were unaware of this development.

7.3.8 It was clear that the existence of Y Porth as a separate platform and difficulties in

gaining access to it had led to a degree of apathy, if not antipathy towards it amongst

lecturing staff, though this was more pronounced in some institutions than others.

There was some suggestion that this might well have impacted on the extent to

which lecturers encourage students to use Y Porth, thus perpetuating a perception

that the resource is not valued or used. A small number of students felt that more

could be done to promote Y Porth and to explain to them precisely how they can

benefit from using it. Furthermore, one lecturer was candid that she had ‘not made

particularly good use of Y Porth’, adding: ‘I don’t think I understand it properly’.

7.3.9 The Coleg requires that the lecturers and researchers it supports upload resources

that they develop onto Y Porth exclusively. However, a small number of those who

we interviewed were candid that they loaded their materials onto their employing

institutions’ VLEs as well. In a couple of cases, it was suggested that this is in


76

keeping with their employing institutions’ policies, particularly where the resources

produced essentially represent translations or adaptations of pre-existing English

medium materials. This clearly involves more work for academic staff and also runs

the risk that resources will not be updated on one platform or the other when that

becomes necessary. Equally importantly, making resources accessible via local

VLEs makes it possible for students to avoid logging-in to Y Porth and, thus, not

becoming familiar with the platform. This was borne out by one group of students

who said that ‘everything from our lectures is on Blackboard’ and they, therefore,

have no need to refer to Y Porth. Even where resources are not loaded onto

institutions’ VLEs, some lecturers admitted that they e-mail materials to students,

particularly where the groups taught are fairly small. The reasons given for doing this

were that ‘practically, it’s easier’, ‘it’s quicker’ and because students ‘don’t look’ at

resources loaded onto Y Porth.

7.3.10 Whilst there are clearly issues to be resolved in order to step up the use made of Y

Porth, it is worth noting that some of the students we interviewed found it a useable

and useful resource. As one individual said, ‘once you’re in it, it’s quite easy to

understand’ and another commented that they ‘use Y Porth and Blackboard … it

works fine for us’.

7.4 DIGITAL AND OTHER RESOURCES

7.4.1 As indicated above, lecturers appointed under the Coleg’s Academic Staffing

Scheme are expected to develop teaching and learning resources to complement the

Welsh medium modules they teach. To all intents and purposes this means that the

supply of Welsh medium resources is being extended at no additional cost to the

Coleg albeit that, in some cases, the Coleg has made available additional funding

under its ‘small grants’ scheme to allow lecturers to develop more substantial or

advanced resources, including some in audio and video format. Research Scholars

funded by the Coleg are also central to building up a corpus of Welsh medium

academic resources. In addition, the Coleg has supported several ‘national strategic

projects’ a number of which involve the development of e-resources accessible via Y

Porth. Key amongst these are:

the Terminology Dictionary Project, which involves development of ‘a series of

online subject dictionaries that will facilitate the study process in a wide range


77

of academic fields through the medium of Welsh’144. In this case, the Coleg

provides funding to support the employment of a specialist ‘Terminology Project

Officer’ at Bangor University’s Canolfan Bedwyr to work alongside specialists in

various academic fields. The project has thus far yielded a dictionary of

terminology relating to a range of subjects including Politics, the Creative

Industries, Mathematics, Physics and Law;

the Digitising, e-publishing and Electronic Corpus Project, which involves

academics nominating Welsh books no longer in print to be digitised so that

they become accessible via Y Porth or e-readers145. This project was led by

Canolfan Bedwyr at Bangor University. However, this project has run into some

difficulties along the way, most notably to do with securing copyright permission

from the University of Wales Press to digitise some of its titles;

the ‘Botwm y Byd’ Project, which is an on-line resource to support the study of

Modern Foreign Languages, Media and Politics through the medium of Welsh.

It amounts to a web-site which provides short ‘broadcasts’ summarising news

headlines from several different countries, longer broadcasts during which

contributors discuss news from different parts of the world and a series of

interactive translation exercises between Welsh and Spanish, German and

French. The project is led by Canolfan Peniarth at the University of Wales

Trinity Saint David;

Bibliography of Translations, which involved the development of a descriptive

bibliography of translations into Welsh from other languages. This project which

was led by Aberystwyth University;

Welsh Musicals Archive project, which involved the development of a digital /

visual / multimedia archive of Welsh musicals to enable lecturers to include the

texts in Welsh medium modules. This project was led by the University of

Wales Trinity Saint David.

7.4.2 With the guidance of subject panels, the Coleg has also commissioned the

development or translation/adaptation of various Welsh medium resources across a

range of subject areas. Examples include ‘core Law handbooks’, video resources for

‘Social Work’ students and PowerPoint slides appertaining to Business Studies. It

144

http://www.colegcymraeg.ac.uk/en/ourwork/terminology/ 145

Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol, Circular 13/05, Digitising, E-publishing and Electronic Corpus: An opportunity to nominate title names to be digitized/made into e-books, January 2014


78

has also developed open access resources relating to the Welsh Language Skills

Certificate.

7.4.3 In 2012, the Coleg launched its own site on Apple’s education platform, iTunes U146,

which provides an alternative means of viewing open access video content also

available via Y Porth e.g. via e-readers, tablet computers and smart phones. These

resources include video content of relevance to students of, for example, social

care/social work, science subjects (related to tasks in the laboratory) and business.

The site also contains a range of resources designed to help improve users’ Welsh

language skills. It is notable that a small number of the lecturers to whom we spoke

had yet to come across the Coleg’s iTunesU site, however.

7.4.4 It is worth reiterating at this point that the Coleg has invested in the development of

open access resources, which is very much in keeping with the Ministerial Online

Digital Learning Group’s recommendation that ‘the Welsh Government should

encourage the systematic adoption of open licensing for open educational resources

produced by HEIs in Wales’147. In addition to developing its own resources, the Coleg

has advised the Open University on the development of open access ‘taster’ Welsh

medium resources accessible via its ‘OpenLearn’ website148. These resources will be

available from the summer of 2014 and will focus on about 12 subject areas which

correspond to the Coleg’s priority subject areas, including ‘social work’, ‘education’

and ‘history’.

7.4.5 A number of the lecturers and researchers to whom we spoke had contributed

resources to Y Porth. Some had also seen books and journals which they had

nominated appear in digitised form. Stakeholders generally welcomed the addition of

new resources, with one contributor capturing the views of others by saying, ‘if we

get even just one or two additional resources that are appropriate to the subject,

[students] see the subject terminology, they see how to write properly in Welsh,

because if they don’t see Welsh of an academic standard it’s difficult for them’ to

understand what is required of them. It was recognised, however, that ‘the choice is a

long way off being as great as it is in English’ and that it will take several years to

develop a wide enough range of resources across all subject areas. Indeed, in this

146

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/institution/coleg-cymraeg-cenedlaethol/id510769933 147

Welsh Government, (March 2014) Open & online: Wales, higher education and emerging modes of Learning: Report of the Online Digital Learning Working Group, p.11 http://wales.gov.uk/docs/dcells/publications/140402-online-digital-learning-working-group-en.pdf 148

http://www.open.edu/openlearn/

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context, one lecturer suggested that the Coleg should invite HEIs to put other existing

Welsh medium resources onto Y Porth.

7.4.6 There was a strong suggestion that despite resources being made available via Y

Porth, the extent to which they are used by academics beyond those involved in their

development is limited. This suggests that ‘ownership’ of the resources produced is

not as widespread as it might be across the academic community, despite in some

cases, subject panels identifying the need for or endorsing proposals for the

development of particular resources. This clearly raises questions about the value

which HEIs derive from at least some of the Coleg’s investment in teaching and

learning resources. Whilst there was no suggestion that the Coleg should desist from

supporting the development of further resources (in fact, the opposite was true),

some contributors argued that more needs to be done to promote existing resources

to academic staff and, indeed, potentially to teachers in schools and further

education settings. It is worth noting in this context that the Welsh Government hosts

‘a national collection of digital resources to support teaching and learning for learners

aged 3 to 19 in Wales’ via Hwb, an all Wales learning platform.

7.5 LEARNING SPACES

7.5.1 The Coleg has established a network of ‘learning spaces’ across seven universities.

These Learning Spaces are rooms which provide access to high definition video-

conferencing facilities which allow real-time communication between member

institutions (via the Welsh Video Network) as well as simultaneous access to the

Coleg’s Y Porth e-learning platform. Learning spaces are located at or near Coleg

branches and access to them is managed by branch officers.

7.5.2 Learning spaces are used for:

the delivery of collaborative modules, where students from two or more

institutions come together with lecturers for tutorials and seminars;

the delivery of workshops under the Academic Staff Development Programme

and the Research Skills Training programme across a number of sites;

subject panel meetings involving academic staff, researchers and students

from different institutions. It was argued that the use of video-conferencing for

this purpose makes it considerably easier for these stakeholders to engage in

the work of subject panels as it reduces the need to travel significant distances;


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‘coordination meetings’ between staff from different institutions working on the

development and/or delivery of collaborative provision;

other Coleg meetings, including for example, branch officer meetings;

delivering Welsh medium tutorials within individual institutions, i.e. the facilities

are sometimes used as a standard classroom though branch officers guard

against this as much as possible to avoid clogging up the learning spaces.

7.5.3 Use of the facilities does vary from one institution to another, however, depending to

some extent upon the availability of other video-conferencing facilities within

particular schools or departments. Some of the lecturers to whom we spoke also said

that they use desk-top video links (e.g. using Skype) for bilateral discussions with

other institutions on occasion.

7.5.4 Lecturers said that the facilities at learning spaces work well most of the time, though

a number had experienced some ‘frustrating technical issues’. Contributors said that

they were generally able to resolve these issues for themselves (using guidance

accessible via Y Porth to help them) or that branch officers were able to sort out most

problems fairly easily.

7.5.5 A number of contributors felt that there is scope to make greater use of the Coleg’s

learning spaces for teaching purposes, particularly in subject areas where individual

institutions struggle to attract reasonable numbers of students. It was argued that

more needs to be done to ‘promote the collaboration agenda … the use of

technologies … capturing lectures … sharing expertise … bringing students together’

as the Coleg moves forward.

7.6 DISTANCE LEARNING SCHEME

7.6.1 In September 2014, the Coleg intends to launch a new part-time Welsh Medium

Studies Scheme. This will allow anyone over the age of 18, regardless of their

educational background, to study through the medium of Welsh at home or in their

workplace.

7.6.2 The Scheme will include a wide range of subject areas including:

Education

Philosophy


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Business

Music

Geography and Earth Sciences

Photography

Social Science

History and Welsh History

Psychology

Theatre, Film and Television

Law

Welsh

7.6.3 The Scheme aims to offer key employment skills as well as courses of a more

general interest. The idea is that the scheme will be a flexible one where the learner

can register for as few as 20 credits at a time. As the learner studies and picks up

credits, these will contribute towards a Higher Education Certificate. The credits will

be awarded by Aberystwyth University and Bangor University (dependent on the

combination of modules) and an Memorandum of Understanding between the two

institutions has been agreed. Other institutions may become part of the scheme at a

later date. The majority of the learning will take place on-line through Y Porth e-

learning platform. Learners will also be given the opportunity to partake in summer

schools relating to some subjects. For the initial period, at least, these distance

learning modules will be supported by new part-time scholarships offered by the

Coleg.


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ENCOURAGING AND FACILITATING COLLABORATION IN THE

DELIVERY OF COURSES

8.1 As already discussed, the Coleg’s Academic Plan stresses the importance of ‘inter-

institutional collaboration and/or inter-disciplinary collaboration’ and makes clear the

Coleg’s intention to ‘set a specific objective of promoting and facilitating collaborative

opportunities within each of the subject plans’. The document goes on to say that

there will be a ‘clear expectation’ that academic staff and/or ‘substantial projects’

funded by the Coleg will ‘provide support for developments in other locations’149.

Contributors to our fieldwork noted that the Coleg’s Academic and subject plans ‘offer

a framework for collaboration, give new ideas and encourage shared modules which

is something to welcome’.

8.2 Most stakeholders accepted that collaboration both within and across institutions

makes perfect sense, particularly in ensuring the viability of provision where the take-

up of Welsh medium options will inevitably be limited e.g. Modern Foreign Languages

and STEM subjects.

8.3 Progress has been made in delivering some modules/course elements on a

collaborative basis, particularly where academic staff have been employed with the

specific objective of developing and delivering collaborative provision. Examples of

collaborative provision developed include:

a Scriptwriting module delivered jointly by Aberystwyth University and the

University of South Wales. In this case, script writers from industry deliver

workshops at either of the two institutions involved for students from both;

an Environmental Field Methodology module delivered jointly between Bangor,

Aberystwyth and Swansea Universities. This module is delivered over an

intensive residential weekend with students from the different institutions

coming together in one place. It is notable that this module actually predates

the establishment of the Coleg, having first been developed in the days of the

Centre for Welsh Medium Education, but it is still reliant on Coleg funding to

meet the costs of the residential element;

a European History and Culture module delivered jointly by Bangor,

Aberystwyth and Swansea Universities, with student/lecturer contact taking

149

Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol, September 2012, Academic Plan, p.6


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place via video-link and e-mail. Interestingly, this module is taught to both

Modern Foreign Language and History students, thus providing an example of

inter-disciplinary as well as inter-institutional collaboration;

a Core German Language module, again delivered jointly by Bangor,

Aberystwyth and Swansea Universities using video-links;

a Continuing Professional Education and Learning Scheme for senior social

work practitioners which will be delivered from September 2014 by Cardiff

University in alliance with Bangor, Glyndŵr and Swansea Universities. The

costs of participating in this master’s level programme will be funded by the

Care Council for Wales.

8.4 Despite the progress made, it was acknowledged that ‘there’s a long way to go’ and

that bringing about inter-institutional collaboration represents a considerable

challenge for the Coleg. Contributors argued that ‘institutions work as institutions on

the whole’ and several spoke of the competition that exists between individual

universities, not only for Welsh speaking students, but also for resources, including

those available from the Coleg. Indeed, a handful of stakeholders argued that the

introduction of the fees policy in 2012/13 served to intensify competition between

institutions and to discourage HEIs from collaborating. Even where academics are

keen to collaborate, each institution has its own regulations, ‘standards and ways of

working’, including for example, module validation processes, academic quality

systems and marking and moderation criteria. Whilst some academics saw these as

‘small hurdles’, it was argued that they are ‘hurdles nevertheless’ which are possibly

used at times as excuses to defend institutional or individual interests. In an attempt

to address at least some of these difficulties, the Coleg has established an Academic

Collaboration Committee, chaired by the Academic Registrar of a HEI. The

Committee is working with member institutions’ academic registries to come up with a

template ‘joint provision agreement’.

8.5 One academic was candid that there can be a marked difference in the expectations

of ‘research intensive universities’ on the one hand, and more vocationally focused

institutions on the other, with the implication that the former would be reluctant to use

lecturers from the latter to teach on their programmes. Some stakeholders were

clearly frustrated that more progress had not been made, with one arguing that

institutions have dragged their heels in this respect and that ‘there’s no reason under

the sun why this shouldn’t have happened decades ago … the Open University has

done it … universities could do it … but they’ve been introverted … lacking in vision’.


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8.6 It was acknowledged by several contributors that successful collaboration often ‘boils

down to connections’ and the enthusiasm of individuals. In this regard it is notable

that one Coleg sponsored lecturer believed that concern about the security of their

own posts may have led people in her position to focus on their own internal offering

and student numbers in the first instance rather than looking to collaborate with

others. Another lecturer expressed reservations about the delivery of provision via

video-conferencing, arguing that students paying for their higher education expect

more for their money, albeit that through inter-institutional collaboration via Y Porth

and the Coleg’s learning spaces, students can potentially access to a wider choice of


8.7 Despite the hindrances identified, however, stakeholders were generally convinced of

the potential which collaboration offers in extending access to Welsh medium higher

education. In this context, it was argued that the Coleg is well placed to facilitate

collaboration because it is not seen as a competitor by universities. However, in

playing the role of an ‘enlightened’ and impartial facilitator, it was argued that the

Coleg needs to adopt a ‘tougher stance’ as it reviews and revises subject plans and

awards funding in the future.

8.8 A handful of contributors argued that the Coleg should focus its efforts on making

collaboration ‘more systematised’ across higher education so that effective

collaboration is ‘not so much down to the whim of individuals’. Some argued that the

emphasis should be put upon designating a handful of ‘centres of excellence’ which

have the ‘expertise’ to lead collaborative partnerships, rather than the Coleg itself

getting too closely involved in brokering collaboration - ‘it’s better to let it happen

naturally’. It was thought that a more focused approach, concentrating on areas

where there is the genuine will to collaborate on the delivery, rather than merely the

development of provision, would yield better results in the future.


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OTHER ACTIVITIES

9.1 In this chapter we consider a small number of other initiatives undertaken by the

Coleg in order to strengthen the supply side. We specifically look at the Welsh

Medium Skills Certificate (section 9.2) and Initial Teacher Training (section 9.3).

9.2 WELSH LANGUAGE SKILLS CERTIFICATE

9.2.1 In 2012, the Coleg launched a Welsh Language Skills Certificate which provides

students and citizens at large a means of demonstrating higher level Welsh

language skills. The Coleg’s web-site describes the Certificate as a ‘qualification

that demonstrates [individuals’] Welsh language skills and enables them to provide

employers with evidence of their ability to communicate confidently and

professionally in Welsh, both orally and in writing’150.

9.2.2 Assessment takes place once a year, in the spring and summer terms, and requires

candidates to:

complete an oral task of around 15 minutes’ duration

undertake a one and a half hour written examination which has three

component parts:

o an ‘editing/correcting taks’;

o a ‘translanguaging task’;

o a ‘free writing task’151.

9.2.3 All students in receipt of Coleg undergraduate and master’s level scholarships are

required to work towards the Welsh Language Skills Certificate.

9.2.4 The Coleg has set up a specific Welsh Language Skills Certificate web-site152, which

provides access to information about the Certificate and the assessment process,

links to Y Porth and the Coleg’s iTunesU sites and access to a range of resources

designed to help candidates prepare for assessment. These include guidance on, for

example, grammar, translanguaging, giving presentations and correcting documents,

150

http://www.colegcymraeg.ac.uk/en/ourwork/welshlanguageskillscertificate/ 151

http://sgiliauiaith.colegcymraeg.ac.uk/cy/myfyrwyr/asesiadau/ 152

http://sgiliauiaith.colegcymraeg.ac.uk/cy/hafan/

http://www.colegcymraeg.ac.uk/en/ourwork/welshlanguageskillscertificate/

http://sgiliauiaith.colegcymraeg.ac.uk/cy/myfyrwyr/asesiadau/

http://sgiliauiaith.colegcymraeg.ac.uk/cy/hafan/


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as well as a series of exercises along the lines of those candidates will be required to

undertake as part of the assessment process. A number of the resources are

available in video format via Y Porth, featuring presentations given by Welsh

language tutors on specific grammatical issues, including ones which frequently

cause difficulty for students. In addition to this, the Coleg, working with HEIs, offers

students seminars designed to help them hone their Welsh language skills and

prepare them for assessment. It could be argued that in an ideal world, such teaching

should be delivered entirely by HEIs.

9.2.5 The Coleg has appointed a Chief Examiner, who alongside institutional

representatives and tutors, form an examination board. A Board of Studies agrees on

the guidelines for assessment. Papers are set by the Chief Examiner, and this

ensures parity across all seven institutions involved. At this stage, the Welsh

Language Skills Certificate is awarded by the Coleg, though, reflecting a

recommendation made in the Williams Report that it should not be an awarding body,

it is in discussion about the accreditation of the Certificate. Potential awarding bodies

include the Coleg’s member institutions.

9.2.6 The first cohort of students went through the Welsh Language Skills Certificate

assessment process in 2013. Table 9.1 below shows the numbers undergoing

assessment and passing the Welsh Language Skills Certificate in the two years since

its introduction. The majority of those undergoing assessment have been recipients

of Coleg lead or incentive Scholarships.

Table 9.1: Candidates Undertaking the Welsh Language Skills Certificate by Year

2012/13153 2013/14

Number of candidates assessed 40 161154

Number of candidates achieving the WLSC 34 134

Number of candidates achieving the WLSC with distinction 6 19

9.2.7 Several stakeholders thought that the Welsh Language Skills Certificate represented

a ‘positive step’, arguing that it:

distinguishes those able to communicate at a high level in Welsh when

applying for jobs;

153

Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol, Annual Report 2012/13, p.18 154

http://sgiliauiaith.colegcymraeg.ac.uk/en/home/

http://sgiliauiaith.colegcymraeg.ac.uk/en/home/


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provides those who pass with reassurance that their language skills are of a

high enough standard to allow them to work professionally through the medium

of Welsh;

boosts individuals’ confidence in their Welsh language skills levels;

prepares students for Welsh medium postgraduate study;

provides employers with a yard-stick that they can ‘depend on’ in assessing job

candidates’ Welsh language skills;

acts as a ‘bridging’ mechanism between the ‘language and medium agendas’.

9.2.8 It is notable that 211 employers have pledged their support for the Welsh Language

Skills Certificate as a mechanism of identifying job applicants who have the skills

required to work professionally through the medium of Welsh155. Several

stakeholders volunteered that employer ‘buy-in’ to the qualification is key to

enhancing the Certificate’s credibility and to spurring students and the workforce

more widely to aspire to attaining it.

9.2.9 Whilst contributors were generally positive about the Certificate, some noted that

more work needs to be done to hone it. In particular, it was argued that further

consideration should be given to how the Certificate ‘reads across’ to and fits in ‘as

part of a continuum’ alongside other Welsh language qualifications, for example,

Welsh First Language A level, Welsh for Adults qualifications156, the ‘higher level’

Sabbaticals Scheme course157 and the proposed Certificate of Competence for

trainee teachers158.

9.2.10 One of the main criticisms levied at the Certificate was that it is pitched at too high a

level. However, a number of contributors argued that the Certificate ‘needs to be

challenging’ and it is notable that ‘a reasonably high proportion [of candidates] pass’

(at 85% in 2012/13 and 83% in 2013/14), suggesting that the standard is not too

high.

155

A list of these employers is accessible via the WLSC web-site: http://sgiliauiaith.colegcymraeg.ac.uk/en/employers/employersdatabase/ 156

It should be noted that the Welsh for Adults programme has been subject to review since the publication of an evaluation report in 2013 157

The Welsh Government funded Sabbaticals Scheme aims ‘to develop and improve the Welsh of educational practitioners (native speakers and learners) so that they can feel confident to teach and administer through the medium of Welsh’ 158

It has been agreed that there will be a direct link between the Welsh Language Skills Certificate and the Certificate of Competence for trainee teachers, once it has been developed


88

9.2.11 Several contributors were also critical of the fact that candidates either pass, pass

with distinction, or fail. Some feared that failure to achieve the Certificate could serve

to ‘undermine the confidence’ of individuals with a reasonable command of the

language, though not quite enough to achieve the Certificate at level 6. A range of

contributors argued that consideration should be given to making the Welsh

Language Skills Certificate a ‘graded qualification’, rendering it more consistent with

wider undergraduate higher education practice – ‘very few people fail at university …

there’s a gradation between firsts and thirds’. Indeed, consideration is currently being

given by the Coleg to the introduction of ‘pass’, ‘merit’ and ‘distinction’ grades.

9.2.12 Other issues which some contributors felt needed to be considered in order to

improve the Welsh Language Skills Certificate included:

whether the assessment process might be based upon the quality of the

language used in coursework or examinations completed by students rather

than involving a separate examination;

introducing a second assessment round during the academic year e.g. towards

the end of the first semester;introducing a rolling on-line assessment system,

whereby ‘40 or so random questions’ are loaded onto Y Porth and candidates

are allocated passwords that allow them to sit the written element of the

examination as and when they choose;

making it ‘mandatory for scholarship holders to complete the Certificate during

their first or second years as the workload becomes so much greater in the final

year’. It could be argued, however, given that the Certificate is pitched at level

6, that students may not be ready to perform at the required level until the final

year of their degree courses.

9.2.13 It was clear that, certainly over the last two years, communication about the

Certificate was not entirely clear or consistent. Lecturers and students alike said that

they had not been aware that completing the Welsh Language Skills Certificate was

a condition of Coleg scholarships, with several scholarship holders talking of their

‘shock’ and ‘surprise’ at finding out, in some cases as they approached the end of

their final year. Whilst it was accepted that Scholarship award letters state that

recipients are required to complete the Certificate, lecturers said that ‘they just sign

the thing and forget about it’, not least because ‘they get so much information at the

beginning’ of their time at university. Some of the lecturers interviewed were candid


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that they are not that familiar with the Welsh Language Skills Certificate themselves

and several said that they have done little to promote it.

9.2.14 As already indicated, the dedicated Welsh Language Skills Certificate web-site

provides students with a means of developing their Welsh language skills. The Coleg

has also put on seminars to help candidates prepare for assessment, though our

fieldwork suggested that take-up of these sessions was mixed. Where students had

availed themselves of the seminars offered, however, they had generally found them

useful.

9.2.15 Whilst generally positive, students’ reaction to the Welsh Language Skills Certificate

varied. Most perceived that the Certificate ‘adds to the CV’ or ‘might be useful in the

future’, though a handful of those studying Welsh as a subject said that ‘it duplicates’

elements of their degree course and therefore lacks relevance and adds little value.

In these cases, students had generally undertaken the qualification because it was a

condition of their Scholarship.

9.2.16 Some of the students to whom we spoke had completed the Certificate out of choice

(i.e. they were not obliged to do so by virtue of receiving a Scholarship). A couple of

individuals falling into this category said that ‘it didn’t involve a whole lot of extra work

and I didn’t have to learn anything additional’, though in both these cases, the

students were first language Welsh speakers and were slightly more confident

expressing themselves in Welsh than English. A couple of other non-Scholarship

holders said that they had been unaware of the Certificate, but would ‘definitely be

interested’ in attaining it because it would provide additional evidence of their Welsh

language skills.

9.2.17 Most contributors felt that it was ‘early days’ to comment on the effects of the

Certificate upon individual students, but one suspected that ‘if you ask them in five

years’ time whether it was of use to them, they’ll say that it was because they’ve

succeeded in getting jobs where the ability to speak or write Welsh was a

requirement’.

9.2.18 A couple of contributors perceived that the Welsh Language Skills Certificate might

offer the Coleg and/or its partner HEIs some limited income generation opportunities,

e.g. through ‘selling’ courses and assessment to employers, though others cautioned

against viewing it in this way.


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9.3 INITIAL TEACHER TRAINING

9.3.11 Following Professor Ralph Tabberer’s 2012 Review of Initial Teacher Training

(ITT)159, the Welsh Government introduced GCSE grade B in English and

mathematics as an entry requirement to courses leading directly to Qualified Teacher

Status (QTS). This raised the question whether a similar requirement should be put

in place in respect of Welsh, particularly given the ambition of the Welsh Medium

Strategy to ensure the existence of a ‘Welsh-medium education workforce that

provides sufficient numbers of practitioners for all phases of education and training

with high-quality Welsh-language skills and competence in teaching

methodologies’160

9.3.12 HEFCW has specific responsibility for funding and accrediting Initial Teacher Training

(ITT) in Wales and in its 2012/13 grant letter, HEFCW asked the Coleg to assist it in

‘writing a joint report to the Welsh Government’ on the implications of introducing a

specific Welsh medium entry requirement for ITT161.

9.3.13 The Coleg undertook a review of existing practice in terms of recognising and

recording ITT participants’ competence to teach through the medium of Welsh and

made specific recommendations to HEFCW in terms of:

‘working towards’ the introduction of a grade B GCSE in Welsh entry

requirement for ITT in Wales, though it was recognised that ‘a full analysis of

the possible effects upon recruitment’ of adopting such a policy would be

necessary;

the establishment of thresholds for Welsh medium ITT, not least the need to

undertake at least two thirds of university based learning through the medium

of Welsh, to submit written work in Welsh and to undertake teaching practice in

Welsh medium or bilingual settings;

the development of a single pan-Wales ‘certificate of competence’, with the

Coleg ‘facilitating and supporting the process’, possibly through the adaptation

of the existing Welsh Language Skills Certificate;

linking the achievement of the proposed ‘certificate of competence’ to the

award of the Welsh Government’s Welsh medium ‘incentive supplement’ grant;

159

Professor Ralph Tabberer, July 2013, A Review of Initial Teacher Training in Wales 160

Welsh Government (2010) Welsh-medium Education Strategy, p.17 161

HEFCW grant letter, June 2012, p.8


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the development of a plan to promote ITT and teaching as a career to Welsh

speakers;

the setting of targets relating to the recruitment onto Welsh medium ITT

courses ‘in order to secure a supply of teachers competent to teach through the

medium of Welsh’162.

9.3.14 In the wake of this report, the Coleg has been asked to develop a ‘certificate of

competence’ and it is expected that the work will be undertaken during 2014/15, with

a view to such a certificate being available during the 2015/16 academic year.

Contributors commented on the need for any such qualification not only to relate to

the Welsh Language Skills Certificate, but also to the wider gamut of Welsh language

related qualifications, including A levels and Welsh for Adults. It was also argued that

training leading to the proposed ‘certificate of competence’ should fit in with existing

professional development measures, including the National Practitioner Training

Programme/Sabbaticals Scheme.

9.3.15 Alongside this, the Coleg has established a subject panel to deal with ITT

specifically, though at the time of our fieldwork, the panel had yet to consider a draft

subject plan.

162

Coleg Cymraeg cenedlaethol, July 2013, Cyngor Interim ar Hyfforddiant Cychwynnol i Athrawon


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10 FINDINGS: MEASURES INTENDED TO DEVELOP THE

DEMAND SIDE

10.1 In this chapter we discuss work done by the Coleg to promote the idea of Welsh

medium higher education and to encourage students to undertake some or all of

their university studies through the medium of Welsh (section 10.2). We then go on

to consider the Coleg’s undergraduate and master’s scholarship schemes in

particular (section 10.3).

10.2 ACTIONS TAKEN TO PROMOTE PARTICIPATION IN WELSH MEDIUM

HIGHER EDUCATION

10.2.1 The Coleg essentially faces two challenges in seeking to increase the numbers of

people taking up opportunities to study through the medium of Welsh, viz:

raising awareness of the opportunities available to study in Welsh at

university;

persuading individuals to undertake some or all of their courses in Welsh.

10.2.2 The Coleg employs a number of strategies to promote Welsh medium higher

education, including:

visiting schools and colleges to give presentations on Welsh medium higher

education, to talk to students about Coleg scholarships (see section 10.3) and

to encourage students to become members of the Coleg;

having a presence at events such as UCAS fairs and university open days;

having a presence at university freshers’ weeks in order to engage Welsh-

speaking students who have not up to that point opted for Welsh medium

provision;

providing information about the benefits of Welsh medium higher education on

its web-site, including video-clips highlighting past and existing students’

experiences as well as employers’ voices;

broadcasting information to prospective students via social media, including

Twitter and Facebook;

making posters and leaflets available at HEIs, both as a means of conveying

information and of raising the profile of the Coleg itself;

press advertisements;


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having a presence at events outside the world of education, e.g. at the

National Eisteddfod.

10.2.3 Research undertaken in 2013 to inform the Coleg’s approach to marketing163 found

that the Coleg’s communication strategy is generally ‘on the right track’, but that

‘there is certainly more work to be done in order to increase awareness of the Coleg

and its services and to encourage young people to undertake at least part of their

higher education through the medium of Welsh’. It also noted that ‘awareness and

credibility can only be built-up slowly’ and that messages need to be conveyed and

reinforced over time to ensure that they reach and gain traction with key stakeholder

groups such as young people, parents and teachers. The report concluded by

making 18 recommendations, many of which involved continuing with or

strengthening existing approaches and a number which the Coleg has already

started to implement.

10.2.4 Of course, the Coleg’s efforts to raise awareness of and encourage the take-up of

Welsh medium provision sits alongside institutions’ or, more often, individual

schools’ own endeavours to recruit students onto courses. Allied to this, promoting

Welsh medium provision forms a core part of the work done by several of the

lecturers funded under the Academic Staffing Scheme. In essence, they are

expected to build up demand for the Welsh medium modules which they deliver in

order to render that provision (and, thus their roles) more sustainable over time.

Activities which they undertake in this respect include, for example, getting involved

in university open days, visiting schools to run AS and A level ‘revision sessions’

and being present at the Coleg’s stand at the Urdd and National Eisteddfod and the

Royal Welsh Agricultural Show. Some institutions also offer prospective students

Welsh medium ‘higher education tasters’, whereby sixth formers get to experience

lectures and life at the university.

10.2.5 Whilst lecturers were generally very positive about their involvement in promoting

Welsh medium provision, a minority questioned whether involving them in school

visits actually represented an effective use of their time. It was argued that the

‘conversion rate’ from one-off events of this nature is low and visiting schools

impinges upon the time available for research and to develop provision further.

Having said this, however, these lecturers recognised that Welsh medium courses

163

Old Bell 3 & Dateb, (2013), Ymchwil Ansoddol i Hysbysu’r Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol wrth Gynllunio Ymgyrch Recriwtio


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would probably not be promoted to quite the same degree by their institutions were

they not involved in doing do. It was argued that with notable exceptions, university

marketing departments tend not to have a strong ownership of the Welsh medium

agenda, though this might not be entirely surprising given that a majority of some

institutions’ students come from outside Wales.

10.2.6 Several of the lecturers funded under the Academic Staffing Scheme said that they

get involved in freshers’ week activities and in the student registration process. This

was seen as a critically important opportunity to identify Welsh-speaking students

who might be persuaded to undertake at least part of their courses in Welsh. In this

context, a handful of lecturers noted that UCAS data about students’ ability to speak

Welsh often overstates students’ command of the language. At least two of the

lecturers to whom we spoke had dismissed this indicator as a means of identifying

prospective students who might choose to study in Welsh, relying instead on

information about applicants’ secondary schools to identify individuals who have a

sufficient command of Welsh to cope with Welsh medium modules. This does, of

course, mean that lecturers might miss applicants progressing into higher education

from further education colleges.

10.2.7 Allied to this, several academic staff spoke of (often misplaced) doubts among

students that their command of the Welsh language is sufficient to cope with higher

education through the medium of Welsh. This echoed the findings of earlier

research164 that sixth formers were ‘worried that the standard of their language

would not be “good enough to keep up with work” at a higher level and that coping

with “technical language” or “terminology” would be harder’ in Welsh. This earlier

research went on to recommend that the Coleg should convey subtly different

messages in promoting Welsh medium higher education to young people who lack

confidence in their Welsh language skills and to those who regard ‘studying through

the medium of Welsh at university would be a “natural progression” for them’.

10.2.8 A number of stakeholders argued that the Coleg needs to ‘target young people

before they make their A level decisions because unless they study A levels in

Welsh, they won’t progress into Welsh medium higher education’. This again

echoes recommendations made by Old Bell 3 and Dateb in 2013 that ‘the Coleg

should develop a programme of presentations, activities and resources to be

164

Old Bell 3 & Dateb, (2013), Ymchwil Ansoddol i Hysbysu’r Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol wrth Gynllunio Ymgyrch Recriwtio, p42


95

implemented by Coleg officers alongside schools’ and that the programme should

include ‘an introductory session for pupils in year 10 and/or 11 focusing on the

advantages of Welsh language skills, the advantages of a Welsh medium higher

education and sixth form choices that can lead into Welsh medium higher

education’165. Whilst Coleg officers do already visit schools, it could be argued that

this programme of activity might have been stepped up considerably in the wake of

the 2013 recommendations.

10.2.9 The Coleg published its first stand-alone prospectus in late 2013. The document

brings together information about opportunities available to study through the

medium of Welsh in one place. Briefly, the document provides:

some background to the Coleg and its work;

a discussion of the benefits of Welsh medium higher education in terms of

developing the bilingual skills increasingly demanded by employers;

details of the Coleg’s undergraduate scholarship schemes, including the values

of the two different types of scholarships on offer and the closing dates for

applications;

an explanation of how credits work;

an account of the arrangements put in place to support students studying

through the medium of Welsh, including Y Porth and Coleg branches;

a subject by subject index of Welsh medium provision. Each subject specific

page includes a map showing the locations where relevant courses are offered

and provide a brief outline of the numbers of credits available through the

medium of Welsh at specific institutions.

10.2.10 The prospectus represents a quick reference point which allows prospective

students to identify those institutions which offer Welsh medium courses of interest

to them. Having identified courses of interest, users are able to access more

detailed information by using the Coleg’s web-based ‘Course Finder’ facility, which

provides links to relevant university web-sites. To all intents and purposes, the

Coleg’s prospectus reduces the challenge of finding Welsh medium higher

education courses amid the plethora of information available.

10.2.11 The prospectus was distributed to all secondary schools and further education

colleges in Wales in early 2014.

165

Old Bell 3 & Dateb, (2013), Ymchwil Ansoddol i Hysbysu’r Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol wrth Gynllunio Ymgyrch Recriwtio, p48


96

10.2.12 Contributors were very positive about the prospectus, with some saying that its

publication represented ‘a massive step forward’ because it brought information

about Welsh medium courses ‘together in one place … branded’ as something

endorsed by the Coleg. It was argued that the prospectus is particularly useful for

handing out at events such as UCAS fairs and the Eisteddfod so that ‘people can

flick through it’ at their leisure and get to understand what the Coleg is and what is

actually on offer. A handful of contributors were less convinced of the efficacy of

producing a relatively expensive paper prospectus, however, with two lecturers

saying that it ran against the grain to hand out documents which promoted

‘competitor’ universities - ‘I’d be shot if I took those out with me’.

10.2.13 Overall, contributors felt that the Coleg (alongside lecturers funded under the

Academic Staffing Scheme and other partners) has done a great deal to raise the

profile of Welsh medium higher education as a realistic and credible option.

However, the overwhelming majority felt that much more needs to be done and that

this should be a priority for the Coleg over the next two or three years.

10.2.14 A small number of stakeholders felt that the Coleg’s student engagement efforts

have placed ‘far too much focus on a small number of Welsh people who would

have gone to university and studied through the medium of Welsh anyway’ and not

enough on people who follow non-traditional routes into higher education, including

those studying at further education colleges. In this context, it should be noted that

the Coleg has recently signed a ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ with Colegau

Cymru (the representative body for Wales’ 15 further education colleges) and had

agreed to support six projects designed to raise awareness of and stimulate

progression into Welsh medium higher education among students at further

education institutions. These projects include delivering residential courses at

universities for further education students over the summer months and using

university lecturers to deliver seminars in further education settings. Indeed, a

couple of stakeholders were excited by the prospect of further and higher education

institutions ‘sharing’ lecturers both in order to ease progression into higher

education and to spread the costs of employing staff to teach minority subjects.

10.2.15 A small number of stakeholders argued that the Welsh Government needs to

engage more actively with the Coleg and other stakeholders in order to bring

greater coherence to the messages conveyed to potential learners and, indeed, to


97

their influencers, including parents and teachers. This was thought to be particularly

important in the context of the ambitions of the Welsh-medium Education Strategy.

10.3 COLEG UNDERGRADUATE AND MASTER’S LEVEL SCHOLARSHIPS

10.3.1 Each year, the Coleg awards up to 150 undergraduate scholarships and 20

master’s scholarships.

10.3.2 There are three types of scholarships available to undergraduate students:

The incentive scholarship: which awards students £500 a year for three years

when they study at least 33% (40 credits a year) of their degree courses

through the medium of Welsh. Incentive scholarships are confined to those

studying the following subject areas: Sport Science and Studies, Law, Health

Services, Business Management, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Environmental

and Agricultural Sciences, Geography, Mathematics, Modern Languages,

Social Work, Nursing and Psychology;

The main or lead scholarship: which awards undergraduates studying at least

66% of their course (80 credits a year) through the medium of Welsh £1,000 a

year (or up to £3,000 over three years);

The William Salesbury Scholarship will be available from September 2014 and

will be open to students studying 100% of their course through the medium of

Welsh. Successful applicants will be awarded £5,000 over three years. This

scholarship is funded by the William Salesbury Trust rather than public

sources.

10.3.3 Each master’s scholarship is worth £3,000 and is awarded to students studying at

least 60 credits of their master’s degree through the medium of Welsh and

presenting their dissertations in Welsh.

10.3.4 As already mentioned, funding for the Coleg’s scholarship schemes does not form

part of the Coleg’s main grant from HEFCW. The funding is awarded under a

separate agreement which places specific obligations upon the Coleg (via HEFCW),

particularly in terms of monitoring the numbers of Welsh medium credits being

pursued by individual recipients, managing payments to students and producing half

and full year reviews of the scheme’s progress. It was argued that managing the


98

application process and monitoring the scholarship scheme adds disproportionately

to the Coleg’s administrative burden.

10.3.5 The decision to award lead scholarships actually rests with individual institutions,

each of which employs its own awarding arrangements, including in some HEIs

separate examinations and interviews for what are essentially the same scholarship.

Having made their decisions, HEIs submit ‘a list of successful applicants’166 to the

Coleg so that the Coleg can write to successful applicants formally confirming their

awards. Some stakeholders questioned the appropriateness of this arrangement and

it was suggested that institutions may, on occasion, seek to use lead scholarships to

attract students who would choose to study through the medium of Welsh regardless,

though possibly at a different institution.

10.3.6 Table 10.1 shows the numbers of scholarships awarded each year since the

establishment of the Coleg. It shows that the full 150 possible undergraduate

scholarships were not awarded in 2011/12 and the Coleg used the unutilised

budgets (together with funding made available as a result of scholarship awardees

discontinuing their courses) to introduce a temporary ‘flexible scholarship’ designed

to encourage students following their courses in English to undertake at least some

modules through the medium of Welsh in their second and third years. The number

of incentive scholarships awarded in 2012/13 and 2013/14 rose markedly, which

means that less funding was available to offer flexible scholarships. 2013/14 also

saw a sharp increase in the numbers of master’s level scholarships awarded.

Table 10.1: Numbers of Students in Receipt of Scholarships by Year167

2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 Total

Undergraduate Lead Scholarship 48 53 43 144

Undergraduate Incentive Scholarship 56 69 95 220

Undergraduate Flexible Scholarship 5 40 7 52

Total Undergraduate 109 162 145 416

Master’s Scholarship - 4 15 19

10.3.7 Lead scholarships were awarded predominantly to students pursuing Arts and

Humanities subjects. This reflects the fact that those studying Welsh as a subject

are eligible for this scholarship and also that Welsh medium provision is better

established within humanities subjects such as History, Religious Studies and

166

Agreement between the Welsh Ministers and the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales relating to the administration of a Welsh Medium Scholarship Scheme, 2011 167



99

Education. Figure 10.1 shows that there has been a growth in the numbers of lead

scholarships awarded to students pursuing subjects in the Social and Economic

Sciences, predominantly Sociology and Social Policy, Sports Science, Law and

Politics. A small number of awards have also been made to students of Health

Science and Social Care subjects, most notably Social Work and Nursing. This is

important because it testifies to the availability of courses where students are able

to pursue 80 credits a year through the medium of Welsh where none existed in the

past.

Figure 10.1: Lead Scholarships Awarded by Broad Subject Area and Year168

10.3.8 Relatively few incentive scholarships have been awarded to students of Arts and

Humanities subjects. As Figure 10.2 shows, virtually half were awarded to

individuals studying the Social and Economic Sciences, most notably students of

Law, Sport Science and Business Studies. Almost two fifths of incentive

scholarships were awarded to students of Science subjects, most notably

Environmental and Agricultural Sciences and Mathematics. In 2013/14, the first

incentive scholarships were awarded to students of Biological and Biomechanical

Sciences and to students of Chemistry. One fifth of incentive scholarships were

awarded to individuals pursuing Health Sciences and Social subjects including

Psychology and Nursing.

168


0 10 20 30 40 50 60

2011/12

2012/13

2013/14

The Arts andHumanities

Social and EconomicSciences

Health Sciences andSocial Care

Sciences


100

Figure 10.2: Incentive Scholarships Awarded by Broad Subject Area and Year169

10.3.9 The year on year growth in the number of incentive scholarships awarded and the

shift in the profile of subjects being studied by awardees is significant because it

bears witness to the availability and, indeed, the take-up of Welsh medium provision

in new fields. Whilst the numbers are relatively small, this may give the Coleg room

for some optimism that its investment in supply side measures discussed in

previous chapters is starting to feed through into demand for and the take up of

undergraduate courses which involve a meaningful element of Welsh medium

provision.

10.3.10 On the whole, contributors thought it important for the Coleg to have undergraduate

and master’s level scholarships in place, not least because they help to make

people aware that it is possible to study through the medium of Welsh at university

and because they portray the Coleg in a positive light. Indeed, it could be argued

that the scholarships are what the Coleg is best known for outside Welsh medium

academic circles. At some £330,000 per annum, scholarships represent a fairly

modest investment, making up less than 5% of the Coleg’s total budget in 2013/14.

Having said this, however, the administrative burden attached to the management

of the Coleg’s scholarship schemes is significant, and there was some concern that

scholarships add disproportionately to the Coleg’s administrative costs.

169


0 20 40 60 80 100

2011/12

2012/13

2013/14

The Arts andHumanities

Social and EconomicSciences

Health Sciences andSocial Care

Sciences


101

10.3.11 Stakeholders were divided as to whether scholarships truly make a difference to the

medium through which students choose to study and our discussions with students

also suggested a mixed picture whereby the offer of a scholarship made a

difference to some individuals’ medium of study and not to others. One contributor

went as far as to speculate that 25% of scholarship recipients would choose to

study in Welsh regardless, 25% would not and the remaining 50% ‘were all to play

for’. In reality, the financial value of undergraduate scholarships, and incentive

scholarships in particular, are fairly modest and whilst recipients were grateful for

the funding, students to whom we spoke were candid that the money is a ‘bonus’

rather than something vital. Indeed, the fact that the target number of awards were

not made in 2011/12 and that the Coleg was able to offer ‘flexible scholarships’ from

2012/13 might also suggest that the persuasive power of Coleg scholarships is

limited.

10.3.12 One stakeholder argued that the Coleg might be missing an opportunity to promote

scholarships as awards which carry academic value and prestige and it is possible

that master’s scholarships, which are rather higher in value, could possibly be

promoted in this way. In the same vein, another stakeholder commented that the

title ‘scholarship’ is a bit of a misnomer and the Coleg’s awards would be more

accurately described as ‘bursaries’.

10.3.13 A number of contributors felt that the closing dates for scholarship applications are

too early and as a consequence, ‘the door is closed’ on some potential applicants

who might give more informed consideration to pursuing elements of their courses

through Welsh once they get to university. A handful of contributors argued that

scholarships are at their most ‘effective in converting those that are on the cusp’ and

who, subject to being better informed and reassured by academic staff and other

students, might opt for Welsh medium modules during their first week or two at

university. Implicit in these arguments is that scholarship application timetable builds

an element of deadweight into the award process and prevents scholarships from

having the effect they might have upon the numbers studying through the medium

of Welsh. Indeed, some contributors said that the ‘flexible scholarships’ introduced

in 2012/13 could have been used in this way rather than being targeted at second

and third year students who had probably already made the decision to undertake

elements of their courses in Welsh.


102

10.3.14 A handful of stakeholders and students were critical of the scholarship application

process, arguing that it is not entirely transparent, that it essentially excludes those

following non-traditional routes into higher education and that the selection process

differs from one institution to another. In this context, of course, it must be

remembered that the Coleg’s scholarships sit alongside an array of institutional

scholarships, including at some universities, modest scholarships for those studying

through the medium of Welsh.


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11 FINDINGS: PARTICIPATION IN WELSH MEDIUM HIGHER

EDUCATION

11.1 The longer term sustainability of Welsh medium higher education provision depends

very much upon increasing the numbers of students pursuing courses, either wholly

or in part, through the medium of Welsh. As previously discussed, London Economics

estimated that a minimum of 16 to 20 students are needed to render Welsh medium

modules viable and Professor Robin Williams’ report set targets for a progressive

increase in the numbers of students studying at least part of their HE course through

the medium of Welsh, initially to 5,600 and then to 7,500. Whilst it is clear from the

way those targets have evolved since the creation of the Coleg three years ago that

the precise definition of what amounts to meaningful ‘Welsh medium higher

education’ has been a matter of debate and gradual consensus building,

stakeholders generally accepted that the ‘litmus test’ that will testify to the success or

otherwise of the Coleg is the numbers of students pursuing a Welsh medium higher

education.

11.2 Figure 11.1 below shows that the numbers of students undertaking some element of

their higher education courses through the medium of Welsh increased steadily over

the three years running up to the creation of the Coleg before falling by almost 8%

between 2010/11 and 2011/12. Whilst it is not entirely clear why this fall in numbers

occurred, it is possible that it might owe something to changes to the way in which

data were managed in the run up to the merger of the University of Wales Trinity

Saint David and Swansea Metropolitan University. The following year saw a recovery

to levels similar to those seen over the two years prior the Coleg’s establishment.


104

Figure 11.1: Number of Students Undertaking some Element of their Course through

the Medium of Welsh by Year170

11.3 The numbers of students pursuing elements of their higher education courses

through Welsh varies considerably between institutions. To some extent this reflects

the fact that Education related courses represent almost a half of all Welsh medium

provision and that the vast majority of such courses are delivered by the University of

Wales Trinity Saint David (at some 63% in 2012/13) and Bangor University (at some

25% in 2012/13). Figure 11.2 shows the numbers of students at each institution

undertaking five credits or more and 40 credits or more through the medium of Welsh

at each institution in 2012/13.

Figure 11.2: Number of Students Undertaking Five and 40 Credits or More through

the Medium of Welsh in 2012/13 by Institution171

170

Source: HESA Student Record, HESES for FEIs 2008/09 - 2010/11, collected directly from FEIs 2011/12 - 2012/13

4,100 4,200 4,300 4,400 4,500 4,600 4,700 4,800

2008/09

2009/10

2010/11

2011/12

2012/13

Student Numbers

Ye

ar

0 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500

Glyndwr

Open University

Cardiff Metropolitan

Cardiff

Swansea University

South Wales

Aberystwyth

Bangor

UoW Trinity Saint David

Student Numbers

Inst

itu

tio

ns

5-39 Credits

40+ Credits


105

11.4 Some 42% of students studying five credits or more in Welsh in 2012/13 were

registered at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, whilst 26% and 11%

respectively were registered at Bangor and Aberystwyth Universities. The numbers

studying five credits or more through Welsh was considerably lower at the other six

universities in Wales.

11.5 Overall, some 48% of students undertaking at least five credits in Welsh actually

studied 40 or more Welsh medium credits. This proportion rose to 92% at Cardiff

Metropolitan University, 74% at Cardiff University and 69% at Aberystwyth

University, suggesting that Welsh medium provision at these institutions, although

relatively limited in the first two cases, tended to be more intense than it was at

other HEIs. The proportion studying at least 40 credits through the medium of Welsh

stood at 58% at Bangor University, but at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David

which, as already mentioned, claims over two fifths of all Welsh medium students,

only 36% actually pursued 40 credits or more through the medium of Welsh. This

might suggest that the University of Wales Trinity Saint David has adopted

strategies for meeting the headline participation target at the expense of delivering

more intensive provision.

11.6 Figure 11.3 shows that there was an increase of some 13% in the numbers pursuing

five credits through the medium of Welsh and a rather more modest increase of 4% in

the numbers undertaking a more substantial part of their courses in Welsh between

2011/12 and 2012/13.

171

Source: HEIs - HESA Student Record


106

Figure 11.3: Number of Students Undertaking Five and 40 Credits through the

Medium of Welsh172

11.7 Although starting from fairly modest bases, Cardiff Metropolitan University and the

University of South Wales saw a marked increase in the numbers of students

undertaking 40 credits or more through the medium of Welsh. More modest increases

were also seen at Aberystwyth University and the University of Wales Trinity Saint

David. Whilst the numbers studying five or more credits through the medium of Welsh

at Bangor and Swansea Universities increased slightly in 2012/13, there was a

decline in the numbers studying 40 or more credits across both institutions. Cardiff

University saw a small decline in both figures over the same period.

11.8 The Coleg will need to achieve an annual increase in the region of 5% in the number

of students undertaking at least five credits through the medium of Welsh in order to

meet its 2015/16 target. The annual increase required to meet the 2015/16 target for

the numbers studying at least 40 credits in Welsh is around 9%. Whilst it is not

possible with any rigour to determine a trend from two years’ data, Figure 11.4

suggests that, based on the rate of growth seen between 2011/12 and 2012/13 the

Coleg can hope to exceed its 2015/16 five credits credit target, though the picture is a

little less promising in relation to the numbers studying at least 40 credits through the

medium of Welsh, as shown in Figure 11.5.

172

Source: Source: HEIs - HESA Student Record

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

Individuals studying 5 or morecredits

Individuals studying 40 or morecredits

Stu

de

nt

Nu

mb

ers

2011/12

2012/13


107

Figure 11.4: the Trend-line in Relation to the Number of Students Undertaking Five

Credits through the Medium of Welsh173

Figure 11.5: the Trend-line in Relation to the Number of Students Undertaking 40

Credits through the Medium of Welsh174

11.9 A number of contributors argued that the Welsh Government’s Fees Policy is

inconsistent with its stated aims for Welsh medium higher education and undermines

the Coleg and Welsh universities’ ability to meet the targets set for participation in

Welsh medium higher education.

11.10 Figure 11.6 below shows the numbers of Welsh domiciled students accepting places

at universities in Wales, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. It is noticeable that

since the advent of the Coleg (which roughly coincided with the introduction of the

173

Source: HEIs - HESA Student Record 174

Source: HEIs - HESA Student Record

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

Stu

de

nt

Nu

mb

ers

2011/12 Actual 2012/13 Actual 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 Target

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

3,500

Stu

de

nt

Nu

mb

ers

2011/12 Actual 2012/13 Actual 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 Target


108

new fees and funding regime in Wales), there has been a steady year on year growth

in the numbers of Welsh domiciled students accepting places at English universities

and a corresponding decline in the numbers accepting places at Welsh institutions. It

was argued that this represents the haemorrhaging of a significant level of funding

that could be targeted at the Welsh higher education sector and also leads to the loss

to Wales of some of its most able young people.

Figure 11.6 Acceptances to UCAS Institutions of Welsh Domiciled Applicants by

Year175

11.11 Whilst it was accepted that some students would choose to study outside Wales

regardless of the Welsh Government’s fees policy, contributors believed that many

would opt to remain in Wales if support was confined to courses at Welsh

universities. Of course, the overwhelming majority of students who might choose to

study in Wales in such circumstances would do so through the medium of English.

However, some contributors were convinced that a small proportion might undertake

at least part of their courses though the medium of Welsh. Given that in excess of

7,000 Welsh domiciled students accepted places at universities outside Wales in

2013/14, a number of contributors argued that a change in policy could increase the

numbers participating in Welsh medium courses could be increased by tens if not a

couple of hundred students.

175

Source: UCAS, Interim assessment of UCAS acceptances by intended entry year, country of institution and qualifications held, (2013 cycle, 4 weeks after A level results), UCAS Analysis and Research, 24 September 2013

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14

Stu

de

nt

Nu

mb

ers

England

Northern Ireland

Scotland

Wales


109

12 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

12.1 INTRODUCTION

12.1.1 In this chapter, we recap upon developments that led to the establishment of the

Coleg before presenting our conclusions in relation to the issues which the

evaluation was expected to address, viz:

whether the Coleg is achieving/has achieved its aims and objectives (section

12.3);

the effectiveness of the Coleg’s management arrangements (section 12.4);

the effectiveness of the Coleg’s main schemes and activities (section 12.5);

and

whether the Coleg’s work represents value for money (section 12.6).

12.1.2 In presenting our conclusions, we also make recommendations for improvements

where appropriate.

12.2 BACKGROUND

12.2.1 It is now over ten years since the Welsh Government expressed its vision of a

higher education system in which Welsh medium provision would be ‘part of [the]

mainstream’ and institutions would ‘work flexibly and collaboratively to look at how

they can meet Welsh medium demand’. As early as 2004, work done by the

Steering Group for Welsh Medium Provision in Higher Education established by

HEFCW pointed to the need to invest in the capacity of universities to develop and

deliver Welsh medium provision as well as to stimulate demand for Welsh medium

higher education among existing and prospective students. The Steering Group’s

Welsh Medium Provision in Higher Education Strategy document acknowledged

that the development and maintenance of sustainable Welsh medium higher

education provision would rely on:

the commitment of higher education institutions;

‘substantial pump-priming funding’; and

‘a sustainable funding system’ in the longer term ‘which will allow gains to be

consolidated and continued’.


110

12.2.2 Over more than a decade, HEFCW has made resources available to help drive the

Welsh Government’s agenda, initially through the creation of the Welsh Medium

Teaching Development Unit and later, the Centre for Welsh Medium Higher

Education. The report of the Coleg Ffederal Planning Board in 2009 marked a

change of pace and led to the creation of the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol in 2011

to ‘work with and through existing HEIs in Wales’ in developing and maintaining

Welsh medium provision. The establishment of the Coleg was accompanied by a

substantial increase in the level of resources allocated with the intention that this

would provide the pump priming needed to bring about the step-change required.

12.2.3 More recent policy statements, along with the annual ‘remit letter’ to HEFCW,

demonstrate the Welsh Government’s continued commitment to increasing the

availability of and participation in Welsh medium higher education and, indeed, to

the provision of higher education in fields to do with the Welsh language and Welsh

culture.

12.2.4 The establishment of the Coleg coincided with a significant change to higher

education funding arrangements, most notably the introduction by the Welsh

Government of a new fee waiver grant for Welsh domiciled students, designed to

offset increases in tuition fees following the removal of the tuition fee cap across the

United Kingdom. The fee waiver grant was funded through the reallocation of

monies previously paid to universities by HEFCW via its teaching grant. This

change also saw the tapering down of ‘Welsh Medium Premium’ funding paid by

HEFCW to institutions in recognition of the additional costs associated with

delivering Welsh medium provision to comparatively small groups of students. In

this context, it is notable that until 2014, guidance to universities on the

development of fee plans made only fleeting reference to Welsh medium provision,

though in relation to the 2014/15 and 2015/16 academic years, institutions are

expected to set targets for the delivery of Welsh medium credits.

12.2.5 It remains uncertain at this stage what powers HEFCW will have in relation to the

oversight of Welsh medium provision once the Higher Education (Wales) Bill is

enacted.


111

12.3 PROGRESS MADE BY THE COLEG TOWARDS ACHIEVING ITS AIMS

12.3.1 The Coleg’s first Strategic Plan set out five ‘main aims’. The first of these essentially

represented an overarching statement of the organisation’s purpose, echoing the

‘objects’ clause set out in the Articles of Association, viz:

‘to advance learning and knowledge in line with its constitution, by promoting,

maintaining, developing and overseeing Welsh medium provision in higher

education in Wales, working with and through higher education institutions in

Wales’.

12.3.2 The remaining four main aims build upon this overarching statement and we

consider the progress made against each one below. It is important to say at the

outset, however, that the Coleg has achieved a great deal in a short time and has

been highly successful in gaining the trust and respect of a range of stakeholders

across government and the higher education sector in Wales. It is also worth noting

from the outset that the specification for this study recognised that it is ‘early in the

lifetime of the Coleg to undertake an evaluation of the outcome’ of the investment

made thus far.

Aim 2: to provide unity of purpose, cohesion and leadership through a

national strategy

12.3.3 At a high level, the publication of the Coleg’s Strategic and Academic Plans,

alongside work done to engage with HEIs at various levels, has certainly started to

bring about the ‘unity of purpose and cohesion’ spoken of in the Strategic Plan. We

have been struck by the enthusiasm among many senior figures within HEIs

towards the development of Welsh medium provision.

12.3.4 At a more operational level, the process of developing subject plans has served to

bring together academic staff from different institutions, as well as other key

stakeholders. This has, undoubtedly, helped to develop a sense of common

purpose and a better understanding of the challenges faced in planning a coherent

and sustainable pattern of provision for the future.

12.3.5 The work done by the Coleg has certainly started a debate about the pattern of

Welsh medium provision at a subject/discipline level. However, discussions have

thus far focused primarily on establishing and extending provision and the Coleg


112

has yet to really start challenging HEIs where their own institutional strategies

potentially undermine the sustainability of provision at a national level. The

magnitude of the task that faces the Coleg in getting to grips with the practical

implications of planning provision across a number of institutions should not be

underestimated. Nevertheless, over the next two years or so, it is vital that the

Coleg tackles this issue and succeeds in engaging institutions in genuine

negotiations about collaboration in the actual delivery of courses or modules,

particularly where student numbers are too small to sustain similar provision at two

or more institutions.

12.3.6 The Coleg has introduced thresholds for the volume of Welsh medium content

within courses and, crucially, HEFCW now asks universities to set targets in their

fee plans for participation in courses involving five or more and 40 or more Welsh

medium credits. We believe that this is important in that it provides greater clarity as

to what constitutes Welsh medium provision and signals the need for institutions to

do more than include a tokenistic element of Welsh within courses.

12.3.7 However, differences between targets set in institutions’ 2014/15 fee plans and

figures submitted to the Coleg to inform its subject plans, suggest a disconnect in

the planning and target setting process at an institutional level. The fact that the

targets set in institutions’ fee plans also fall somewhat short of HEFCW’s 2015/16

Corporate Strategy target for the numbers of students pursuing Welsh medium

higher education suggests that the level of ambition among HEIs in terms of

extending their Welsh medium offer falls short of what is required. It was clear to us

that whilst the Coleg has done much to engage senior academic staff, the

development of Welsh medium provision is not at the top of most institutions’

agendas and their commitment to working towards a national vision for Welsh

medium higher education will inevitably remain secondary to other priorities. This

situation has perhaps been compounded by the removal of the Welsh medium

premium, which provided institutions with a visible means of meeting the additional

per capita cost of delivering Welsh medium provision, and which represented a

significant income stream for some universities.

12.3.8 The Coleg has no means of compelling HEIs to step up the volume of Welsh

medium provision planned and nor in reality, does HEFCW, albeit that it might be

able to bring some pressure to bear on institutions through the fee plans approval

process. The Coleg is very much reliant upon HEIs’ willingness to work with it and


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we believe that it has been right to take a consultative and facilitative approach in

encouraging and supporting institutions to develop Welsh medium provision and in

seeking to provide the pan-Wales oversight necessary to ensure coherence across

institutions. In this context, it could be argued that the Coleg should be more closely

involved in the process of scrutinising institutions’ fee plans targets and in helping to

ensure coherence between institutional fee plan targets and those set in its own

subject plans.

RECOMMENDATION 1

HEFCW, HEIs and the Coleg should explore how the Coleg might contribute to the

process of scrutinising institutions’ fee plans and how it might work with HEIs to

ensure that the ambitions of departments or schools in relation to the development

of Welsh medium provision are fully reflected in and accord with institutional fee

plans.

RECOMMENDATION 2

The Welsh Government should give particular consideration to making specific

provision within the Higher Education (Wales) Bill relating to how institutions

should deal with Welsh medium provision in their fee plans.

Aim 3: to create a permanent and robust structure, on a national basis

12.3.9 Beyond its emphasis on academic and subject planning, the Coleg has

concentrated its effort and investment over the last three years on increasing

institutions’ capacity to support Welsh medium teaching and research.

12.3.10 The Coleg’s most significant achievement in this respect has been the appointment

of 95 lecturers under the Academic Staffing Scheme, against a Strategic Plan target

of 100 appointments by 2015/16. Crucially, our fieldwork suggested that few if any

of these appointments would have been made without the Coleg’s support.

12.3.11 There was an overwhelming view that the people taken-on have been able

individuals and that the appointment of such a large cohort of Welsh medium

lecturers over such as short period has been an impressive achievement and has

helped to foster positive attitudes towards Welsh medium higher education within

universities. The appointment of lecturers in subject areas where Welsh medium


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provision is relatively novel, especially in the last couple of years, has been

particularly important in this regard. This paves the way for appointees to potentially

move into more senior positions where they might be able to influence decisions

about provision and, thus, create a virtuous cycle whereby Welsh medium provision

is sustained and further developed.

12.3.12 The facts of university life are rather harsher than the picture painted above,

however, and it is clear that without a significant growth in the numbers participating

in Welsh medium provision over the next year or so, only a limited proportion of the

posts created will be sustained into the future without further financial support from

the Coleg. Whilst institutions accept that Welsh medium provision might merit an

element of subsidy from institutional tuition fee income, it is clear that modules or

courses attracting very small numbers of students, however important to the Welsh

language, economy or society, would be vulnerable in the medium to longer term.

Indeed, it could be argued that the Academic Staffing Scheme, as it stands, renders

the Coleg a hostage to fortune in that, when the funding for particular posts comes

to an end, institutions are able to discontinue more marginal provision on the basis

that it is unviable.

12.3.13 In our view, it is absolutely appropriate that the Coleg is already considering how it

will work with higher education institutions to sustain the posts that have been

created beyond 2016. Alternative models which the Coleg might consider include:

developing a joint funding model, whereby institutions would be required to

absorb more of the costs of employing designated academic staff as increasing

numbers of students are recruited. Indeed, such an approach was proposed by

London Economics in its 2007 report and the Coleg’s draft Strategic Plan for

2016-20 talks about developing ‘joint funding models’;

adopting an ‘output’ rather than an ‘input’ based funding model whereby the

Coleg awards grants to institutions conditional upon their delivering so many

Welsh medium credits in a particular subject area;

drawing upon lessons from the Further Education sector, where Bilingual

Champions have been funded to develop the capacity to deliver Welsh medium

provision among institutions’ existing staff.

12.3.14 In reality, however, the sustainability of posts already created, let alone the further

development of Welsh medium academic capacity cannot be an issue for the Coleg

alone and it is crucial that HEIs, HEFCW and the Welsh Government engage with


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the Coleg in determining how best to ensure that the higher education sector

continues to benefit from the investment already made by the Coleg.

RECOMMENDATION 3

The Coleg needs to fully appraise itself of the implications of Academic Staffing

Scheme grants coming to an end. Where relevant, the Coleg should work closely

with HEIs to explore factors that prevent specific posts from being sustained and

what might be done to protect them.

Having done this, the Coleg should develop proposals, alongside relevant HEIs, to

sustain posts under threat for a period of up to three years. The Coleg should

make it clear to HEIs that further funding will be awarded only on an exceptional

basis and will be conditional upon HEIs’ ability to demonstrate that the posts in

question have the potential to become sustainable or are of particular strategic

importance to the development of Welsh medium higher education provision.

RECOMMENDATION 4

The Coleg should discuss the likely future of posts supported under the Academic

Staffing Scheme with HEFCW and the Welsh Government. All three parties should

then work together to put in place arrangements to ensure that the investment

made via the Academic Staffing Scheme is not wasted. This could possibly include

the introduction of a new incentive scheme whereby selected institutions are

encouraged to offer more marginal Welsh medium provision in priority subjects/

disciplines which are unlikely to ever attract large numbers of Welsh medium

students.

12.3.15 The Research Scholarship Scheme is another important component of the Coleg’s

effort to develop a sustainable Welsh medium academic community. A total of 39

Research Scholarships have been awarded against a 2014/15 target of 40.

12.3.16 Again, evidence pointed to the quality of Research Scholarship holders and to their

potential as respected academics committed to furthering Welsh medium higher

education opportunities. Having said this, however, academic posts were by no

means a guaranteed outcome for Research Scholars and, in some cases, it was

clear that Scholars’ progression ambitions were likely to be thwarted by the


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existence of Academic Staffing Scheme lecturers within their host university

schools/ departments.

RECOMMENDATION 5

The Coleg should consider awarding a reduced number of Research Scholarships

in the future, focusing on subject areas/disciplines where there is likely to be a

shortage of academic staff capable of working through the medium of Welsh. The

Coleg should also explore the potential of awarding Scholarships for research into

themes of interest to Welsh Government policy makers, thus increasing the

potential utility of research supported whilst also helping to raise the profile of the

Coleg with a key stakeholder group.

Aim 4: increasing the numbers of students studying through the medium of

Welsh;

12.3.17 As already stated, the Coleg has thus far focused primarily on the development of

the supply side in terms of building academic capacity and putting in place the

infrastructure necessary to support Welsh medium provision. Less attention has

been given to promoting the idea of Welsh medium higher education and to

encouraging students to undertake some or all of their university studies through

the medium of Welsh. This was the right approach to take in that it would not have

been productive or ethical for the Coleg to invest heavily in promoting Welsh

medium provision that did not yet exist.

12.3.18 That is not to say that the Coleg has not been complacent in this respect, however,

and developments such as the publication of the Coleg’s first prospectus represent

an important step forward. The Coleg, alongside lecturers and researchers whose

posts are funded under the Academic Staffing Scheme, has sought to promote

Welsh medium provision through visits to schools, involvement in UCAS fairs and

university open days and by having a visible presence at major events such as the

Urdd and National Eisteddfod.

12.3.19 Despite the work done to promote Welsh medium higher education, however, the

headline target for the number of students undertaking some of their higher

education through the medium of Welsh is yet to be met by the Coleg and its

partners in the higher education sector. The Coleg Board of Directors is acutely


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aware of this fact and accepts that now the ‘start-up’ phase of the Coleg is

complete, it needs to focus even more intensively and effectively on demand side

measures designed to stimulate and support participation in Welsh medium higher

education.

12.3.20 Indeed, whilst acknowledging the importance of the headline target (which

originated from Professor Robin Williams’ report), the Coleg introduced targets for

participation in provision involving five, 40, 80 and 120 credits’ worth of Welsh

medium provision each year in its Academic Plan. We believe that this was the right

thing to do in that it provides institutions with clarity surrounding what actually

constitutes Welsh medium provision whilst also raising the bar in terms of the depth

of Welsh medium content within courses. We also applaud HEFCW’s decision to

include the five and 40 credit targets within its 2013/14 - 2015/16 Corporate

Strategy and its grant letters from 2013/14 onwards.

12.3.21 Of course, it could be argued that the adoption of the five credit definition makes it

slightly more challenging for the Coleg and its HEI partners to achieve the headline

target. Furthermore, the introduction of a new 40 credit target forces institutions to

focus on the depth as well as the breadth of Welsh medium provision (quite rightly,

in our view), again arguably adding to the challenge of meeting the headline target.

12.3.22 Having said this, and whilst some stakeholders are concerned that the Coleg and its

HEI partners might not meet the headline target for 5,600 students undertaking at

least five credits through the medium of Welsh by 2015/16, we believe that there is

room for optimism, particularly as new Welsh medium modules become available in

the wake of appointments made under the Academic Staffing Scheme. We would

also hope that a greater emphasis upon promoting the take-up of Welsh medium

provision over the next year will help the Coleg to meet this headline target. It is

however, likely to be more challenging to achieve the target for 3,030 students

undertaking at least 40 credits through the medium of Welsh by 2015/16, given the

current position.

12.3.23 As already stated, the Coleg has also gone some way to encouraging students to

undertake some or all of their university studies through the medium of Welsh and

previous research found that activities undertaken by the Coleg to promote Welsh

medium higher education have been on the right track. We very much share the

Board’s view that it is now time for the Coleg to pay closer attention to the


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promotion of Welsh medium higher education, though this needs to be done

alongside other stakeholders.

RECOMMENDATION 6

The Coleg should put in place and implement a recruitment strategy aimed at

prospective students, teachers/lecturers, parents and others who influence

prospective students’ decisions, drawing upon recommendations made by Old Bell

3 and Dateb in 2013 and working with the Welsh Government and HEIs to ensure

the consistency of messages176. The strategy should include:

a programme of presentations, activities and resources to be deployed by

Coleg officers alongside schools. The programme should be targeted initially

upon those areas which offer the greatest potential in terms of attracting

significant numbers of young people into Welsh medium higher education177.

The programme should be designed to:

- raise teachers and lecturers’ awareness of Welsh medium higher

education opportunities and the scholarships offered by the Coleg;

- progressively build young people’s awareness of the advantages of

pursuing a Welsh medium higher education and the opportunities and

support available to them;

- inform parents about Welsh medium higher education and the

scholarships offered by the Coleg.

attending key events such as UCAS fairs, university open days and

eisteddfodau178;

exploring the possibility of putting on Welsh medium residential experiences

at HEIs for year 12 students. Such residentials would give prospective

students the opportunity to get a foretaste of Welsh medium lectures/

seminars, to undertake work of relevance to their A level studies in Welsh

and possibly earn higher education level credits, to meet undergraduates

currently studying through the medium of Welsh, to socialise with others in a

176

We understand that a strategy along these lines was approved by the Coleg’s Board of Directors in February 2014 177

We understand that the Coleg is planning to pilot more targeted recruitment activities in schools in parts of Gwynedd, Carmarthenshire and Rhondda Cynon Taf, in line with recommendations made in Old Bell 3 and Dateb’s 2013 report 178

The Coleg already does this and should continue to do so


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similar position to themselves, and to be reminded of the availability of Coleg

scholarships179;

working with HEIs to develop a scheme involving Coleg scholarship

recipients in mentoring school sixth formers and students in further

education colleges, particularly where school/college students doubt their

ability to cope with Welsh medium higher education;

using the Coleg’s web-site and social media to convey and reinforce key

messages180;

publishing a prospectus to provide prospective students with an easy

reference point in understanding what Welsh medium provision is

available181;

considering approaches to targeting those who might enter Welsh medium

higher education via less traditional routes, including those progressing from

further education or lifelong learning courses;

considering how Welsh medium part time and work related courses might be

promoted to individuals and employers.

RECOMMENDATION 7

HEIs should put in place arrangements to promote Welsh medium provision that

they offer. Coleg branches should play a key role in ensuring the coherence of these

arrangements across departments within individual HEIs and between HEIs’

individual efforts and those of the Coleg. Activities might include:

ensuring that prospective students who speak Welsh are informed of courses

or modules in their fields of interest which are available in Welsh;

ensuring that Welsh speaking prospective students are made aware of the

Coleg’s scholarships;

allocating Welsh speaking first year undergraduates to Welsh medium tutor

groups as a matter of course, giving them the option to opt-out rather than

placing the onus upon them to opt-in182;

179

We understand that a summer school for Year 12 pupils and those in the first year at further education colleges will be held at Bangor University for the first time in August 2014 180

The Coleg already does this and should continue to do so 181

The Coleg already does this and should continue to do so 182

The Coleg’s Board of Directors adopted this principle in February 2014 and a circular was published inviting HEIs to implement such an approach. We understand that such an approach has already been adopted by some institutions, with some success


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using lecturers and researchers whose posts are funded by the Coleg to

promote the courses or modules they deliver at schools, further education

institutions and, where appropriate, in the workplace;

using existing students in receipt of Coleg scholarships to mentor school

sixth formers and students in further education colleges (see previous

recommendation);

ensuring that Welsh medium provision is given a high enough profile within

HEI prospectuses (including prospectuses printed in English) and web-sites;

ensuring that Coleg branding is clearly displayed by HEIs in promoting their


12.3.24 The undergraduate and Masters’ level scholarship schemes represent a key

component of the Coleg’s armoury and there was a strong suggestion that incentive

scholarships in particular have been used to encourage participation in Welsh

medium provision in non-traditional subject areas/disciplines. Having said this, our

fieldwork suggested that there might be an element of deadweight attached to

Coleg scholarships, and possibly more so to lead scholarships. We believe that the

Coleg should consider carefully the motivational effects of the two different types of

scholarship upon students.

12.3.25 The scholarship scheme is subject to separate funding arrangements to the Coleg’s

main grant and we perceive that conditions attached to the scheme may be

disproportionately restrictive and cumbersome, particularly given the relatively

modest overall value of the scholarship scheme. There may be scope to reduce the

administrative burden attached to the scholarship scheme and to introduce greater

consistency and transparency to the application and awards process.

RECOMMENDATION 8

The Coleg should undertake an evaluation of the effects and effectiveness of its

undergraduate and master’s level scholarships. The evaluation should explore:

the motivational effects of the different types of scholarships: how much of

an influence do they have upon recipients’ decision to study through the

medium of Welsh?;

whether the arrangements for awarding scholarships, including the timing

of the application process, maximise the degree to which scholarships


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induce students to pursue Welsh medium courses/modules, where they

would not otherwise;

how the Coleg’s scholarships fit in with scholarships and bursaries offered

by individual HEIs;

how the system for awarding scholarships might be made more transparent

and equitable across institutions;

how the system for administering and managing scholarships might be

improved.

Subject to the findings of this evaluation, the Coleg and HEFCW should discuss

with the Welsh Government how conditions attached to the scholarship scheme

funding might be relaxed or altered to ensure the scheme’s effectiveness and

efficiency.

Aim 5: collaborating with other national bodies in order to contribute to the

social, economic and cultural life of Wales

12.3.26 The main focus of the Coleg’s work since its creation in 2011 has been planning

and developing the capacity of HEIs to step up the volume of Welsh medium higher

education delivered on a sustainable basis. Having said this, many of the activities

undertaken by the Coleg contribute to Wales’ social, economic and cultural life. For

example:

annual lectures given by notable academics and others on a range of subjects

e.g. the constitutional basis of the Welsh legislature and first world war

literature;

the Coleg organises a range of activities at the Urdd and National Eisteddfod,

including musical entertainment, talks, demonstrations, hands on art and craft

experiences, book launches and presentations;

work done to develop Welsh medium digital resources, including the

digitization of out of print books will ensure that important Welsh medium

resources can be accessed by the general public in perpetuity;

an increasing emphasis has been put upon building HEIs’ capacity to deliver

Welsh medium provision in vocational fields where Welsh language skills are

particularly important, for example, Law, Business and Nursing and Midwifery.


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This should help to ensure a workforce capable of meeting customers and

clients’ linguistic preferences and expectations;

the Welsh Language Skills Certificate and associated digital resources

provides a means for employers to assess and develop staff’s Welsh

language skills and again, this should better prepare the workforce to meet

customers’ expectations.

12.3.27 In reality, however, any contribution to the social, economic and cultural life of

Wales will be spin-offs from the Coleg’s main business, which is to ensure that

students are able to exercise their right to access Welsh medium higher education.

12.4 ASSESS THE DELIVERY AND MANAGEMENT OF THE COLEG’S

OBJECTIVES

12.4.1 The Coleg is governed by an enthusiastic and committed Board of Directors. A

review of the Board’s performance over the Coleg’s first two years in existence

suggested that governance arrangements are robust and that there is a healthy

working relationship between the Board and Coleg officers. Our discussions with

directors and staff also gave the impression of a constructive relationship whereby

members of the Coleg Board of Directors provide challenge and support to the

executive, as appropriate.

12.4.2 We have been struck by the professionalism and dedication of the Coleg’s core

team and it is notable that Coleg officers are held in high regard by peers across the

higher education sector.

12.4.3 The structure of the Coleg’s core team has evolved over time, reflecting the need to

change emphasis as progress has been made. The number of staff employed by

the Coleg has increased since its creation and it could be argued that the core team

is by now a little larger than was envisaged by Professor Robin Williams. However,

our fieldwork with stakeholders did not suggest that the Coleg’s core team is too

large, with some contributors arguing that the Coleg has been forced to ‘be more

hands-on’ than it might have chosen to be, because HEIs have not hitherto

embraced the Welsh medium agenda in deed (as opposed to principle) to the

extent that it was hoped they would.

12.4.4 Whilst we think that the level of staffing is about right for the time being, the Coleg

does need to keep an eye on its staffing costs going forward, particularly in the


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current financial climate. Care is needed in moving forward to ensure that the

Coleg’s resources are, as far as possible, pushed out to HEIs in order to ensure

ownership of the Welsh medium agenda at an institutional level.

RECOMMENDATION 9

As part of its wider strategic and subject planning, the Coleg needs to explore how

institutions might be encouraged to embrace the Welsh medium agenda at a

practical level. Earlier recommendations relating to fee plans and to sustaining

academic posts currently funded by the Coleg are germane to this point. In

particular, the Coleg should consider how it might attach conditions to future funding

awards in order to lever HEI investment in Welsh medium provision.

12.4.5 Successive grant letters have made it clear that HEFCW may not be able to sustain

the level of grant made available to the Coleg. Given that the Coleg’s initial period of

support comes to an end in 2017, the Coleg should develop contingency plans to

prepare itself for a possible cut in funding. Whilst we are not aware that any

statements have been made that the Coleg’s funding will be cut, pressures upon

public sector budgets across the board suggest that the Coleg should prepare itself

for the possibility that its funding might be reduced post 2017.

RECOMMENDATION 10

The Coleg should consider how it would deal with changes to the level of its main

grant and scholarship scheme funding. In doing so, it should consider options, were

it to face different levels of funding and how it might mitigate against the negative

impacts of any reductions, including how it might focus more limited resources upon

the achievement of targets and how it might generate funding from sources other

than HEFCW.

12.5 ASSESS THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE VARIOUS ELEMENTS

12.5.1 We have already discussed aspects of the Coleg’s most important and costly

schemes: the Academic Staffing Scheme, the Research Scholarship Scheme and

the undergraduate and master’s level scholarship schemes. Here we touch upon

other key aspects of the Coleg’s work, including skills development programmes


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relating to both the Academic Staffing Scheme and the Research Scholarship

Scheme.

12.5.2 Both these skills development programmes provide opportunities for lecturers and

researchers to meet others in similar situations to their own and appear to add to the

sense of community among Welsh medium practitioners. Research conferences

organised by the Coleg are particularly important in helping to raise awareness of

Welsh and Welsh medium scholarship and in allowing budding academics the

opportunity to present papers early in their careers.

12.5.3 There might, however, be some scope to improve the relevance of research skills

training and to ensure that it complements rather than duplicates sessions already

put on by institutions.

RECOMMENDATION 11

The Coleg should consider how it might increase the relevance and appeal of its

research skills programme, particularly to second and third year research students.

In particular, consideration should be given to:

offering training on ‘effective interviewing’ as an element of qualitative

research approaches;

exploring how the programme fits with Welsh medium research skills

training already offered by universities and, possibly, engaging those

universities in delivering training sessions to researchers at other

institutions, making use of the Coleg’s learning spaces.

12.5.4 In terms of the wider Welsh medium higher education infrastructure and, as foreseen

in Professor Robin Williams’ report, the branch network has materialised into a key

part of the Coleg’s infrastructure in that it provides a vital link, at various levels, with

institutions. It is notable that the Coleg has yet to establish a branch at Glyndŵr

University and whilst this institution has engaged with the Coleg (e.g. through

involvement in the Academic Board and subject panels), this would seem a gap that

needs to be addressed.

12.5.5 Whilst each of the existing branches works differently, reflecting local

circumstances, there is some scope to enhance the level of understanding within

individual institutions as to the role and purpose of Coleg branches. Whilst the


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Coleg’s 2011 Circular provides a useful insight as to what is expected of branches,

it might be helpful to set out in slightly less general terms what individual branches

hope to achieve and plan to do over a two or three year period.

RECOMMENDATION 12

The Coleg should consider whether it needs to be more explicit about what it

expects its branches to do and whether it should agree an agenda or action plan

with each institution for its local branch.

12.5.6 We perceive that there is scope to increase the visibility of Coleg branches and to

use the Coleg’s branding to help normalise the idea of Welsh medium higher

education among university staff and students, most particularly Welsh speaking

students pursuing their courses entirely through the medium of English and who

have no involvement with the Coleg.

RECOMMENDATION 13

The Coleg should consider whether Coleg branches are located in the most

advantageous places within the institution (for example alongside student

registries, student support service areas, libraries or cafes/refectories) and, where

appropriate, discuss with individual institutions how the branch and the Coleg’s

branding more generally might be made more visible.

12.5.7 The Coleg has responded positively to the Welsh Government and HEFCW’s

expectations in terms of embracing the use of technology to facilitate the sharing of

resources and the delivery of courses across a number of locations. Significant

investment has been made in the development of digital teaching and learning

resources, which is crucial in underpinning higher level study through the medium of

Welsh. It is clear, however, that the resources produced are not being used to the

degree that they might, which raises questions about the value which the Welsh

medium higher education community is actually deriving from the Coleg’s

investment. A number of inter-related factors hinder the use of resources:

the perceived inconvenience for staff and students of needing to log-in to Y

Porth separately from institutions’ own VLEs, though the Coleg has now

introduced a single log-in facility;


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varying levels of ‘ownership’ among academic staff of resources accessible

from Y Porth;

the lack of consistent use of Y Porth by students as the place to go for Welsh

medium resources.

12.5.8 Despite this, Y Porth offers an obvious single repository for Welsh medium higher

education learning resources and also represents a visible manifestation of the

Coleg. It is clear that the Coleg has some work to do in increasing the use made of

Y Porth and of the resources it contains by both students and academic staff.

RECOMMENDATION 14

The Coleg should develop a plan for establishing Y Porth as the place to go for

Welsh medium resources and for increasing the use made of the site by academic

staff, students and other potential users. In developing such a plan, the Coleg

should:

explore the possibility of Y Porth becoming an entirely open source

repository, possibly linking in with Higher Education Wales’ OERWales

project;

consider how Y Porth and the resources it contains might be promoted to

staff within universities including, but also extending beyond those whose

posts are funded under the Academic Staffing Scheme and the Research

Scholarship Scheme;

invite academics beyond those whose posts are funded by the Coleg to

contribute open source materials for loading onto Y Porth. In order to

ensure that the quality assurance process is manageable, the Coleg might

consider focusing upon particular priority subject areas in the first instance;

consider how Y Porth might link with the Welsh Government’s Hwb portal,

with a view to facilitating access to resources designed to stimulate

interest in Welsh medium higher education among sixth formers and

students in further education settings;

consider how the use made of resources accessible via Y Porth might be

monitored. Whilst a move towards open source would make it more

difficult to monitor the use of resources by different types of users, it is

essential that use is monitored in order to provide some indication of the

return on the Coleg’s investment.


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12.5.9 The Coleg’s use of Learning Spaces for subject panel meetings and branch officer

meetings helps to facilitate interaction between staff and students from different

institutions at minimal cost and arguably reinforces the potential of collaborative

working using technology. However, as already stated, collaboration between

institutions on the actual delivery of courses has been fairly limited thus far and this,

undoubtedly, lessens the motivation for lecturers and students to access resources

from Y Porth. It also means that less use is made of the Coleg’s Learning Spaces

for teaching purposes than might have been expected.

12.5.10 Gwerddon, the Coleg’s e-journal is adding value in terms of providing Welsh

medium academics with a place to publish in Welsh and, although readership is

fairly limited, Gwerddon helps to promote the idea of Welsh medium scholarship.

Over the last three years, the Coleg has published 10 editions of Gwerddon,

exceeding the target of two editions per annum set in the Strategic Plan.

RECOMMENDATION 15

The Coleg should consider how it might promote Gwerddon to a wider readership,

including for example, policy makers within the Welsh Government and teachers/

lecturers within schools and further education colleges. In so doing, it might

promote shortened articles via sources such as the Welsh Government’s Dysg

web-site and Hwb.

12.5.11 The Welsh Language Skills Certificate is one area where Y Porth and the Coleg’s

Learning Spaces have been used to deliver provision, though in reality students

take-up of seminars delivered via the web was limited. Whilst stakeholders

generally see the value in the Welsh Language Skills Certificate, a number of

issues need to be addressed to ensure wider buy-in and up-take.

12.5.12 The Coleg is currently acting as the ‘awarding body’ for the Welsh Language Skills

Certificate, contrary to recommendations made in the Williams Report. This is far

from ideal and the Coleg should increase its efforts to ensure that HEIs embrace

the Certificate and award the qualification in their own names.


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RECOMMENDATION 16

The Coleg should work with stakeholders to hone its Welsh Language Skills

Certificate, paying particular attention to:

the level at which the qualification is pitched;

how the Certificate fits in with other Welsh language qualifications;

whether the Certificate should become a graded qualification;

arrangements for teaching and supporting students, with an increased

emphasis on HEIs taking responsibility for doing this on a collaborative

basis;

how and when candidates should be assessed;

the appointment of one or more awarding bodies as soon as possible.

12.5.13 A number of students who contributed to this evaluation had been unaware that

they were required to complete the Welsh Language Skills Certificate as a condition

of their scholarship funding. Whilst this probably owed something to the fact that the

Certificate was only introduced in 2012/13, more clearly needs to be done to ensure

students are aware of their obligations.

RECOMMENDATION 17

The Coleg should take steps to ensure that the requirement to work towards the

Welsh Language Skills Certificate is spelled out more clearly to undergraduate and

master’s level scholarship recipients. This message needs to be reinforced from

time to time as individuals progress through their time at university.

12.6 VALUE FOR MONEY ON THE BASIS OF OUTPUTS AND OUTCOMES

12.6.1 Ultimately, any assessment of the value derived from the Welsh Government’s

investment in the Coleg and in Welsh medium higher education will boil down to

whether the targets set in HEFCW’s corporate strategy have been met within the

budgets set. Given that the targets relate to participation in Welsh medium higher

education in 2015/16, it is clearly too early to assess whether or not they have been

met, although as already indicated, we are optimistic that the overarching target of

5,600 students undertaking at least 5 credits through the medium of Welsh will be


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met. We are less confident that the target of 3,030 students undertaking at least 40

credits through the medium of Welsh will be achieved, however.

12.6.2 Beyond this, it was recognised that in order to ‘create a sustainable system for Welsh

medium higher education’, short term investment would be necessary to build HEIs

capacity to deliver Welsh medium higher education and to stimulate demand for such

provision. The work done by the Coleg in its first three years in existence has very

much focused on building ‘supply side’ capacity and, in terms of measurable outputs

and outcomes183, it has led or supported:

the development of the first Wales wide Academic Plan for Welsh medium

higher education provision;

the development and approval of 19 subject plans, with more in the pipeline;

the appointment of 95 lecturers;

the appointment of 39 research students undertaking doctoral level research

through the medium of Welsh;

the publication of 10 editions of Gwerddon;

the establishment of learning spaces at seven HEIs;

the addition of a range of learning resources to Y Porth, many open source

and, thus, available to the world at large;

the development of a new Welsh Language Skills Certificate recognised by

over 200 employers.

12.6.3 Although the Coleg has invested less in seeking to stimulate demand for Welsh

medium provision in its first three years, in terms of measureable ‘demand side’

outputs and outcomes. it has:

continued to develop its web-site, including the course search facility;

published its first prospectus;

provided information on the proportion of courses available in Welsh for

inclusion on the Unistats web-site;

attracted almost 4,000 student and prospective student members;

awarded 144 undergraduate lead scholarships;

awarded 220 undergraduate incentive scholarships;

awarded 52 undergraduate flexible scholarships;

awarded 19 master’s level scholarships;

seen almost 600 students using Y Porth in 2013/14;

183

Drawing upon the Logic Model shown at Annex 2


130

seen almost 200 candidates sitting the Welsh Language Skills Certificate

examination.

12.6.4 The achievement of these outputs and outcomes represent a significant step towards

creating a sustainable system for Welsh medium higher education. Most notably,

there has been a marked growth in the numbers of lecturers actually teaching

through the medium of Welsh. A proportion of this increase is certainly attributable to

the Coleg’s Academic Staffing Scheme and its Research Scholarship Scheme, but

there is evidence to suggest that the Coleg’s funding has helped to lever some

additional investment in staff capable of working through the medium of Welsh on the

part of HEIs themselves. It could be argued, therefore, that two of the Coleg’s most

significant expenditure lines are yielding better value for money than might have

been expected, although no targets or benchmarks were ever set in this connection.

12.6.5 In 2012/13, the Welsh medium premium amounted to some £346 per student

undertaking five credits or more through the medium of Welsh. It was clear, however,

that the Welsh medium premium did not provide the incentive necessary to

encourage meaningful and sustained investment in Welsh medium provision by

HEIs. Indeed, the Welsh Medium Provision in Higher Education Strategy recognised

ten years ago that ‘substantial pump-priming funding’ would be needed and that this

would need to be followed up by ‘a sustainable funding system’ which would ‘allow

gains to be consolidated and continued’. Professor Robin Williams’ report echoed

this view whilst also noting that the Coleg would need ‘regular recurrent funding’ to

allow it to support HEIs.

12.6.6 The main Coleg grant, which includes an element of ‘pump-priming funding’, has

amounted to an average of 1.6% of the total funding allocated by HEFCW each year

since the Coleg’s creation. Although a relatively modest amount, we believe that it

has been sufficient to help build HEIs’ Welsh medium capacity at a manageable

pace. Over the next couple of years, consideration will need to be given to the level

of on-going funding which will be needed to sustain Welsh medium modules and/or

courses in the longer term.


131

ANNEXES


132

Annex 1: Breakdown of Stakeholders Interviewed

Coleg Branch Representatives Interviewed

Institution Branch Chairs/

Vice Chairs

Branch Officers

Aberystwyth University 1 1

Bangor University 1 1

Cardiff University 1 1

Cardiff Metropolitan University 1 1

Swansea University 1 1

University of South Wales 1 1

University of Wales Trinity Saint David 1 1

Total 7 7

Staff whose Posts are Funded by the Coleg Interviewed

Institution Academic

Staffing Scheme

Appointees

Research

Scholarship

Recipients






University of South Wales 2 -


Total 18 11


133

Students Interviewed

Institution Scholarship

holders

studying

Welsh

Scholarship

holders

studying

other

subjects in

Welsh

Non-

scholarship

holders

studying in

Welsh

Non-

scholarship

holders

studying

in English

Aberystwyth University 1 2 4 1

Bangor University 1

Cardiff University 4 2 2

Cardiff Metropolitan

University

6 4

Swansea University 2 2 2

University of South Wales 3 6 2

University of Wales Trinity

Saint David

2 3 1

Total 5 16 21 8

University Managers Interviewed

Institution Pro-Vice

Chancellors

or their Deputies

Heads of School

or Department

or their Deputies





Glyndŵr University 1


University of South Wales 1 1


Total 7 16


134

Annex 2: Logic Model

Inputs Activities Outputs Outcomes Impacts Externalities

DE

VE

LO

PIN

G T

HE

SU

PP

LY

SID

E

External stakeholders’ expectations

Internal stakeholders’ expectations

HEFCW funding

HEI contribution

Directors’, Academic Board & Subject Panel

members’ time

Developing strategic, academic and subject

level plans

Interacting with HEIs (direct & via branches)

Awarding Academic Staffing Scheme

funding

Awarding Research Scholarships

Implementing academic training

programmes

Developing ICT infrastructure (Y Porth) and learning resources

Developing the Welsh Language Skills Cert.

Implementing strategic & local projects

Monitoring progress against HEFCW and

Coleg targets

Coherent strategic, academic and subject level plans

Appointments to academic posts funded by the Coleg

New research being undertaken in Welsh

Learning spaces established at HEIs

Subject specific spaces on Y Porth

Appropriate learning resources and facilities established at HEIs

Appropriate support for WM learners put in place by HEIs

Accredited Welsh Language Skills Certificate in place

Publication of Gwerddon e-journal

HEIs committed to developing WM provision

New Welsh medium courses/modules developed including via Y Porth

Increase in number of academics delivering WM provision

Increase in the volume of Welsh medium publications (academic and other)

WM resources and learning spaces being used (including for joint working)

The opportunity for students to have their Welsh language skills recognised

Welsh Language Skills Certificate recognised by employers

Increased volume and range of sustainable

WM provision available

New modules available for study at more than one location

Appropriate support available to Welsh medium students

Respected Welsh medium scholarship

Implementation of WMES

Removal of Welsh Medium Premium

Introduction of HE Fees Policy

Employer demand for Welsh language skills

Introduction of Welsh language standards


135

Inputs Activities Outputs Outcomes Impacts Externalities

DE

VE

LO

PIN

G T

HE

DE

MA

ND

SID

E

Young people’s pre-existing Welsh language skills

Schools/colleges’ engagement

HEFCW funding

HEI contribution

Visits to schools and colleges to promote

WMHE

Maintaining data about WMES opportunities

Promoting Coleg scholarships

Processing scholarship payments

Promote WMHE to existing students

Support existing students via branch

network

Existence of accurate and comprehensive information about WMHE, via sources including: - Coleg web-site - Coleg prospectus - Unistats web-site - HEI web-sites

Applications for scholarships received and processed

Existing students engaging with branches

Potential students aware and fully informed about WMHE opportunities available

Scholarships awarded

Existing students aware of WMHE opportunities

Students enrolling onto new Welsh Medium modules/courses

Students registered on Y Porth

Students joining the Coleg

Students enrolling for the Welsh Language Skills Certificate

Increase in the number of students studying

through the medium of Welsh

Extent to which WM provision meets students’ expectations

Students achieving the Welsh Language Skills

Certificate

On-going demand for Welsh medium HE

provision

Schools/colleges’ willingness to engage

with the Coleg

Societal attitudes towards Welsh and Welsh medium education

Alternative provision offered by non-Welsh HEIs

Employer demand for Welsh language skills


136

Annex 3: Summary of Key themes’ and ‘Strategic Aims’ set out in the Coleg’s 2011/12

– 2013/14 Strategic Plan

1. increasing ‘the number of Welsh medium study routes on an all-Wales basis’ by:

1.1 developing ‘a national academic plan’

1.2 ensuring that every investment made by the Coleg responds ‘to aims

and needs identified in the national academic plan’

1.3 inviting institutions ‘ to submit a Welsh medium provision plan’

1.4 developing ‘subject development plans’ that offer Welsh medium study

routes from through to postgraduate level

1.5 ensuring ‘sufficient opportunities to study in Welsh at a postgraduate

level, including doctoral studies;

1.6 investing ‘to increase the numbers of academic staff teaching through

the medium of Welsh’

1.7 introducing ‘10 new degree courses or study routes … where students

can study at least 40 credits, each year, through the medium of Welsh

by 2015/16’

1.8 doubling ‘the number of degree courses (from 2011/12) where students

can study 80 credits a year through the medium of Welsh by 2015/16’

1.9 introducing ‘at least three new Welsh medium postgraduate courses …

by 2015/16’

1.10 ensuring that ‘a range of modules and degree courses are available

through the medium of Welsh in different locations through regional and

geographical partnerships’

1.11 setting targets ‘to expand part-time provision’

1.12 agreeing with HEIs that ‘a member of the Senior Management Team’

will be responsible for Welsh medium provision

2. increasing ‘the number of students studying through the medium of Welsh’ by:

1 meeting the 2012/13 and 2015/16 targets set by the Welsh Government

2.2 provide incentive scholarships and increase the numbers of students

pursuing subjects in areas where the Coleg offers incentive

scholarships

2.3 establish a branch at each HEI

2.4 ensuring the quality of the provision and resources supported by the

Coleg

2.5 encouraging students to join the Coleg in order to create a sense of

belonging

2.6 putting in place ‘clear and transparent arrangements … to elect

representatives to serve on Coleg committees and within branches’

2.7 ensuring that part-time students can enjoy the full benefits of Coleg

membership

2.8 promoting ‘student membership of the Coleg’

2.9 promoting the ‘importance of bilingual skills in the workplace and the

career advantages of being able to work through the medium of Welsh’

to young people at schools and colleges and encouraging them to

become members of the Coleg


137

2.10 establishing ‘a network of Coleg co-ordinators in secondary schools and

further education colleges’.

3. planning strategically to ‘meet the demand for bilingual skills in the workplace’ by:

3.1 commissioning a study into inform a skills action plan (by June 2012)

3.2 developing ‘a central programme to support students who have Welsh

language and bilingual skills’, possibly involving an element of work

experience

3.3 introducing a ‘Certificate in [Welsh] Language Skills’ and promoting it to

employers and students

3.4 promoting ‘the value of Welsh language and bilingual skills for

employment’

3.5 promoting and increasing increase ‘training in Welsh language skills and

employment opportunities making use of the Welsh language’

4. being ‘innovative in the use of information and communication technologies to enrich

the student experience and the quality of education’ by:

4.1 ensuring ‘that a wide range of [new and existing] study support

resources, on a generic and subject basis, will be provided on y Porth’

4.2 making use of ‘technological possibilities’ to share ‘academic expertise

… across institutions’

4.3 increasing ‘staff and student use of y Porth’ (t)

4.4 developing ‘new modules’ accessible via y Porth (t)

4.5 increasing ‘the range of resources available on y Porth ‘substantially (t)

4.6 digitising ‘Welsh language texts currently out of print’ for inclusion on y

Porth (t)

5. appointing ‘educators and researchers of the highest standard’ and promoting and

developing ‘scholarship, research and publishing through the medium of Welsh’ by:

5.1 funding Postgraduate Research Scholarships (t)

5.2 funding ‘new academic posts’ (t)

5.3 ensuring the appointment of ‘lecturers of the highest quality’ and

promoting academic staff membership of the Coleg

5.4 providing ‘a comprehensive staff development and training programme

for early career academics’ and ‘continuous professional development

for all academic staff who are members of the Coleg’

5.5 publishing ‘two issues each year of the academic e-journal Gwerddon’

(t)

5.6 contributing grants towards the publication of academic volumes (t)

5.7 establishing a Research and Publications Group to consider issues

relating to research and publication, and specifically the Research

Excellence Framework

5.8 ensuring that ‘each member of academic staff funded through the Coleg

secures an appropriate qualification for university teaching’

5.9 establishing an Academic Board to draw up the Coleg’s academic plan

and to advise on academic matters

5.10 put in place arrangements for ‘overseeing progress on Welsh medium

teaching strategies at the individual institutions’


138

6. leading on the implementation of Welsh Government Welsh language related

strategies within the higher education sector by:

6.1 ensuring that academic plans consider ‘progression between and within

different educational sectors’

6.2 considering provision and patterns of study in schools and colleges in

planning new HE provision

6.3 collaborating with the Welsh Government in relation to teacher training

6.4 establishing ‘a sub-committee of the Academic Board to deal with

issues relating to Initial Teacher Training’

6.5 establishing ‘procedures for collaborating with the regional Reaching

Wider partnerships’

6.6 working with stakeholder members to ‘promote and increase Welsh

medium provision across all educational sectors’

7. developing effective collaboration with branches and partners and effective

communication with the Welsh community more widely in order to further the aims of

the Coleg by:

7.1 contributing to the implementation the Welsh-medium Education

Strategy

7.2 communicating regularly and effectively

7.3 build formal and strong links with secondary schools, further education

colleges, Careers Wales and other agencies so as to target students

early in their educational career

7.4 promoting ‘the establishment and growth of Cymdeithas Cyfeillion y

Coleg and providing practical support to its members and officers

7.5 publishing a communications strategy

7.6 make full use of the Coleg websites ‘and alternative communication

methods’

7.7 ensuring ‘an effective and formal relationship with Coleg stakeholder

members’

7.8 making available to the publish full information about the Coleg and its

activities

7.9 making use of ‘national festivals and events to promote the activities of

the Coleg’

8. ‘providing a working environment that allows all who are associated with the Coleg to

develop and fulfil their potential’ by:

8.1 ensuring that the Board operates ‘in accordance with the highest

standards of public service’.

8.2. monitoring and reviewing the activities of the Coleg regularly

8.3 promoting ‘opportunities for staff development and training’

8.4 securing ‘Investors in People status’

8.5 consulting regularly with staff

8.6 putting in place effective recruitment and delegation arrangements

8.7 supporting the work of the ‘Cyfeillion’


139

8.8 maintaining ‘effective relationships with higher education institutions

through formal agreements the Coleg’s branches’.


140

Annex 4: Quantitative Targets set for the Coleg

Target Achievement

date

Source Document

OUTPUT MEASURES – SUPPLY SIDE

Appointments to academic posts

funded by the Coleg

60 Sept 2014 Strategic Plan

2011/12 – 2013/14,

item 1.6

100 2011/12-

2014/15

Strategic Plan

2011/12 – 2013/14,

item 5.2

Appointments to research posts

(postgraduate research

scholarships funded)

40 2011/12-

2015/16

Strategic Plan

2011/12 – 2013/14,

item 5.1

Subject specific spaces on Y Porth 10 2015/16 Strategic Plan

2011/12 – 2013/14,

item 4.5

Publication of Gwerddon 2p.a. Ongoing Strategic Plan

2011/12 – 2013/14,

item 5.5

Grants towards publication of

academic volumes

10 Jul 2014 Strategic Plan

2011/12 – 2013/14,

item 5.6

OUTCOME MEASURES – SUPPLY SIDE

The number of staff teaching

through the medium of Welsh

Academic Plan,

p.27

Welsh Language Skills Certificate

recognised by employers

100 2014/15 Strategic Plan

2011/12 – 2013/14,

item 3.3

New modules available via Y Porth 20 2012/13 Strategic Plan

2011/12 – 2013/14,

item 3.3

50 2015/16

Out of print texts digitised and

placed on Y Porth


2011/12 – 2013/14,

item 4.6

OUTCOME MEASURES – DEMAND SIDE

Lead scholarships awarded 50 max annually Agreement

between Welsh

Ministers and

HEFCW 2011

Scholarship

agreement waiver

letter July 2012

Incentive scholarships 100 max annually Agreement

between Welsh

Ministers and

HEFCW 2011


141

Scholarship

agreement waiver

letter July 2012

Incentive scholarships awarded 300 2014 Strategic Plan

2011/12 – 2013/14,

item 2.1

Masters’ level scholarships

awarded

20 2011/12 Agreement

between Welsh

Ministers and

HEFCW 2011

Students registered on Y Porth 1000 Jun 2012 Strategic Plan

2011/12 – 2013/14,

item 4.4

2000 Jun 2014

IMPACT MEASURES – SUPPLY SIDE

The number of undergraduate

subjects (and number of locations

within them) where it is possible to

study 80 credits a year through the

medium of Welsh

Academic Plan,

p.27

Number of degree courses

involving [at least] 80 Welsh-

medium credits a year

Double

2011/12

baseline

2015/16 Strategic Plan

2011/12 – 2013/14,

item 1.8

The number of undergraduate

subjects (and number of locations

within them) where it is possible to

study 40 credits a year through the

medium of Welsh

Academic Plan,

p.27

New degree courses involving at

least 40 WM credits a year

10

2015/16 Strategic Plan

2011/12 – 2013/14,

item 1.7

The number of foundation degrees

offered where at least one third of

the degree is through the medium

of Welsh

Academic Plan,

p.27

The number of postgraduate

subjects where master’s degrees

are offered with at least half of the

degree through the medium of

Welsh.

Academic Plan,

p.27

Number of new Welsh-medium

postgraduate courses introduced


2011/12 – 2013/14,

item 1.9

Number of modules studied by

students at more than one location


2011/12 – 2013/14,

item 4.4

25 2015/16


142

IMPACT MEASURES – DEMAND SIDE

The number of students studying

their entire degree course (120

credits a year) through the medium

of Welsh

Academic Plan,

p.27


the majority of their course through

the medium of Welsh (at least 80

credits a year)

Academic Plan,

p.27

The number of students studying a

significant proportion of their

course through the medium of

Welsh (at least 40 credits each

year)

Academic Plan,

p.27

The number of students studying at

least 40 credits each year through

the medium of Welsh

3,030 2015/16 HEFCW Grant

Letter 2013/14

p.2184


part of their course through the

medium of Welsh (as a figure and

percentage of fluent Welsh

speaking students)


Letter 2011/12 p.2

6,000 2015/16 Strategic Plan

2011/12 – 2013/14,

item 2.1

Academic Plan,

p.27

The number of students

undertaking at least 5 credits of

their course through the medium of

Welsh , per annum, will rise from

4,335 in 2011/12 to 5,600 in


Letter 2013/14 p.2

Full Time Equivalent figures for

students studying through the

medium of Welsh

Academic Plan,

p.27

Increase in numbers studying

incentive scholarship subjects

25% 2015/16 Strategic Plan

2011/12 – 2013/14,

item 2.2

Students achieving the Welsh

Language Skills Certificate


2011/12 – 2013/14,

item 3.3

184

The Grant Letter explains that the new target originates in HEFCW’s Remit Letter, in which the Minister says that he expects HEFCW ‘to develop a revised target for the number of students undertaking some of their course thorough the medium of Welsh; and to develop an additional target to reflect the volume of study undertaken through the medium of Welsh’. This target also features in HEFCW;s 2013/14 – 2015/16 Corporate Strategy, p.16


143

Annex 5: Subject Discipline Clusters

The Arts and Humanities

Welsh and Celtic Studies


Theology and Religious Studies

Creative Industries

Art and Design

Music

Education and Childhood Studies

Initial Teacher Training

Youth Work

Information Studies

Languages Social and Economic Sciences

Law

Politics

Philosophy

Sociology and Social Policy

Sports Sciences

Business Studies Health Sciences and Social Care

Psychology

Nursing and Midwifery

Medicine

Dentistry

Pharmacy

Health Professions

Optometry

Biomedical Science

Social Work Sciences

Geography


Mathematics and Physics

Engineering

Chemistry



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