EMSAG External Evaluation Report
Kate Sparshatt
June 2006
Introduction
This report was commissioned to be an external evaluation
of the EMSAG project for the academic year 2005-06 which
will complement the overall evaluation. The report will
therefore not include statistical analysis but will provide
a qualitative reflection based on interviews with
individuals.
The brief for the project was broad, and for the purposes
of this external evaluation I have focussed on key areas
which I hope represent the breadth of the project. I
considered the aims set out at the beginning of the project
and identified key individuals who have impacted on these
aims or experienced the project in some way. These
individuals represent a cross-section of students and staff
from across the College community who have engaged with the
scheme. The report therefore may not refer specifically to
each and every activity that took place, or to every
individual on which it had an impact.
Curriculum Activity
The Equality and Diversity Working Group has embraced the
EMSAG project. For example, the Professional and Personal
Development module, taken from Post 16 National Careers
Framework, includes Cultural Diversity studies and is to be
made compulsory from Sept 2006. A scheme of work has been
devised, to enable the Cultural Diversity lecture series (3
hrs, with an assignment) to be taught by any lecturer,
supported by the lead lecturer Ian Jesney. The college has
committed to training all staff in understanding Beliefs
and Faiths to support this. Ian Jesney felt that whilst the
PPD module was developing anyway as a core element in the
curriculum, the EMSAG project provided a vital platform for
advocacy and leverage to broker decision making at all
levels within the college. However, whilst this is a
positive move forward it was suggested that the PPD module
can be somewhat detached from the actual art-making and the
students’ passion.
Of the BME learners taught by Melanie Morrell, many are
going on to Higher Education, both at PCAD and at other UK
institutions. All of them tapped into the funding, most of
them used the internal meetings of ‘Unity’ and one
international students in particular used it for building a
safe environment away from home.
It was generally felt that EMSAG has been a positive effect
on working practices providing better resource awareness
and a good framework. However, it was suggested that it
would benefit from more integration across the College, and
the students could be more a part of it.
Other Activities
There has been a good mix of individual support, learning
support and group or College wide activity including a
theatre performance, celebration days and workshop led by
beneficiaries of the EMSAG with the University of Plymouth.
Individual Learning Support
Individualised support has focussed on specific needs, and
where barriers to learning were identified a specific
action plan was developed by the student with tutorial
support. EMSAG has enabled this one-to-one intervention,
and provided funding to support the action plan. Funding
has therefore been made available on an individual
needs-led basis; not as a general ‘hand-out’ but as a
result of careful planning, responsibility and autonomy on
the part of the BME learner. This has supported the
learning of life and employment skills. EMSAG has allowed
new approaches to student support to be tried, and where
gaps were identified in existing support systems different
approaches could be devised with tutors and learners.
The financial benefits have been widely taken up by both
British and international students, especially the
photocopy cards. This seems to be key in providing
awareness of the project, and student commitment.
Library Services
The Library has found the EMSAG to be a positive resource
and has used it to lever funds to broaden its exhibition
activity. The Library traditionally takes the curriculum as
its driver but the EMSAG has allowed wider purchasing to
include novels, biographies, and works that are from
different cultures. Having funds to back this has been
vital. Engaging with the EMSAG project, particularly with
the students targeted by it, has encouraged staff to take a
global view, and generate a global focus to all their
exhibitions and purchasing. The Library has engaged with
and invited contributions from all students, without a
specific focus on those from BME backgrounds.
Networks
The overall benefits of the EMSAG seems to have come mainly
from financial support and networks. International students
who have no families in UK benefit from making more
connections, and in this respect international students
have engaged with the EMSAG projects more than BME British
students. The internal meetings, ‘Unity’, have provided a
focus for staff and students, and offer a safe, open space
for engagement on a practical and social level. The grant
provided an engine which has driven staff and student
communication across the curriculum and extra-curricula
activity.
Role Models
Two students in receipt of the EMSAG support gave talks to
new First Diploma students. Both of these students are
going on to HE and were positive role models to a
prospective new in-take of students. When the website is up
and running these case studies will be more widely
available.
IT
Memory sticks and training workshops were provided as a
support mechanism. This allowed students to save and
transfer work enabling mobile working.
A website was identified as an aim of the project. A
student was commissioned as part of her work-based learning
to design this. To this end the website has served many
purposes – a safe but realistic working environment for a
student; a student-led website that is accessible to its
users; linked the EMSAG project to the curriculum and
provided an action-led project which integrated BME and
non-BME learners. The site is now under construction and
when finished should provide a sustainable service to all
students, including BME learners, and should achieve many
of the objectives set out for the project.
Careers
A letter inviting students to interview for careers advice
was sent out to all students who identified themselves as
being from a BME background. This was followed up by text
message. The text message did not get a huge response but
some students approached the careers service through
recommendation by tutors.
Subscription to publications such as Smart Talent and
Opportunity aimed at the black and Asian markets have been
made available in the library. These were funded by Careers
budget, not EMSAG and will continue beyond the EMSAG, but
were prompted by the initiative.
The Careers Service viewed the EMSAG as a useful and
necessary prompt to raise issues and awareness in an
environment where most students and staff are white
British.
Co-ordinator
The Project Co-ordinator has acted as a facilitator, with
the intention of embedding EMSAG funded work into on-going
College processes. Her approach has therefore been to
support others in working independently, in adopting or
changing working practices, thus generating organisational
change. The organisation of EMSAG events and partnerships
was led by BME learners, with the full support of the
Co-ordinator, and this capacity building has enabled
learners to develop skills for employment as artists,
including leading workshops, negotiating content of work
and costs of projects. Her approach was successfully
reflected in all the interviews undertaken; staff and
students felt ownership of their work, and had ideas as to
how to take it forward.
She has worked flexibly and where barriers have been met
she has found ways round or through them. This
action-oriented approach has developed a sense of trust
with the students and respect from both staff and students
I spoke to. This has contributed to creating a safe
pastoral care environment, an extra point of contact
outside the College structure where concerns, for example
issues of racism, can be addressed.
Conclusion
It is clear that the EMSAG has made a wide and positive
intervention in PCAD life. There are many staff who felt
they had a small, specific involvement in EMSAG and this is
reflected across the college from careers advice, resources
and academic departments making the impact quite
significant.
All staff I interviewed were extremely positive about the
project, and offered some suggestions for development which
demonstrates their commitment to the aims of the EMSAG:
o The project could have gone further with more signage,
translations of signs, and more visible marking of cultural
o The project could be more integrated with the scheme of
delivery in the college. For example, building it into team
meetings.
o A yearly plan, with set dates, would help with planning
and for networking purposes, and to link the project into
students’ project work
o ILPs could be electronic (like a diary or journal) for
ease of up-dating to allow more flexibility and
responsiveness to students needs. The ILPs could also
contain links specific to students, ie to the Equality and
Diversity website, and to EMSAG event calendar.
The inclusion of all students to the programme has
succeeded in reducing the exclusion of BME students, whilst
continuing to engage them specifically where barriers to
learning exist. One tutor suggested EMSAG has been integral
to breaking down a significant barrier to learning which is
that of feeling different. The improvement of resources and
opportunities provided for all students, not the excluded
few, is key to this success.
The levering of funds for photocopying cards provided a
useful access tool, and was used to engage with BME
learners specifically, providing a grounding at the
beginning of the year. Capacity building underpinned the
entire project enabling BME learners with life skills and
staff with confidence and ideas for future work.
The EMSAG project has provided particular advantage for
international students who have used the networks to
navigate their way into college and local life.
Approaches have been made to outside organisations who can
offer services in future similar to those offered by the
EMSAG. Activities have been implemented in partnership with
these bodies to sustain the work beyond the end of the
EMSAG. However the impact of employing an internal worker
to promote and co-ordinate the project cannot be
underestimated, and there are still areas in which BME
learners benefit from specific engagement with this worker.
There is evidence that the partnership work and embedding
of EMSAG aims in College systems is working, but it is
still new and therefore potentially fragile. The
continuation of a post would secure the new working
practices for the future.
Overall there is clear evidence that the EMSAG has had a
wide, positive and long-lasting impact on PCAD and its BME
learners and it was a pleasure to share in the commitment
of staff and students during this evaluation.