Liz Thomas Associates – higher education research and consultancy
Employing a research informed approach, Liz Thomas
Associates Ltd works with you to improve student experience and
outcomes in higher education and beyond.
We have
expertise in a wide range of areas:
Academic advising
and personal tutoring • Access • Equality • Financial support •
Inclusive learning and teaching • Induction and transition •
Institutional change • International perspectives • Monitoring and
evaluation • Progression: access to postgraduate study and the labour
market • Social mobility • Student engagement • Student retention and
success • Student services • Widening access and participation.
We offer a number of services such as keynote addresses and staff
development workshops; research and evaluation; writing and publication;
institutional development and change; and tailored consultancy. Our
expertise and services can be combined to improve many aspects of the
student experience and student outcomes.
Professor Liz
Thomas is an independent researcher and consultant for higher
education and Professor of Higher Education at Edge Hill University.
Liz has approximately twenty years’ experience of undertaking and
managing research about widening participation, student retention and
success and institutional approaches to improving the student experience
and outcomes. She is committed to using research to inform national and
institutional policy, practice and evaluation, and has developed and led
change programmes to facilitate this. more>>
Dr R. D. Jones is an experienced researcher,
author and editor in the fields of widening access, student retention
and success, learning and teaching and knowledge transfer. He is author
of Student retention and success: a synthesis of research (Higher
Education Academy 2008). He is currently interviewing students who have
withdrawn from higher education. more>>
Latest News
29th January 2018
Commuter students have less good outcomes than students who move away
to study. This includes a weaker sense of belonging; lower rates of
continuation; fewer first class and 2.1 degrees; greater academic
failure; and less likely to get a graduate job. Interviews with 60
commuter students from nine universities explored their experiences of
student engagement in academic, enhancement and social activities, and
university responses.
You can read the report
here >
11th April 2017
The report from the What works? Student retention and success change
programme is launched at a full-to-capacity conference in London.
Download the full report and summary report here.
In the context of
the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) improving student retention and
success, particularly for students with particular characteristics and
studying subjects with high rates of non-continuation, has never been
more important.The two What works?programmes of research have
contributed significantly to understanding about student retention,
success and excellence.
Prior to the What works?studies the most
common approach was to ‘fix up students’ through bolt-on interventions
to try to retain them. This was very ineffective as the students most in
need of additional support were often the least likely to access it.
Following the first phase of the What works?programme our understanding
moved to the importance of facilitating students’ engagement and
belonging in their academic learning as the most effective way to
improve the success of all students. Building on this we can now
understand that it takes a whole institution to work together to provide
an excellent learning experience for all students and maximise their
success in higher education and beyond.
The report extends our
knowledge about effective interventions, and contributes significantly
to our understanding of the process of implementing change in a complex
organisation – and provides a model to support institutions to plan and
improve student experiences and outcomes.
View
Summary Here >
View
Final Report Here >
Social Mobility in HE
I’m looking forward to
chairing part of the Policy-UK Forum on Social Mobility in HE on
Thursday
Read more >
Improving social inclusion in higher education
Liz Thomas was part of the expert team for PL4SD
(peer learning for the social dimension, funded by the European
Commission) who visited Croatia to carry out the country review
Read more >
Liz Thomas Associates was pleased to support the first ever NACADA UK
Drive-In Eventon Academic Advising and Personal Tutoring
Read more >
Attracting diversity in Scotland
Liz Thomas
Associates is pleased to be working with the Equality Challenge Unit and
four university partners
Read more >
HEFCE studies to explore the impact of Student Opportunity
Funding
Professor Liz Thomas is working with CFE Research on
two contracts awarded to them by the Higher Education Funding Council
for England (HEFCE) to explore the impact of Student Opportunity
Funding.
Read more >
University All-Party Parliamentary Group: ‘Crafting the
class’ to ensure a balanced student body?
On Tuesday 21
October 2014 Professor Liz Thomas addressed the University All-Party
Parliamentary Group at the House of Commons.
Read more >
Launch of major research on transitions in Ireland
Professor Liz Thomas addressed an audience of policy makers, academics
and practitioners at the Economic and Social Research Institute in
Dublin on 6 November 2015
Read more >
Final conference for the E-quality: Linking quality and
social inclusion in higher education project
Professor Liz
Thomas addressed the final conference of the E-quality: Linking quality
and social inclusion in higher education in Croatia project at the
University of Rijeka on 21 February 2015.
Read more >
New independent learning project
Liz Thomas Associates is
delighted to be working with the National Union of Students
Read more >
Liz to address European conference on social inclusion in
higher education
Liz will be a keynote speaker at the
conference The Social Dimension in European Higher Education, 25-27
February, University of Economics, Vienna.
Read more >
What works phase 2
What works? Student retention and success change programme: Survey
for discipline teams, summer 2014.
Take the survey today >
March
The Higher Education Academy (HEA) and the Quality Assurance Agency
(QAA) have commissioned Liz Thomas Associates to undertake research
Read more >
February
This week Liz joined Twitter – follow Liz @ProfLizThomas.
This has opened up a whole new word! Indeed, an interesting piece by
Dave Beer (March 2013) asks whether academics can manage without
Twitter. Beer observes that:
Read more >