Selborne: The First Academic Year

The 22nd of August represented the end of the first year of the Selborne Contract for the University of Lincoln, as well as the end of the first academic year of delivery.

During this period, the University has worked as part of Team Fisher to deliver and/or accredit academic content to hundreds of Royal Navy and Royal Marines personnel undertaking initial and career training.

The range of subject areas includes: Maritime Science and Technology; Environmental Science; Defence and Security Studies; Maritime Warfare; Leadership and Communication; and Music.

Of the total number of personnel in education, there are currently 93 enrolled students undertaking In Service Degree Programmes from Foundation degrees to BSc Honours. This number is growing and will continue to do so in academic year 2022/23.

In parallel, the University has made a significant effort on quality improvement across a range of areas including: student enrolment and communication; engagement and satisfaction; quality documentation; boarding and assessment; study skills and online resource packages. This culminated in a successful independent ‘Re-validation’ (Audit) event in June for the Maritime Studies Centre at BRNC Dartmouth, which formally commended the progress made.

Finally, there has been a significant effort invested in preparing for the future changes coming down the track in the next academic year. Major priorities include: supporting Warfare Branch Development work on the new MCA Officer of the Watch 500 qualification; new Level 6 modular ‘Route to Honours’ pathway proposals; the ongoing Micro-credentials pilot; the Modern Connected Classroom Pilot at BRNC and HMS Collingwood; and a new streamlined offer incorporating a BSc for International Development Training (IDT).

Despite the challenges, it’s been a busy and successful year with plenty more to come in the new academic year 2022 – 2023.

Story submitted by Charlotte Kirton
ckirton@lincoln.ac.uk