Widening Participation Student Advisory Panel

The University of Kent has established a Widening Participation Student Advisory Panel (WPSAP). The Panel consists of current students who are passionate about equality of opportunity in Higher Education throughout the student lifecycle, and have an interest in contributing to the decisions which underpin the University’s outreach work and strategic direction.

The WPSAP informs the University’s Access & Participation Plan, which outlines our commitment to reducing gaps in equality of access and success for students who are currently underrepresented in Higher Education. We therefore like to ensure that we have a mix of Panel members who identify with one or more of the following characteristics:

• Mature students (aged 21 or over on starting a current undergraduate degree)
• Students from racially and ethnically marginalised (REM) groups
• Students currently studying at the Medway campus
• Students that are male
• Students who are the first in their family to go to university (not including siblings)
• Students who are young carers
• Students studying without the support of their family
• Care leavers or care experienced students
• Students who are unaccompanied asylum seekers or refugees
• Students from the Gypsy, Traveller, Roma, Showman or Boater communities
• Students who are part of a military family
• Students in receipt of the Kent Financial Support Package 
• Students from POLAR or TUNDRA Quintiles 1 or 2 (check your postcode).

We are not currently recruiting for Panel members, however if you would like to find out more information or to express an interest in future vacancies, please email wppanel@kent.ac.uk

Meetings are held on the Canterbury Campus (with the option of attending virtually if required) and will last up to 3 hours. The WPSAP will meet approximately twice per term.

Students based at the Canterbury Campus are remunerated by way of credit on their KentOne Card.  Panel members receive £10 on their KentOne Card for every hour of attendance at meetings (maximum of 3 hours), with an additional 1 hour for necessary preparation to include reading prior to the meetings.  Students who are not based on the Canterbury Campus are compensated for their time at the same rate through an alternative method.  Students will also earn 20 Employability Points throughout the academic year.