ABOUT UALL
The Universities Association for Lifelong Learning
promotes the lifelong learning interests of the UK higher education sector. It represents
the interests of both the UK and of the four nations: England, Northern
Ireland, Scotland and Wales. UALL acts as a forum for the exchange of ideas and
good practice, lifelong learning research, and as a UK-wide consultative body
for the discussion and formulation of policy.
A history of UALL
Today UALL is an association which promotes the lifelong
learning interests of the UK higher education sector, acting both as a forum
for members to exchange ideas and to discuss good practice, quality and
standards, and also as a national consultative body for the discussion and
formulation of policy. UALL has well-established links with Government
Departments, funding bodies and national higher education organisations, and
represents the sector to policy-making bodies.
UALL’s
reputation at home and across the world is built on long-standing experience
and expertise gained through the Association’s history. Its origins can be traced to the first
conference of university extra mural directors in 1923, which became the Universities
Extra-Mural Consultative Committee
in 1926. In 1947 the organisation was re-established as the
Universities Council for Adult Education
(UCAE).
The name was changed to the Universities Council for Adult and
Continuing Education
(UCACE) in 1981 and also, in 1977, the Scottish universities established the Universities
Council for Adult Education (Scotland)
. In 1992 the universities and the polytechnics were merged
into a single university sector; in response to this fundamental change UCACE
changed its name to the Universities Association for Continuing Education
(UACE). Membership now included
over 90 universities and colleges, together with a developing number of
international members. In 2006, to reflect the currency of ‘lifelong learning’,
UACE once again changed its name to the Universities Association for
Lifelong Learning
(UALL).
Strategic directions
The strategic directions of UALL evolve to reflect the
policies, issues and priorities of lifelong learning. Current principal
strategic areas are:
A key strength of the Association is the linking of strategy
to practice through an extensive array of organised networks. The networks
enable staff of member institutions to engage directly in the Association, and
to benefit from sharing experience and ideas with fellow practitioners across
the UK.
The scope
of UALL activity has increased dramatically to the present very broad and
inclusive definition of lifelong learning from its original focus on university
adult education departments. UALL seeks to keep the broader definition of
lifelong learning - as personal
and community as well as vocational development - in full view of the policy
debate, especially since it is clear that over recent years ‘lifelong learning’
has often been interpreted in a narrowly vocational sense as training for
economic gain.
Activities and aims of UALL
UALL activities include a major annual conference which
attracts a wide constituency, including delegates from overseas. The Conference
addresses concepts, research, policy and practice in university lifelong
learning through keynote addresses, seminars and workshops. The Conference
typically includes addresses from ministers and government officers. Each
Conference addresses a broad strategic area – for the 2009 Conference this was Success
through Partnership: lifelong learning in higher education
– our 2010 strategic area is
employer engagement/CPD.
Other
seminars and lectures are arranged throughout the year, with the practitioner networks
organising their own seminar programmes. These seminars can enable a wide range
of other national networks and organisations to come together to address an
issue of the day – a good example being a one-day conference on the implementation
of new legislation for disability and discrimination. Currently UALL is hosting
a series of major lectures by the main UK political parties on the issues and
concepts informing their policymaking. UALL publishes an Annual Report and
Yearbook
, and other
small-scale publications such as Occasional Papers.
The
Association is extremely active in the current climate of rapid change in the
political landscape of lifelong learning. Responses are made to Government
consultations on forthcoming policy initiatives, and all opportunities are
taken to inform policy from the point of view of higher education providers and
students. The principal goal of UALL is therefore to be both responsive to
changing circumstances and to exercise influence on policymakers; policy formulated
for other areas of higher education can have many unintended consequences for
lifelong learning. A current example is the recent announcement by Government
of the withdrawal of funding from students who already have an ‘equivalent or
lower qualification’ (ELQ). UALL has,
throughout its history, adapted and evolved to meet the challenges of a changing
and expanding higher education. The rise of the lifelong learning culture has
brought continuing education into the educational mainstream to the extent that
its distinctive nature is in some danger of becoming hard to identify. This pace of change has accelerated in
recent years, and there is every expectation that it will continue. UALL’s long term aim will be, as it is
currently, on the one hand to adapt flexibly to reflect new developments such
as increased globalisation and electronic learning, and on the other to be
pro-active and influential as the representative body for higher education
lifelong learning. As part of these aims UALL aims to increase its
international membership base, and to form affiliations with other national
networks, as well as enhance its participation in European collaboration. International
co-operation and projectsThe
international lifelong learning agenda is another increasing strategic area for
UALL. For many years UALL has had
both international members and a long-standing affiliation with the USA University
Continuing Education Association (UCEA).
The Annual
Conference has an international strand, with seminars and keynote addresses by
international members and visitors, and featuring an address by the President
of UCEA on the current issues for University lifelong learning in the United
States. UALL is developing its
European relationships, especially with the European Continuing Education
Network (EUCEN). The organisational structure of UALLUALL is a membership, subscription organisation. Membership
is institutional, associate, individual or international, with the majority
being institutional members. The Association is headed by a Chair, who is a
university vice chancellor, supported by officers: vice chairs, honorary
secretary, treasurer, editor. There is a full-time administrator who manages
the day to day business, is the principal organiser of the Annual Conference,
maintains the UALL website (www.uall.ac.uk)
and produces an extensive e-Bulletin which is highly valued by members and the
wider university lifelong learning community. The Association is a registered UK charity, and is governed
by a formal constitution. Each member institution nominates one or more
individuals as members of the Council - the primary voting and decision making
body. An Executive Committee assists the Council in preparation and
prioritising of agendas, and is supported by sub-committees for Research and
Communications. UALL as a federal United Kingdom AssociationWithin UALL
there have been strong associations representing Scotland, Wales, and Northern
Ireland. In 2005/06, as well as
changing its name to ‘UALL’, the Association formally adopted a federal
structure to reflect the ‘four nations’ of the UK. Northern Ireland does not have a separate organisation within
UALL, owing to the very small number of universities and the relative
similarities with England. Nevertheless, UALL Northern Ireland makes reports to
the Executive and Council, and periodically hosts the Annual Conference.
Universities Association for Lifelong Learning Wales (UALL
Cymru)UALL Cymru, as part of UALL UK, the national
organisation in Wales representing Lifelong Learning and Continuing Education within Welsh
Higher Education Institutions: all of those elements
of Higher Education provision that offer learning opportunities in a broad
adult and continuing education context. Community based learning,
“return to learn” access provision, including non-accredited first steps as
well as accredited provision, continuing professional development and
programmes of adult education for all citizens are encompassed by the
organisation’s constituencies and through its aims and objectives. The Scottish Universities
Association for Lifelong Learning (SUALL)SUALL provides a forum for the development and dissemination
of good practice and excellence in continuing education, lifelong learning,
training and CPD within Scotland’s universities; represents continuing
education within HE and to funding authorities; responds to government papers
and other public documents; facilitates communication, liaison and
collaboration with other bodies and organisations in the field; conducts and
disseminates research into education throughout life. Active membership of
SUALL currently includes 16 universities and two colleges.
SUALL activities reflect the wide range of its members’ work
which embraces:
- university-level access courses
for young people and mature learners
- work based learning and CPD
- learning and support for
refugees and migrants
- engagement with the voluntary
sector
- credit and non credit-bearing
courses and part-time degrees
- flexible delivery through
summer schools, short courses, weekend and evening provision
- intergenerational
learning from young people to Third Age.
Through regular meetings, networking sub-groups,
participation at conferences, organisation of seminars and professional
engagement with colleagues throughout the UK and in Europe, SUALL:
- identifies and shares good
practice in adult teaching and learning, showcasing innovation
- widens participation by
increased access to undergraduate study
- contributes to the skills
agenda by offering a wide range of CPD programmes
- improves linkages and
facilitates articulation between the FE and HE sector
provides research, consultancy,
and informed comment to Government
ensures
Scotland has UK and Europe wide dialogue through UALL and EUCEN.
To provide
focus within SUALL, active practitioners contribute to Network Groups focusing
on, for example, Widening Participation, Research, Management and
administration. The work of SUALL’s members ensures that Universities remain
key providers of lifelong learning, continuing education and training. MembershipMembership
is open to all providers of higher education in the field of adult and
continuing education. In practice this means that most UK universities and
higher education colleges are members, together with relevant national
organisations such as Universities UK,
GuildHE,
Foundation Degree Forward, and others. The interests of
members varies very widely from non-vocational liberal adult education to
professional development and training, giving UALL a perspective on the whole
field of university lifelong learning.
Membership is open to international as well as UK institutions, and to
individual members. UALL has a federal structure reflecting the different
nations of the United Kingdom: Scotland (SUALL: Scottish Universities
Association for Lifelong Learning), Wales (
UALL Cymru), Northern Ireland and England. The Association is
affiliated to two international organisations. In conclusion UALL is a thriving and extensive network for
the UK higher education lifelong learning community. The Association is very
keen to further develop its international relationships and activities, and
would be pleased to hear from worldwide networks.
More information is available on the UALL website at:
www.uall.ac.uk or for SUALL see: http://www.suall.org.uk
The UALL Honorary Secretary is Jackie Dunne:
jd67@le.ac.uk The UALL Administrator
is Lucy Bate: admin@uall.ac.uk, or +44
116 285 9702