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Partnership with Dundee and Angus College and Fife College backed through the University Transformation Framework
Abertay University has secured funding through the Scottish Funding Council's (SFC) University Transformation Framework (UTF) for a project designed to create stronger pathways from college into higher education and enhance the student experience.
The project is one of seven awarded funding through the framework, which was established in response to the increasingly challenging operating environment facing Scotland's universities.
Abertay's project will create stronger access routes into higher education through jointly delivered and recognised provision with Dundee and Angus College and Fife College.
The project will look at ways of modernising systems and processes to improve student transitions from further to higher education, while also exploring how artificial intelligence can support forecasting, planning and the wider student experience.
The funding builds on a successful collaboration between Abertay and Dundee and Angus College, which examined how institutions can work together to remove barriers for students progressing from college into university.
The earlier project, Student Success through Institutional Tertiary Alignment: Pathways, Process and Design to Enable Student Success, brought together staff from across both institutions to review the student transition experience and identify practical ways to make progression pathways clearer, more accessible and more effective.
That work led to a range of improvements, including enhanced data sharing, clearer progression routes, strengthened curriculum partnerships and the introduction of a mentoring programme designed to support students moving from college into university. It also laid the foundations for a deeper strategic partnership between the organisations through the creation of a Partnership Board.
Luke Millard, Vice Principal at Abertay University, said:
The positive spirit of collaboration has been at the heart of this work. Building confidence and trust between partners has enabled us to challenge assumptions, develop new approaches and create systems that better support students as they progress through their educational journey. This funding allows us to build on that success with Dundee and Angus College and Fife College, creating stronger pathways into higher education, improving transitions and exploring how emerging technologies can help us deliver an even better student experience. Ultimately, this project is about ensuring students are supported every step of the way and creating a more connected tertiary education system that works in their best interests.
This new phase of work will extend that collaborative approach, creating more joined-up pathways between colleges and universities while ensuring institutional systems and processes better support student success.
Jane Roscoe, Director of Curriculum and Partnerships at Dundee and Angus College, said:
From a college perspective, we have moved from preparing students to leave us, to working as part of a shared system where their journey continues. Small, practical changes such as aligning processes, sharing information and creating opportunities for connection are already helping students approach transition with greater confidence and a stronger sense that university is for them. The Partnership Board and mentoring scheme show that this is the foundation of a long-term relationship that will continue to benefit our students and our region.
Iain Hawker, Assistant Principal at Fife College, said:
Fife College is delighted to be working in partnership with Abertay University and Dundee & Angus College on this important project. Strengthening the connections between colleges and universities is essential to creating clearer, more accessible pathways for learners across Scotland. By working together, we can build on the strengths of the tertiary education sector, helping more students to progress successfully through joined-up provision, improved support and a more seamless learner journey. We are particularly excited by the opportunity to explore how innovation, including the effective use of digital technologies and artificial intelligence, can enhance planning, improve the student experience and help us better understand and respond to the needs of future learners. This collaboration reflects Fife College’s commitment to partnership working and ensuring that students across the region have the opportunities, skills and support they need to achieve their ambitions.
The seven projects awarded funding through the UTF span a range of priorities, including enhanced pathways between colleges and universities, shared services, digital transformation, medical education partnerships, infrastructure planning and research collaboration. Together, they aim to strengthen Scotland's tertiary education sector while creating new opportunities for learners across the country.
Helen Cross, Director of Investment and Research at the Scottish Funding Council, said:
These projects demonstrate the ambition, innovation and collaboration that exist across Scotland's university sector. The projects showcase universities working together, and in many cases alongside colleges, to develop new approaches that will strengthen student pathways, improve efficiency, support innovation and enhance long-term sustainability. They reflect the sector's commitment to adapting to a challenging financial environment while continuing to deliver for learners, communities and Scotland's economy.
