Emerging HE cultures:Perspectives from CETL award holders in a partner college network.

Expansion of higher education (HE) into the further education (FE) sector has
resulted in a renewed period of growth as colleges strive to create a culture and
environment appropriate for HE. This article presents findings from interviews
with lecturers delivering HE in FE within the University of Plymouth Partner
College network and explores the perceived impact of HE expansion. Lecturers
felt that expansion had a positive impact on their students, as raising the profile of
HE within their colleges has encouraged internal progression. However,
practitioners’ own experiences have been mixed. They felt there was limited
recognition or understanding of the needs of HE from many of their FE colleagues,
suggesting the presence of structural, education and managerial processes that
may need to be considered in light of the emerging culture of HE. In our study, the
emerging HE culture within colleges appears to reflect a combination of the FE
profile of the college, the non-traditional nature of the student body, the HE
processes instigated through collaboration with the university, and the emerging
HE identity of lecturers.