Going for Gold 

Students The Vision

The concept of the Associate Faculty is a totally unique development in Wales. It is an ambitious and innovative scheme with the aim of providing varied educational opportunities for 16-18 year old pupils that reinforces their school studies on the one hand and deepen their understanding of various learning processes on the other. We have already seen how this alternative provision has been most helpful to students who have set their sights on continuing their education at university level.

The curricular framework on offer provides pupils with opportunities to:

  • develop and improve their learning skills, thus becoming critical, reflective and independent learners;
  • extend their planning, research, critical thinking, analysis, synthesis, evaluation and presentation skills;
  • develop as e-confident learners able to apply new technologies in their studies;
  • develop and apply creative skills, demonstrating initiative and enterprise;
  • use their learning experiences to support their personal aspirations for higher education and career development.

The Associate Faculty is open to Years 12 and 13 pupils. They register as Associate Students within the University and are allowed to use the institution’s learning support facilities, e.g. the Library, the Teaching Resources Centre and Student Services.

Students A generic curriculum has already been developed, configured around the specific needs of individual schools. Such a curriculum includes accredited Level 4 Modules (equivalent to first year higher education modules) which support pupils as they develop their communication skills, their learning and study skills and their analytical skills. In focussing on a range of transferable skills, we trust these modules are most beneficial to students in their school studies and also later on in their chosen university.

In response to requests from a number of schools, the institution offers intensive courses for its Associate Students in a range of curricular subjects. It offers these modules mainly in the form of residential courses on the University’s campuses at Carmarthen and Lampeter where students have the opportunity to spend three or four days studying, learning and socialising with students from other schools. It is also possible, under some circumstances, to arrange for lecturers to visit secondary chools and hold some course on the secondary school campus.