Open College Networks: success against the odds?

abstract

Much of the recent research into Access and Continuing Education has, perhaps understandably, maintained as its central theme the student ‐‐ her/his aims, aspirations, characteristics and experiences within the further and adult education sector. The aim of this article is to focus research on the Access validator and provider, taken to include regional Open College Federations, national bodies such as the National Open College Network (NOCN) and institutional members of such bodies, e.g. FE colleges. An Open College Federation is understood as a network which thrives on, and itself promotes sharing, cooperation, mutual respect and confidence among member practitioners and managers. It could be argued that such networks and, more importantly, their institutional members operate within a socio‐political and economic climate which is unfavourable to notions such as cooperation and mutuality and places a much higher value on conceptions of enterprise, fitness and competition. The article will begin by attempting to justify, by means both of policy analysis and fieldwork conducted in one major Open College Network (OCN), the assertion that the context in which educational institutions including Open College Networks (OCNs) and practitioners operate is essentially competitive. It will then go on to argue both that Open College Federations may be accurately understood as networks which thrive on and themselves promote sharing, cooperation, mutual respect and confidence among member practitioners and managers and that they have been extremely successful in recent years. Reference will again be made to practitioner views in one Open College. The article will conclude with suggestions for further research activity.