Celebrating World Access to Higher Education Day

Every October, World Access to Higher Education Day (WAHED) reminds us that education should be a right, not a privilege. At Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU), that belief runs deep and is woven into everything we do for the Common Good. On any given day, the Widening Participation and Outreach Team is out across Scotland and on our GCU campus, meeting young people, adult learners, and care-experienced or estranged students − all to help make higher education accessible to everyone.

Here’s what a typical day might look like, as the team deliver GCU Connect sessions in schools, support College Connect pathways and meet care-experienced and estranged students aspiring to university.

Morning: Inspiring futures with GCU Connect

First stop: the classroom.
The GCU Connect and Caledonian Club teams are out in schools, delivering workshops that spark curiosity, build confidence, and open minds.

GCU Connect: Senior phase support

October marks the start of the journey for S5 pupils taking part in GCU Connect. Their first session, Meet Our Students, is a fast-paced, interactive workshop that introduces real GCU students from all walks of life. Each shares their own route into higher education, showing that there’s no single path to success.

This year alone, Meet Our Students will reach more than 2,500 pupils across Glasgow and nearby local authorities. And that’s just the start. The team stays with pupils right through their senior phase, running sessions on degree choices, entry requirements, UCAS applications and more.

For those who go on to join GCU, the support continues through transition days and opportunities to become student mentors, with students paying forward the inspiration they once received.

Caledonian Club: Building confidence through literacy

Meanwhile, the Caledonian Club is busy in our partner primary schools, where literacy mentors − GCU students and volunteer alumni − help pupils strengthen reading skills through fun, confidence-building sessions.

It’s not just about literacy; it’s about planting the seeds of aspiration early.

As Nathan Tagg, Widening Participation & Outreach Manager for Schools, puts it: “Our staff and mentors are champions of higher education. We see the positive impact every day. For anyone with the aspiration and potential to experience higher education, we want to level the playing field and remove barriers that might stand in their way.”

Afternoon: Strengthening pathways with College Connect

After lunch, the College Connect team hits the road, today visiting partner colleges − City of Glasgow College, Glasgow Clyde College and Ayrshire College. Our college partnerships are crucial, with nearly 40% of our undergraduate students joining GCU through college routes.

The team’s sessions help students map out their journey to university, covering everything from articulation and entry requirements to academic skills and student life. It’s all part of our “long-thin induction” approach, with steady, ongoing support that makes the transition to university smoother.

One college applicant put it perfectly: “I didn’t think university was for me. Coming from college felt like a big step but seeing how GCU values our experience makes it real.”

As College Connect Manager Andy Shea explains: “Access to higher education isn’t just about school leavers. Here at GCU, we recognise the power of education for adult returners and those who’ve taken different paths to find their place. College Connect isn’t just about information − it’s about community. By the time these students arrive on campus, they already feel a part of GCU.”

Meeting care-experienced and estranged students

Today, Dr Emily Flaherty, Named Contact for Corporate Parenting, Care-Experienced and Estranged Students, is spending the day connecting with six care-experienced and estranged students on campus, as well as catching up with social workers, local authority partners and external organisations. She’ll also be meeting with Who Cares? Scotland to look at how we can better evidence care experience for funding applications and working with our Head of WP and Outreach on our response to The Promise on collaborative corporate parenting. It’s a busy day of meaningful conversations, showing what being a Corporate Parent in action really looks like.

When Emily meets with students, the conversations centre around the tailored support GCU offers. It’s all about making sure no one faces university life alone and creating personalised transition plans that give care-experienced and estranged students the confidence to thrive.

Emily says: “Relationships matter for care-experienced and estranged students; having someone who understands their background and believes in them can make all the difference to applying to and joining the University.”

Every success story of a care-experienced and estranged student finding their place at GCU and progressing through their degree to graduation is a reminder of why this work matters.

For the Common Good

By the end of the day, the Widening Participation and Outreach team has spoken to dozens of young people, future students, and professionals − all working together to widen access and create fairer futures. Their work continues to embody GCU’s mission to be a university for the Common Good, where every learner, regardless of background, can thrive.

On World Access to Higher Education Day, we celebrate not just the destination, but the journey − the conversations, partnerships and persistence that make access possible.

Head of WP and Outreach, Eleanor Wilson MBE, says: “I am immensely proud of the dedication, compassion and commitment shown by our team every single day. The work we do is about more than opening doors – it’s about ensuring that once opened, those doors remain welcoming and accessible to everyone.

“At Glasgow Caledonian University, widening participation isn’t just a programme; it’s a promise − one that continues to shape lives, strengthen communities and advance the Common Good.”