The Gateway Programme is unique to Murray Edwards College and is designed to help students make the most the academic and career opportunities available to them. The Programme runs alongside students' academic studies, and is open to both undergraduates and graduates.
On Thursday 2 May, colleagues from across the University came to a workshop at Murray Edwards College in order to find out more about the Gateway Programme and to share their experiences of running similar initiatives in their respective Colleges.
Dame Barbara Stocking (President of Murray Edwards College) opened the workshop, highlighting the increasing importance of providing additional academic and professional skills development opportunities that enable students from all backgrounds to succeed. Dr Kate Peters (Senior Tutor) and Dr Kathy Kingstone (Tutor for Student Development) went on to talk about the academic underpinning and rationale behind the Gateway Programme, and gave an overview of the programme itself, which includes:
- Academic skills development workshops
- Career and personal development workshops
- A variety of internships and work shadowing opportunities
- Opportunities to work with and hear from alumnae
- Funding for enterprising activities
The main talks were followed by lively discussions around what is happening at other Colleges to facilitate academic progression and the development of transferrable skills.
Dr Kathy Kingstone, who runs the Programme, commented: "My predecessor, Dr Hilarie Bateman, was very innovative and forward thinking in starting the Gateway Programme in 2006 and that thinking continues today. The Programme is dynamic and it continues to evolve in order to meet the needs of our students. We've learnt a lot about what works (and what doesn't) over the last 13 years and this workshop was a great opportunity to share our leaning in a collaborative way with colleagues from other Colleges."
We work very closely with the Fellows, alumnae, staff and students involved in the Programme in order to make sure we continue to provide the academic and professional skills development that will allow students to make the most of the many opportunities available to them during their time at Cambridge and in their future careers. The Programme complements students' academic studies, and the work done by the academic departments and the University's Careers Service. The Gateway Programme encourages students to be bold in their aspirations and to develop the knowledge and skills to make these achievable.
The Gateway Programme is designed specifically for young women but the activities could be tailored and adapted to meet the needs of different groups. What became clear from the discussions at the workshop is that there is growing interest across the University in this important area.