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Polytechnics Central Admissions System

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134:, was awarded to set up a new unified admissions system, provisionally called PUCCA. However, instead of a unified system for both the universities and polytechnics a separate system for polytechnics emerged from the negotiations, modelled on UCCA, but known as PCAS. The first chairman was Harry Law of Portsmouth Polytechnic; his deputy was Keith Thompson, the Director of Staffordshire Polytechnic, who became chairman in June 1989, staying until 1993. The deputy from 1989 was Michael Goldstein, Director of Coventry Polytechnic. PCAS was at Fulton House on Jessop Avenue, near Cheltenham Waitrose. Also in the building was ECCTIS 2000 and UCCA, and it is now called Festival House. 171:
Although the aim to create a unified application system for universities and polytechnics was not achieved in 1985, the Chief Executive of PCAS, Tony Higgins, continued to push for the merger of PCAS with UCCA. In 1992, following the change of status and name of most polytechnics to universities, the
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The establishment of the teacher training admission system, the Central Register and Clearing House, in 1933, and the central admissions system for British universities, called UCCA, in 1961 had shown the benefits of a single admission system for higher education applicants. Although the polytechnics
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about the possible future shape of one or more admissions systems. At this stage applicants dealt directly with each polytechnic and the polytechnics themselves were strongly regional or local in their appeal. A study in 1977 found that between sixty and seventy per cent of those admitted to a
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grant was conditional upon the new scheme being made available for applications to Colleges of Higher Education later on. It was thought that the PCAS acronym could remain if the organization's name needed to be changed to Polytechnics' & Colleges' Admissions Service.
341: 361: 346: 336: 152:, later chief executive of UCAS from 1993, and in the first year it handled around 140,000 applications to polytechnic courses, of whom 40,000 a year went on to study at polytechnics. 118:
polytechnic had applied to that institution only, and that forty per cent of admissions to polytechnics resulted from applications made in August or September of the year of entry.
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which originally handled art and design course admissions to both polytechnics and specialist art and design colleges. All these admissions systems are now united within the
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awards system, they were not eligible for admission to UCCA as it was reserved only for universities with degree awarding powers. Despite this the Polytechnics (see
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Although many polytechnics offered art and design programmes, and some also offered teacher training courses, these admissions systems remained outside PCAS.
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two bodies did combine under Higgins's leadership. Initially the application form was branded jointly UCCA/PCAS, but in 1994 the new merged body was renamed
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In 1983 the Committee of Directors of Polytechnics began negotiations with UCCA to share its computing, technical and office facilities in
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UCCA and PCAS merged their form in 1992, whereby PCAS sorted postal applications, and UCCA ran the computer, then both merged in 1993.
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Edward Fennell, 'Horizons: Don't blot your copy book - The odds are moving back in favour of the applicant for higher education' in
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Donald MacLeod, 'Poly genesis: Have the new universities lost their ray since they emerged from the old polytechnics ?', in
263:'Sector pays tribute to Higgins, champion of access' in The Times Higher Education Supplement (UK newspaper) 23 April 2004 106: 64: 130:
to establish a course entrance system, based on the existing model used by UCCA. A grant of £210,000, from the British
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Applicants to courses were given the option to apply separately for universities or polytechnics, or for both.
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institutions for the entry years 1986 to 1992. It ran in parallel to the university admissions system,
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The PCAS system came into effect in 1985. It was led by its first Chief Executive,
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Kay, Ronald "UCCA: Its Origins and Development 1950=85", UCCA, 1985, pp.83-89
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John Fairhall, 'Admissions streamlining plan for polytechnics' in
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Higher education organisations based in the United Kingdom
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University and college admissions in the United Kingdom
109:) were involved as early as 1972 in discussions with 47: 41: 55:) was an administrative body handling admissions in 35: 32: 347:History of higher education in the United Kingdom 302:(UK Newspaper) 10 September 1991, Section B, p.11 16:English and Welsh administrative body (1986–1992) 289:(UK Newspaper) 3 September 2002, Section B, p.12 337:Higher education colleges in the United Kingdom 101:were degree-teaching institutions, through the 298:'The new joint UCCA/PCAS application form' in 315:(UK Newspaper) 19 August 1993, Section B, p.9 8: 259: 257: 255: 204:Audrey Segal, 'A rationalised confusion' in 311:Jonathan Croall, 'Nightmare Scenario' in 167:Merger with University Admissions System 185: 21:Polytechnics Central Admissions System 191: 189: 7: 208:(UK Newspaper) 31 January 1984, p.11 139:Department for Education and Science 132:Department for Education and Science 221:(UK Newspaper) 12 January 1984, p.2 115:Central Register and Clearing House 77:Central Register and Clearing House 14: 352:Organisations based in Cheltenham 249:(UK Newspaper) 11 June 1985, p.11 276:(UK Newspaper) 21 September 1987 137:The PCAS name was chosen as the 28: 1: 233:Thursday 1 June 1989, page 10 107:Polytechnic (United Kingdom) 378: 332:Education in Cheltenham 231:Staffordshire Sentinel 96:Earlier organisations 87:admissions system. 63:to most courses at 75:, as well as the 369: 316: 309: 303: 296: 290: 283: 277: 270: 264: 261: 250: 243: 234: 228: 222: 215: 209: 202: 196: 193: 69:higher education 54: 53: 50: 49: 46: 43: 40: 37: 34: 377: 376: 372: 371: 370: 368: 367: 366: 322: 321: 320: 319: 310: 306: 297: 293: 284: 280: 271: 267: 262: 253: 244: 237: 229: 225: 216: 212: 203: 199: 194: 187: 182: 169: 161: 124: 98: 93: 67:and some other 31: 27: 17: 12: 11: 5: 375: 373: 365: 364: 359: 354: 349: 344: 339: 334: 324: 323: 318: 317: 304: 291: 278: 265: 251: 235: 223: 210: 197: 184: 183: 181: 178: 168: 165: 160: 157: 123: 120: 97: 94: 92: 89: 15: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 374: 363: 360: 358: 355: 353: 350: 348: 345: 343: 340: 338: 335: 333: 330: 329: 327: 314: 308: 305: 301: 295: 292: 288: 282: 279: 275: 269: 266: 260: 258: 256: 252: 248: 242: 240: 236: 232: 227: 224: 220: 214: 211: 207: 201: 198: 192: 190: 186: 179: 177: 175: 166: 164: 158: 156: 153: 151: 146: 143: 140: 135: 133: 129: 121: 119: 116: 112: 108: 104: 95: 90: 88: 86: 82: 78: 74: 70: 66: 62: 58: 52: 26: 22: 313:The Guardian 312: 307: 300:The Guardian 299: 294: 287:The Guardian 286: 281: 273: 268: 247:The Guardian 246: 230: 226: 219:The Guardian 218: 213: 206:The Guardian 205: 200: 170: 162: 154: 150:Tony Higgins 147: 144: 136: 125: 99: 65:polytechnics 24: 20: 18: 326:Categories 180:References 128:Cheltenham 274:The Times 122:Formation 113:and the 91:History 57:England 159:Merger 61:Wales 357:UCAS 174:UCAS 111:UCCA 103:CNAA 85:UCAS 81:ADAR 73:UCCA 59:and 25:PCAS 19:The 328:: 254:^ 238:^ 188:^ 176:. 45:ɑː 39:iː 51:/ 48:s 42:k 36:p 33:ˈ 30:/ 23:(

Index

/ˈpkɑːs/
England
Wales
polytechnics
higher education
UCCA
Central Register and Clearing House
ADAR
UCAS
CNAA
Polytechnic (United Kingdom)
UCCA
Central Register and Clearing House
Cheltenham
Department for Education and Science
Department for Education and Science
Tony Higgins
UCAS







Categories
Education in Cheltenham
Higher education colleges in the United Kingdom
Higher education organisations based in the United Kingdom
History of higher education in the United Kingdom

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