QAA welcomes new student member to Access Recognition and Licencing Committee

QAA’s Access Recognition and Licencing Committee (ARLC) has welcomed Romit Laud as its new Student Member. The ARLC is responsible for the operation and development of the Recognition Scheme for Access to Higher Education and includes representatives from further and higher education including a former Access to HE student currently in higher education.

Romit is a second-year psychology student at Durham University who completed the Access to HE Diploma in Social Sciences at Stockport College in 2019. While studying towards his Diploma, Romit was selected to provide his College with feedback on their delivery of Access to HE. This experience sparked his interest in education policy and governance, leading him to apply for the role on the ARLC.

Romit was educated in India, UAE and UK, giving him a unique perspective on different teaching approaches and their effectiveness in driving results. On graduating, Romit hopes to enrol in a law conversion course.

Romit’s predecessor, Vijaya Beard, a student at Birmingham City University, has been an active member of the ARLC since her appointment in September 2019. On leaving the ARLC, Vijaya expressed gratitude for the knowledge and exposure gained from her experience on the committee, and lauded its work: ‘What the committee does is phenomenal - its support of AVA’s and Access to HE students is incredible, not only positively impacting the students themselves, but enabling them to actively contribute to broader societal goals such as employment, innovation and economic growth.’

Vijaya is an ardent supporter of Access to HE as a catalyst for empowerment. Reflecting on her Access to HE journey that led to her appointment on the committee, Vijaya said that the Diploma had restored her hope in her future: ‘Access to HE made it possible for me to believe that it's never too late to pursue my dream.’

We wish Romit and Vijaya all the best on their respective future journeys.