As in 2002, each of the schools conducted their own marketing, information and selection processes for prospective students. Also as in 2002, the response and level of interest was strong, even though the schools had even less time for marketing and information strategies than in 2002. Only at Thebarton does it appear that the level of interest and subsequent enrolment numbers may have been affected by the lateness of these processes. However other more local factors such as the nature of the student cohort may be influencing the relative size of the cohort at Thebarton since applications and enrolments were similarly low in 2004, despite information being provided to prospective students in a more timely manner. The selection processes used were similar to those used by Para West in 2002, that is, interviews and the submission of a piece of written work, although there is some suggestion that these processes may not have been as selective at Thebarton as a result of the less vigorous demand together with the determination of the school to participate in the second year of the pilot nevertheless.
Altogether some 92 students enrolled in the UniSA-PAL course at the four adult re-entry schools at the commencement of the 2003 school year, although in common with the experience at Para West in 2002 and with the Diploma in University Studies throughout the time it has been available, a small number of students withdrew almost immediately and in every case due to extreme life difficulties. The overall actual commencing enrolment numbers were 83 across the four schools, with 24 students at each of Hamilton and Marden (initially 29 at Hamilton and no change at Marden), 21 (originally 22) at Para West, and 14 (originally 17) at Thebarton.
In the context of some misgivings within the University that if it became popular, the UniSA-PAL course might erode the viability of the Diploma in University Studies, it is relevant to note that the Diploma experienced a significant increase in demand in 2003, and an even more dramatic escalation in 2004, the latter requiring a doubling of the EFTSU109 allocated to the program and the establishment of a 2005 waiting list. Overall preferences for the Diploma were up by 30 per cent in 2003, the year of the expansion of UniSA-PAL to four schools. In 2004 the commencing cohort of close to 100 students is the largest since 1996, the year in which yet another UniSA-PAL cohort was added to the original four. It appears from this that the demand for access into higher education by disadvantaged adults may be larger than anticipated and that there may be a need for various pathways and learning contexts for different groups of such prospective students. If the PAL course is offered again over the coming years, the size and nature of the demand for each of these two avenues into higher education for disadvantaged adults will need to be monitored to determine whether they cater for cohorts of broadly similar students with quite distinct access needs and learning preferences rather than being in competition for students who can not be differentiated in any significant respects.110
Overall, as the results of the staff interviews make apparent, the level of enthusiasm and engagement amongst both the staff and the students across the four schools in 2003 reflected that of the first year at Para West. There are some interesting differences between the two years at Para West where the confidence of the staff and the coordinator, arising from their increased familiarity with the course and their own responsibilities with respect to it as well as the positive results from the previous year, appear to have been conveyed to their students, resulting success rates well beyond all expectations. On the other hand, the difficulties and demands being experienced by the students, and to some extent the staff, at Thebarton are somewhat different than at the other schools and deserve attention in the coming years if the PAL course continues to be offered there.
All four schools acknowledged the support and encouragement they have received from their relationship with the University and its staff. The relationships between the paired University and teaching staff are clearly highly effective. As noted above, many of the insecurities about teaching standards and assessment levels experienced at Para West in 2002 disappeared in 2003, and as a consequence the demands on the University staff for guidance reduced considerably. The staff at Para West were able to give useful guidance and support to the coordinators and staff at the three schools new to the pilot, with the effect that the demands on the University have not escalated in the way that might otherwise have been expected. This aspect is explored further in sections 6.7.2 with respect to the extent to which these arrangements can be replicated and multiplied without unreasonable resource demands on the University. In general the collegiate and collaborative relationships between the four schools, while in their early stages, may themselves be significant outcomes of this pilot worthy of further investigation. Each of the schools made it clear that they nevertheless highly valued the relationship with the University, for a range of reasons, which will also be explored below in the discussion of the qualitative data.