Graduates in Residence planned relaunch

Graduates in Residence Pilot Scheme relaunch

Graduates from our B.A (Hons) courses who graduated in 2019, 2020 or who are due to graduate in 2021 can apply to benefit from continuing ‘student’ access to HCA facilities for free.

The initial pilot aimed to run between March- July 2020 but was compromised due to lockdown and will launch in September/October 2021. For the pilot, we expect to find two (maximum three) Graduates in Residence. 

All those who applied in March 2020 have had their applications unfrozen. Invitations to 2020 graduates will be sent through the Launchgrad newsletter.

Successful Graduates will be expected to: 

• Independently create a new and conceptually coherent body of work during their time at college 

• Have a positive impact on the student community at HCA 
• Contribute to HCA’s strategic mission and vision 
• Be prepared to present their practice to current students 
• Be pro-active and engaged with the student community at HCA 
• Adhere to COVID-19 guidelines at all times 

Graduates will benefit from: 

• Computer space to use in course areas and/or access to IT suite computers3 
• Full college log-in and email address 
• Free use (student terms) of specialist equipment and resources (no print credit) 
• Free use of HCA workshop facilities, with bookings being carried out through the workshop manager at their discretion, with maximum availability to be determined by workshop teams at their discretion

• Ability to feed back into the creative community of HCA in a positive way 
• Reputational gain and an enhanced professional CV 

We expect demand for GIR spaces to be high and there is a robust application procedure. All applicants will receive short email feedback on their application. Benefits will be subject to regular review.

Applicants will be selected on the following criteria: 

• Their ability to independently produce a body of work  

• Viability of project (resources required, including space)
• Their potential positive impact on the existing student population/community of HCA 
• A clear link to college strategic vision within their application 
• The ability to co-operate in a busy working environment 
• Health and Safety (and COVID-code requirements)

• Reference from course leader (HCA will organise this internally)

You can also find this information on our downloadable Graduate in Residence infosheet June2021

How to apply:

An application form can be found here. 

Frequently asked questions:

Q. How do I know that my application has been submitted?

When you press the ‘submit’ button you should see a text that confirms your successful application and which thanks you for your application.

Q. Will I get feedback on my application?

A. All applications which are within the scope of the scheme will be given short email feedback. Shortlisted applications will be reviewed by a panel, not by course teams. 

Q. Can I access help with filling in in my application?

As a small team, we regrettably cannot provide individual support for applications

You can access a hard copy of the questions to help to prepare for your application. 

Q. What happens if I make a mistake in my application?

We accept multiple submissions so if you make a mistake on your application you can resubmit.

We will normally consider the last uploaded submission as the final submission but this will be checked by a human so please do not worry if you resubmit an incompleted form by mistake. We will contact you by email if we have any queries about your submission.

Q. Can I email you my application?

We cannot accept email or hard-copy applications.

Q. What should I do if I am struggling to access the application form on my computer?

If you are a current L6 student and cannot access the application form you can access support from IT teams through the button on studentnet.

If you are a graduate and cannot access the application form, please take a look at the Microsoft Support web pages.

If you use a screen reader, there is support available on how to navigate forms on the Microsoft website.

Q. What happens once I have submitted my application?

Your application will be graded against the application criteria and Health and Safety requirements. HCA will seek short verbal references from your named course team. Shortlisted applications will be taken to a panel meeting, which will make the decision about who will be our GiR. Course teams do not make this decision.

This diagram tells you more about the process after you apply

Q. What do I do if I have not heard back from you?

We hope to have processed all applications before the end of September. If you have not heard from us before the first week in October, please feel free to contact us.