Student Retention and Engagement Forum update
Fri, 03 Oct 2014 16:02:00 BST
...following last week's meeting
Colleagues from across the University and Students’ Union got together last week for an update on the University’s approach and progress in addressing issues related to student retention and engagement. The event was opened by Professor Tim Thornton, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Teaching and Learning, who emphasised the strategic importance of our work in this area.
A number of presentations provided an overview of the recently established Student Support Steering Group, which Tim chairs and whose remit includes the following areas of work:
- Use of data - how we can use data about our students to identify those in need of support; how staff can use this information to make early interventions with these students;
- Student feedback – plans in place to gain a deeper insight into the student experience, and a framework for feeding this back to schools and services;
- Alignment of school and central student support services – how we can ensure consistency in the student experience;
- Internal communications – an overview of how we can inform both staff and students of available support.
The latter part of the event concentrated on identifying common worries that our first-year students may be experiencing. These are summarized in the following graphic:
The highlight of the afternoon was a student panel Q&A session. Second-year students were asked to reflect on their time as first years. Their input provided a powerful insight into the highs and lows of this important year. Importantly, it also highlighted to attendees, the benefits of engaging with students in order to identify concerns and develop plans to improve their experience.
The final session was a presentation from Penny Robinson, a representative of NACADA, the Global Community for Academic Advising. Penny talked about the role of NACADA globally, and the work in progress to develop the network within the UK. The University is taking a key role in supporting this initiative.
We would like to thank all those who attended and especially the students involved in the panel session. If you are interested in any aspect of this work, please contact Sarah Broxton, Strategic Planning Officer, in Planning and Information Services, on ext 2069.
