Implementing the student engagement and experience agenda

1. Implementing the student engagement and experience agenda Chris Willmore University Academic Director of Undergraduate Studies Academic Registry Conference September 2013

2. Time for a rethink • Student feedback: UBU, ISB and NSS • School feedback • NSS results – league table impacts • Direct: UBU & Support • Indirect: Overall satisfaction • QAA Quality Code • B4 Student Support • B5 Student Engagement • Student Experience Academic Registry Conference September 2013

3. Student experience / satisfaction is about • A journey to independent professionals • Stretching students – but scaffolding them • Progressive independence • NOT about warm/cuddly experience – about challenge and EXPLAINED discomfort • Recognising students as • key members of the scholarly community • partners and co –creators of their learning • Hearing students crucial to improving student experience / satisfaction Academic Registry Conference September 2013

4. Partnership: UOB & UBU • Our approach in developing the new systems • joint working at all levels • joint development of policy and practice • integration of UBU and student representation • joint provision • importance of valuing the UBU and promoting it to students as integral to their Bristol experience • partnership as an approach should be ongoing and at all levels Academic Registry Conference September 2013

5. Two issues today • New systems for • Student Representation – UG and PGT • Student Support – UG only

6. Student Engagement • Student engagement is about involving and empowering students in the process of shaping the student learning experience • Meeting and helping shape students' expectations • Communicating clearly with students about standards and quality • Working with students as partners and protecting their interests • Responding to the diverse views and needs of students. Academic Registry Conference September 2013

7. Scottish Framework • Five Key Elements of Student Engagement: • Students feeling part of a supportive institution • Students engaging in their own learning • Students working with their institution in shaping the direction of learning • Formal mechanisms for quality and governance • Influencing the student experience at national level • Six Features of Effective Student Engagement: • A culture of engagement • Students as partners • Responding to diversity • Valuing the student contribution • Focus on enhancement and change • Appropriate resources and support • http://www.sparqs.ac.uk/upfiles/SEFScotland Academic Registry Conference September 2013

8. What are student priorities for action?Do they know what you are doing about their concerns?Is there a culture of engagement in your School?Do you hear the voices of all students? Academic Registry Conference September 2013

9. New Student Representative System 2013 • Culture • Representative roles • Course Representative – representing cohort at School level • School Representative – representing students in the School at Faculty level • Faculty Senate Representative – representing students in the Faculty at Senate (UG) and Chairing Faculty Staff Student Liaison Committee • Committee Structure • School Staff Student Liaison Committees SSLCs • Consistent pattern of Faculty SSLCs Academic Registry Conference September 2013

10. Course Representative Role • Keep abreast of student issues on course, and actively seek out the opinion of peers through a variety of communication methods • Liaise with other Reps to gain support and share ideas • Attend and represent views and opinions of students on course at SSLC meetings and other meetings as appropriate • Feedback and discuss issues raised at SSLC with fellow students • Attend induction and ongoing training • Promote role to students on the course/cohort , ensuring that they are aware of the support the rep can offer • Feed key information up to School and Faculty Senate Reps as and when required • Attend UBU Student Council Academic Registry Conference September 2013

11. School Representatives • Selected by Course Representatives from amongst their number at first School SSLC • Aim is to bridge the gap between Course Reps and Senate Reps and provide greater consistency in attendance at Faculty SSLC • Engage with and assist in the coordination of Course Reps • Represent School on Faculty-level bodies e.g. Faculty Staff Student Liaison Committees • Feedback information from Faculty-level meetings to the School-level committee and peers • Feed key information up to Faculty Senate Reps as and when required • Attend UBU democratic events Academic Registry Conference September 2013

12. Faculty Senate Representatives • One per Faculty - serve on Senate • Engage with and assist in the coordination of School Faculty Reps • Keep abreast of student issues in the Faculty • Actively seek out the opinion of peers through a variety of communication methods • Represent Faculty on University level decision-making bodies • Attend and chair Faculty Staff Student Liaison Committees • Feedback from University-level meetings to Faculty-level meetings and peers • Engage with and assist in the recruitment of FQET Reps • Work closely with the Sabbatical Officers at UBU • Lead relations with faculty education management • Attend UBU democratic events Academic Registry Conference September 2013

14. The immediate issue: Elections • All Schools should have supplied details of the roles on their Staff Student Liaison Committees • Online election run by Student Union • Nominations open 23 September 10am (week 0) • Nominations close 10th October 4pm (week 2) • Voting opens Friday 11th October 4pm (week 2) • Voting closes Friday 18th October 4pm (week 3) • Decisions announced Friday 18th October • Training – week 4 • School Committees meet from week 5 Academic Registry Conference September 2013

15. School role in elections YOUR Committees, so Schools are still central: • Schools have supplied list of posts needed • Schools continue to encourage people to stand and promote participation – using all suitable tools • Student Union will supply additional tools including flyers, a video and other resources • Student Union will promote across the institution and by direct mailing to students • Schools and UBU monitor flow of nominations and voter turnout and target take up

16. Support & Training • All Student Reps will be trained – 75% by the end of Week 4; 90% by the end of week 5 • Training will be Faculty Specific – with University and Student Union input • UBU has appointed additional staff dedicated to the representation system • Schools need to provide appropriate support to student reps – so they can do their job. Academic Registry Conference September 2013

17. Once you have your reps…. • School Staff Student Liaison Committee to meet 4-6 times in the year, Head of School to attend. • Faculty Staff Student Liaison Committee to meet at least twice a term, chaired by Faculty Senate Student Rep, Dean to attend. • Timed to feed issues between the two Academic Registry Conference September 2013

18. Once you have your reps…. • No single model of how to run School Committee • will work with reps this year to develop ‘ best practice guidance’ for implementation in 2014/15 • Key features of good model: • students lead the agenda – (Chair meetings?) • partnership culture – students as co-producers • feedback to students – minutes and follow up feedback • school newsletter to students • Head of School commitment • support to students who are reps to do their job • diversity of student body properly listened to • ability to show impact of feedback • focus on enhancement Academic Registry Conference September 2013

19. Web Resources • www.ubu.org.uk/representation/ Student Representation website, revised site not yet live – but will contain all necessary materials including FAQ. Revised site will be jointly badged UOB and UBU • ubu-representation@bristol.ac.uk Contact email for UBU representation staff Academic Registry Conference September 2013

20. Student Support • NSS line “Academic Support” • 10. I have received sufficient advice and support with my studies. • 11. I have been able to contact staff when I needed to. • 12. Good advice was available when I needed to make study choices. Academic Registry Conference September 2013

21. Developing active and engaged lives “A liberal education requires students to develop an all-round sense of themselves as intellectually and actively engaged with their lives. They should have broad-ranging interests outside of their degree courses, they should be developing personal and leadership skills in formal and semi-formal contexts, they should be making lifestyle choices which free them up for successful study and responsible community and public involvement.” The Educational Role of Halls of Residence (Rivers 2013) Academic Registry Conference September 2013

22. A student needs someone who . . . • Knows the student by name • Is alongside them throughout their studies • Has an holistic view of their development • Has a mutual agreement with the student about engagement • Provides access to appropriate individual advice at critical points in a student’s University life to enable all students to benefit from a liberal education in this way. Academic Registry Conference September 2013

23. Key Principles • That support is provided by those colleagues and in those forms which are best suited for their purpose; • That the adopted support structure is efficient in terms of impact and delivery; • That it enables staff and students to meet regularly and in conducive circumstances; • That it is visible to all; • That it forms a coherent and comprehensive whole. • That Heads of Schools own the process and the quality of the support provided Academic Registry Conference September 2013

24. Defining Student Support • academic subject tutoring; • academic personal tutoring; • welfare support. • Three roles: • Academic Personal Tutor • Senior Tutor • Designated School Professional Services Staff Member Academic Registry Conference September 2013

25. What will the new model mean? • Continue to have Academic Personal Tutors, who will meet regularly with their personal tutees, but with a more structured approach to these meetings and the number of contact events increased. • As the content and timing of those meetings will be discipline-specific, Schools will develop an appropriate programme of activities during the year, meeting the new expectations for the number of meetings a year. • The focus will move from welfare to support all students need to excel. Academic Registry Conference September 2013

26. And… 2. Each School will appoint a Senior Tutor, to co-ordinate the student support system in the School and be part of a University-wide network of Senior Tutors. Established in each School in early September. 3. There will be a designated member of professional services in each School to whom students can turn for advice, should they prefer not to talk to an academic. This will normally be the SAM. 4. School handbooks for students will need to reflect the new approach. Academic Registry Conference September 2013

27. Academic Personal Tutor • The Academic Personal Tutor role will ensure there is someone who: knows the individual student by name; has a holistic view of his or her academic development; monitors their progress; and, provides access to appropriate individual advice at critical points in the student’s University life to enable them to benefit from a liberal education. • In order to fulfil these functions, there will be a regular programme of face-to-face contact between Academic Personal Tutors and their tutees. Academic Registry Conference September 2013

28. For ALL students, as positive part of development • A stable academic point of contact within the University; • Information about higher education processes, procedures and expectations; • Help in terms of managing the transition to, from, and within the University; • Academic feedback and development support to help students understand what is expected of them academically ; • Signposting to other support providers, such as the Academic Senior Tutor, central support services and JustAsk; • Support in academic development planning; • Framework for personal and academic development including oversight of study skills needs, option choices, career planning, and attainment; • Personal and academic references. Academic Registry Conference September 2013

29. Frequency of meeting • Frequency and form of contacts defined, at programme level, by the Senior Tutor (in consultation with Academic Personal Tutors) • Expected to include: • at least THREE contact points scheduled in each Teaching Block of first year of study; • at least TWO contact points scheduled in each Teaching Block in the subsequent years of study • At leaste ONE scheduled individual meeting each academic year (others can be in small groups) Academic Registry Conference September 2013

30. Structured approach • Some Schools already have a structured programme. • Transitional year for others: the others are not expected to have a programme of activity i.e. what to focus upon in which meeting this academic year • The programme should be developed by the Senior Tutor in discussion with students to identify needs at key points in the student lifecycle. • All Schools are expected to deliver the full meeting frequency this year, whilst developing content plans Academic Registry Conference September 2013

31. Senior Tutor • Senior member of academic staff in School • Focal point for School expertise in the process of supporting students and source of advice • Leads provision and quality assurance of student support in School • Reports annually on the operation of student support in their School via APR • Works University wide via a ST Network • Deals with enquiries from students on the tutoring system and arranging an alternative personal tutor where appropriate. • As part of ‘Introductory Week’, meets new students and explains the support system. • Serves on relevant School committees. Academic Registry Conference September 2013

32. Working with professional services The Senior Tutor is responsible for ensuring: • Students are assigned to Academic Personal Tutors. • Arrangements for student support within the School are correctly described and appropriately signposted. • Student records for engagement and attendance and any pastoral issues are monitored, so the Senior Tutor can actively intervene where appropriate. • The Designated Professional Services Contact arrangements are appropriate and satisfactory. • Liaison with the School Disability Representative. • Appropriate arrangements to support students with particular needs are in place Academic Registry Conference September 2013

33. Senior Tutor Network • One Senior Tutor per School attends Network • Share good practice / problems • Develop and share materials • Advise the University on student support policies and practice • Identify training needs • Liaise with Student Support Services / JustAsk • Link to Senior Tutor member of the University Student Experience Committee Academic Registry Conference September 2013

34. Designated Professional Services Contact • Usually SAM unless agreed otherwise • Alternative school contact for students when they find it inappropriate or uncomfortable sharing problems with academics they feel may be assessing their work or forming academic judgments of them.  • Activity: • Ensure role and contact details are widely advertised throughout the school - making clear primary support is via Personal Tutors/Senior Tutor; • Respond promptly and sensitively to students who seek advice; • Refer students to appropriate services – rather than developing a casework portfolio; • Keep a record of all meetings; • Training will be available Academic Registry Conference September 2013

35. Monitoring and review • Annual Programme Review • 2013/14 APR will include student support, with that part of the report and recommendations drafted by Senior Tutor • Will be subject to FQET visit • Will also share APR with Senior Tutor Network to identify wider institutional issues Academic Registry Conference September 2013

36. Web sites: student support • Top-level URL in University Student Handbook. • www.bristol.ac.uk/ug-support • Staff facing site • www.bris.ac.uk/esu/studentlearning/ug-support/(Single Sign On needed) • Student facing site • www.bristol.ac.uk/undergraduates/support/

37. Take Away Actions • Student Voice - Representation • Ensure handbooks reflect new approach • Ensure sufficient School Student Liaison meetings scheduled • Ensure proper resource to support student reps • Check School has clear means of feedback to students itself • Plan to promote student rep elections • Faculties to ensure Faculty structure and School links in place Academic Registry Conference September 2013

38. And on student support……. • Ensure handbooks reflect new approach • Ensure Senior Tutor identified in time for Network Meeting • Ensure Designated Professional Services Contact agreed • All Academic Personal Tutors briefed • Publicise to students e.g. arranging for Senior Tutor to speak to incoming first years in Welcome Week • Systems for monitoring whether meetings being held / attendance • Commence work on identifying programme of activity Academic Registry Conference September 2013

39. Help / feedback • Websites • FAQs – will be developed as you ask Qs • Education Support Unit • Student Support: Mike White M.White@bristol.ac.uk • Student Representation: Sam Jones sam.Jones@bristol.ac.uk • Student Union • Ryan Bird: Ryan.Bird@bristol.ac.uk Academic Registry Conference September 2013