Transcript Student Voice at Birmingham City

Strategy and Partnership in
Student Engagement
Luke Millard
Head of Learning Partnerships
Centre for Enhancement of Learning and Teaching
In the 20 minutes…
An overview of:
• Vision for student engagement at BCU
• Partnerships for student engagement
• Embedding student engagement
The University context
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~24,000 Students
8 Campuses
6 Faculties
Vocational approach
Localised and well defined communities
Commuter population
Vision
• Generating the Learning Community across 8 Campuses
- (From consistent NSS/SES Feedback)
• Co-creation of the learning experience
- Recipient / Consumer / Participant / Partner
• Activities to be student led and delivered at the interface!
Partnership
Partnership with the Students’ Union from creation
• Genuine Partnership dialogue
• Secondment of SU’s Head of Engagement
• Creating the student engagement ‘state of mind’
• Continuing joint developments (SAP, StAMP, CoLAb,
OpportUNIty, What Works?)
A state of mind….principles
• Student engagement as mainstream activity
• Students at the centre of design and delivery
• Students, where applicable, to be paid
• Meaningful partnership not necessarily equal
SU Benefits
What
have
we
been
doing?
Four main areas of development
• Development of new content:
– Learning / resources / assessment approaches / curriculum
focus
• Consultation:
– Survey / networking projects / community building /student
engagement focus
• Employability:
– Employment / professional practice and placement experience
• Thematic:
– Employability / progression / retention / social media
SAP
Number of applications
Number of projects awarded
2009/10
52
25
2010/11
83
47 (73 Inc. Rolex)
2011/12
105 (120)
53 (65)
2012/13
BIAD
ELSS
Central Services
BCBS
TEE
PME
Health
Total
11
9
4
7
18
17
7
73
56
Student Academic Mentors…
2011-12: 22 projects (~65 students engaged)
2012-13: 23 projects (~100 students engaged)
£1000 per project to pay for student time
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Discussion Group Mentoring
Workshop Mentoring
One on One Academic Assistance Mentoring/Coaching
Teaching Assistant Mentoring
Course Induction Mentoring
Employability Mentoring
Placement Mentoring
Collaborative Projects…
• Broadening the Learning Community
• New for 2012/13: Building upon SAP and StAMP
• Large-scale, cross-disciplinary projects that
provide opportunities for student and staff
partnerships
• Mentoring provided by senior students
• Process will be at least as important as product
• 23 projects at £10k (max) per project
• ~200 students engaged
• 1165 Student Jobs on campus since Sept 2012
• 18 Standard Student Job Descriptions
– Administrator, Researcher, Technician, Marketing,
Ambassador
• Positions throughout the University
• Dedicated University based HR team (located
in SU)
What does it mean for Students …?
“I’ve had a chance to sit on the
staff side and see things from
their perspective. It is great to be
able to get this kind of work
experience, where you know
your input is valued and has an
effect. Working at an equal level
like this has been very fulfilling,
as it has shown how you can
learn by working as equals in
collaboration on a project”
What does it mean for Students…?
Employability
• 86% SAP aided studies
• 59% SAP was only activity involved in at
University
• 92% of those in jobs talked about SAP in
application
• 75% in jobs talked about SAP in interview
• 75% of students not in employment didn’t put
SAP on their CV
Aligning the Message
• University (satisfaction and progression)
– Recruitment, Retention, Reputation
• Students (skills development, employability, wider
experiences)
• SU (wider engagement with students – prospective
and academic)
Recognition
QAA…features of good practice
• the close and sustained partnership between the
University and its students that enhances the learning
experience
• the promotion of innovation in learning and teaching
achieved by the Student Academic Partners Scheme.
THE award for outstanding support for students
Secured Internal support across Faculties
University Mission
From the new corporate plan:
“To be an exemplar for student engagement, working in
partnership with students to create and deliver an excellent
university experience and achieve high levels of student
satisfaction and graduate employment.”
“We welcome the Students’ Union as a critical friend and
partner of the University and we will particularly welcome the
contribution it can make in encouraging student
representation and feedback. Together we will ensure that we
can meet students’ wider social, cultural, sporting, wellbeing
and personal development needs.”
What does it mean for Staff …?
“...this SAPs thing has already started to infect
ideas that are going on in the faculty about
how we do define our relations with students
…. Because we are stuck with this absolutely
horrendous thing of customers which I think is so
wrong. I think it could have a significance way
beyond the SAPs project itself in that we are
entering uncharted waters about how students
view themselves and how staff operate in
academia and it is really up for grabs.”
What does it mean for Staff…?
Creating the Learning Community…
National Student Survey
80
75
70
2009
2010
2011
65
2012
60
55
B11.4 Within my course, I feel suggestions and ideas are valued.
Creating the learning Community…
National Student Survey
78
76
74
72
70
2009
2010
68
2011
66
2012
64
62
60
58
B11.5 I feel part of an academic community in my college or university.
Our opinion
• Student engagement should be a state of
mind not a policy
• Nor a one off project or a series of individual
projects, but an initiative, a belief
• Students need to be at the core
• Staff engagement is easy to forget
• Organisational buy-in is crucial (SU and
University)
Challenges…
• How can we broaden the attraction of
student engagement activities to encompass
the majority not a minority?
• What do we mean by a partnership with
students?
• Long term, can the SU and the University
work together?