STUDENT SUCCESS AND RETENTION. Our approach to delivering equitable student success to students from diverse backgrounds will continue to be through a combination of integrated work across the full student body, enhanced by bespoke and targeted work with specific groups of students. This will be supported by our investment in financial support. Investment will include : ⮚ Enhancements to the Academic Personal Tutors scheme; ⮚ Enhancements to the Peer Assisted Learning mentoring scheme for students; ⮚ Additional paid internships and placements with employers and mentoring by employers to support Access to the Professions for non-traditional students; ⮚ Enhancement of student advice and enquiries services; ⮚ Enhancement of financial support and advice services; ⮚ Support for the University Equality and Diversity Unit; ⮚ A bespoke Vice Chancellors Leadership Scheme for students from WP backgrounds; ⮚ Faculty led Academic Support Centres, undertaking targeted work with priority students under this Agreement to support retention and student academic success ⮚ Potential expansion of new initiatives such as exchange schemes for target students to study abroad.
STUDENT SUCCESS AND RETENTION. We will invest additional resource into measures that will enhance student success and retention. We will also establish a new retention strategy focusing on academic and information literacy and the development and spreading of best practice between academic Schools on ‘what works’.
STUDENT SUCCESS AND RETENTION. The University has a strong retention record, however, it has been shown that students from non-traditional backgrounds, for example with vocational qualifications, describe the transition into HE as complex and difficult, and need to be able to draw on support to overcome the difficulties they perceive in the HE context8, as well as to ensure they gain maximum benefit from their student experience. The University’s Student Services continues to extend to all students from non-traditional backgrounds a proactive offer of support both pre-arrival and throughout their student experience. Our success in recruiting and retaining students with disabilities along with more effective promotion of support systems has led to a substantial increase in the numbers of students accessing our services. In response to this we are strengthening our student support provision in this area with three new posts. As part of our strategy to raise pre-entry attainment, and support student retention and success, we are developing a new initiative to facilitate smooth and successful transition to HE. To this end, we have identified members of academic staff in each department to act as Transition Mentors. They work closely with the students and support them once they arrive at the University. These Mentors link with the extensive peer mentoring schemes in the University, facilitated by the recently appointed Student Experience Officers (SEOs). Drawing on research with current students strategies are being developed to enhance and extend the concept of induction from pre-arrival through to the first year student experience, to better support the transition and inclusion of all students, including those from non- traditional backgrounds. Additional support will be provided by departmental Transition Mentors, Faculty-based SEOs working with Student Services, the WPO, and the Students' Union. They will proactively work with students from non-traditional backgrounds, helping them to identify and meet their academic learning, personal development and employment- related goals, as well as ensuring they understand how to access and benefit from the full range of support and facilities available at the University. Consultations with staff and students have clearly shown the need for additional learning support for those from under-represented groups. We plan to strengthen our provision in this area to improve our support for academic and study skills and increase tutorial provision. Peer-a...
