‘The Sky’s the Limit’ – The impact of Graduate
Attributes on students

A little bit about me…
• Graduate, War Studies.
• Course Rep in third year
• Elected as Academic Vice
President, UWSU
• GA Project Worker

What work are we doing on the
Graduate Attributes?
• Consulting students and academic staff, from all departments and services.
• Student questionnaire
• Facilitating ‘Expert Panels’ and working groups.
• Encouraging academic ownership of the GAs
• Liaising with other HEIs
• Developing online resources and tools

Graduate attributes on a local and national level

Towards Graduate Attributes: Student
Research
• Project: Graduate
Attributes Project (GAP)
• Methodology: Qualitative and interpretive
• Source of data: 52 students face-to-face
‘clipboard’ questionnaire
• Followed up by 6 in-depth videos

• Students are already aware of the
Graduate Attributes, even though they are not formally in the curriculum yet.
• “University giving you the correct skills to go out into the wider world and prepare them for real world experience”
– Level 2 student, SEBE
• “To ensure that graduates have the necessary skills to showcase to potential employers and also to develop themselves personally and professionally in order to succeed in an ever-changing and turbulent society”
– Graduate 2009, LSSC

“I’m going on my placement next year, so I’ll end up with work experience in a real business, which is vital”
- Level 3 student, SCIT.
TOWARDS…
Knowledge AND Enterprise

“Feel proud of mastering IT skills, I didn’t know anything about computers”
- Level 2 student, SEBE.
TOWARDS…
Digital literacy

- Level 3 student, SAS.
TOWARDS…
Global citizens

• Valued the sense of community amongst the student body; cross cultural dialogue broadened horizons.
• Not just coming into HE for subject specific knowledge anymore
• Importance of employability and work experience key to success post-university

• Will.Varnam@wlv.ac.uk
• www.wlv.ac.uk/graduate
• www.wlv.ac.uk/ILE