Retention Strategy 2012
Introduction
1. The University Learning, Teaching and Student Experience Strategy is built
around the concept of the ‘Distinctive University of Hull Graduate’, the retention
and support of our students is a demonstration of our student focus and our
mission to ensure their academic success.
Retaining students and enabling them to be successful is our corporate
responsibility. In line with our organisational culture and values every member of
staff of the institution will be committed to displaying a positive and proactive
student focus.
All staff will be committed to engage with students on a variety of levels to
facilitate their academic success and their social well-being.
2. Our definition of retention includes withdrawal and academic progression/failure
but our focus is on retaining and supporting all of our students in order that they
can achieve their full potential.
3. The University is committed to placing students at the heart of the University,
providing an individualised and inclusive experience and providing a
personalised approach to supporting our students both academically and in other
ways.
4. HUU have committed to help the University deliver this strategy and will have an
implementation plan to meet the objectives where appropriate.
Key periods in the student journey
5. The University has identified the following key periods and in the student journey
as directly affecting student retention:
o Pre-entry
o Induction defined here as introduction / reintroduction into the life of the
University and its processes
o Initial engagement – defined here as introduction to the academic
elements of the student experience
 Early indications of disengagement/dissatisfaction
 Early indications of academic issues
o Reassessment and intercalation
1|Page
6. We are, of course, aware that in addition to factors associated with the student
career, students may experience a range of personal and social issues which
impact on their ability to engage with their programme and to continue in higher
education. The Personal Supervisor system, the ‘cause for concern’ process,
University and HUU welfare services and the informal social networks developed
via both departmental and HUU activities may mitigate such factors and provide
support for students. Resourcing and promoting these mechanisms will be vital
to ensuring that students are able to participate fully in the life of the institution.
Pre-entry
7. In order to assist potential students in selecting the most appropriate course for
their interests, aims and objectives we will assure the quality and accuracy of all
information regarding our academic programmes of study.
8. We will assure the quality and accuracy of all information regarding available
social and lifestyle arrangements associated with choosing to study at Hull and
Scarborough campuses.
9. We will offer applicants a personalised service from the point of application,
covering academic, social and financial dimensions of their choices.
10. We will provide targeted pre-induction events to support student transition; these
will incorporate the elements of the new Learner Progression Framework
including :



summer schools
targeted events for mature / local learners
provision of clear information for students and their families regarding
key pressure points in the student journey.
Induction
11. We consider induction to be a continual development process throughout the
student journey.
12. We will proactively encourage and support new students in their engagement
and involvement in the life of the University through departmental events and
activities, and the central induction processes.
13. We will introduce standardised induction processes across the University so that
all students enjoy high standards of support. We will proactively identify and
disseminate good practice via the “Welcome, Orientation and Induction;
Examples of Good Practice” publication. Key staff will be involved in an annual
review of this publication and support for embedding effective practice will be
2|Page
provided. The guidance will highlight good practice around direct entry students
and the ‘reinduction’ of students returning from periods away from the University.
14. Academic departments and other student facing services will assess students’
academic and personal needs proactively. This may include using academic
assessment tools, skills inventories or screening techniques, alongside the
deeper integration of social, pastoral and academic spheres.
15. Students will have a wide range of opportunities to gain the academic and
transferable skills necessary for their programmes and chosen careers. We will
take proactive steps to embed study and academic related skills in curriculum
design and provide opportunities for skills development through the co-curricular
in partnership with HUU.
16. We will encourage the judicious use of consistent mentoring schemes for
students.
Initial Engagement: Early Indications of Disengagement/Dissatisfaction
17. We recognise that some students may wish to change their programme of study,
and will provide appropriate support and advice to facilitate any changes. The
advice will focus on retaining students to the institution rather than faculty.
Constructive and developmental approaches will be taken with students who
wish to, or are best advised to, change their programme of study.
18. We will further develop the Personal Supervision system and ensure that it links
into other support from student facing services.
19. We will implement standardised approach to attendance monitoring and provide
attendance monitoring data to departments in order to identify issues of
disengagement.
20. We will equip departments to identify, track and monitor the progress of students
from under-represented and/or WP groups through all phases of their
involvement with the University: before induction, during their programme(s) of
study and, where possible, after graduation.
Initial Engagement: Early Indications of Academic Problems
21. We recognise the importance of consistent and constructive early feedback. We
will develop support and improvement strategies for those students
underperforming in assessments throughout the certificate stage, but with a
particular emphasis on first semester submissions.
22. We will provide early formative assessment tasks and embed feedback practices
3|Page
which support target setting. These may help to alleviate concerns around
assessment and the transition between programme levels.
23. We will proactively monitor students vulnerable to academic underachievement
to ensure they receive appropriate support when they require it. The University
will monitor retention and student success at different organisational levels (e.g.
programme of study, department, faculty, campus) to identify emerging areas of
concern, and proactively disseminate good practice.
24. We will encourage individual students and academic departments to engage
with, and utilise, all appropriate academic and study skills resources.
25. We will ensure appropriate and timely screening for dyslexia and related specific
learning differences to ensure a minimal impact upon student development and
success.
Reassessment and intercalation
26. We will provide support over the summer vacation and encourage students
bound to the resit period to engage with this provision.
27. We will proactively plan, monitor and support the return and reengagement of
intercalating students, and encourage them to access appropriate University
services.
Institutional Enhancements
Quality of the ‘Student Experience’
28. The provision of a high quality student experience is vital to the success of the
University. We support a range of mechanisms to identify and address issues of
concern to students including: course rep system, Staff – Student Committees,
the complaints procedure, University and HUU support services. We are
committed to taking a more systematic approach to identifying lessons learnt
from complaints.
29. We will annually monitor student satisfaction across a range of component parts
of the overall ‘student experience’ from both internal (University and HUU) (e.g.
MEQs, stage based NSS style questionnaires, and University Exit
Questionnaires) and independent sources (e.g. National Student Survey).
Dimensions may include academic learning and teaching, academic services,
student administration, financial support, accommodation, leisure and sports
facilities, social and cultural opportunities, and the development of new skills and
experiences. We will use the findings to identify and address areas of lower
satisfaction. Coordinated access to such data should provide a more rounded,
longitudinal view of ongoing issues while highlighting emerging needs.
4|Page
Quality and availability of Student Support Services
30. We will monitor timescales for types of activity and monitor service against
targets. We will explore ways to monitor student uptake of central student
support services and the impact of these on the successful completion of a
programme of study.
31. We will ensure that clear and intuitive access routes to information, guidance
and support are provided for those students considering early departure,
including face to face support through identified advisers.
32. We will encourage all areas in the delivery of proactive, individualised services
that aim to be available when students most require them.
Pre-degree undergraduate qualifications
33. We will to recognise and celebrate the value and success of completing studies
to certificate and diploma levels, and the importance of completing full stages
wherever possible.
34. We will encourage staff, students and the employer community to see interim
awards as valuable qualifications in their own right, as well as stepping-stones to
degree level qualification.
Quality of Data
35. We will build on existing research in this areas to collect and analyse data on
non-completion to assist in identifying groups of students susceptible to earlydeparture and particularly vulnerable periods in the student journey.
36. We will ensure that reporting and data sets to cover retention and earlydeparture at various levels (e.g. Programme of Study, department, faculty,
campus) are streamlined, easily extractable and comprehensive. Departments
will be supported in the use of quantitative data and the University will identify
and develop embedded sources of qualitative data to supplement available
quantitative data.
How do we do it?
Sector research suggests the incorporation of the following guiding principles into
any strategy and its implementation:
a)
Set priorities, targets and limits
A great emphasis should be on gathering reliable data, raising the retention agenda
5|Page
with staff and developing an open culture where discussion of retention issues
occurs honestly and without fear of blame. As not all initiatives to improve retention
will be successful, it is imperative to build regular points of monitoring and review into
the process to decide on further development.
b)
Assure high quality data and academic credibility
The internal publication of robust and detailed retention statistics is imperative to
raising the retention agenda and addressing the issues the data raise. Clean, reliable
and transparent data takes considerable effort and the associated costs should not
be underestimated. Nevertheless, the benefits of empirically based action allow the
University to become a sector leader in implementing and promoting good
practice(s).
c)
Accept a long-term, ongoing focus and engagement
Addressing student retention effectively is a long-term, ongoing project that requires
institutions and staff to make fundamental changes to both thinking and processes.
Any cycle of research, action and evaluation will take a minimum of 3 years and
more likely 5 to 6 years to complete. A 5 to 6 year cycle enables the meaningful
inclusion of data from students for whom periods of intercalation, resitting entire
stages, or moving programmes of study, became necessary. Furthermore, a cycle of
this length allows for gathering robust data for those students following part-time
programmes.
d)
Ensuring staff ‘ownership’, involvement and support
Recent research concludes that a vital factor for improving retention and the overall
‘student experience’ is the enthusiasm and willingness of staff to lead students by
providing structure and continuity from the earliest stages. This requires staff to
embrace, engage with and instigate change. The publication of retention statistics is
easy to interpret as attempts to embarrass or blame staff. To counter this, a priority
of any retention strategy must balance any negative impacts by providing staff with
practical and well-regarded support to enable their full participation and sense of
ownership. This may be by way of customisable products derived from research,
active involvement in faculty based work or providing consultancy to individuals. At a
practical level, the creation of a significant retention role within each department may
help to drive necessary strategies, including the implementation, development and
sharing of good practices alongside improvements in reporting through deeper
engagement with processes. However, in order for ownership and enthusiasm to
flourish, we stress that this should occur within a system that recognises, supports
and gives legitimacy to the role, allowing action while preventing ‘extra’ responsibility
or increasing pressure upon staff.
6|Page
e)
Establish the infrastructure for embedding change
A major challenge for any institution is to move developmental work into steady state
activity or to expand small-scale good practice into widespread established practice.
Institutions employ a variety of models for this, but it is essential that individuals
within faculties and departments gain responsibility for leading retention work and for
coordinating their activity with other staff in similar roles, alongside any central
retention project(s). These same individuals must also gain the authority, resources
and support to ensure the systematic rolling out of identified good practice(s).
f)
Review learning, teaching and assessment strategies
Widening access fundamentally changed assumptions about students’ existing skills
and knowledge, and as discussed above, it is imperative to acknowledge and
champion the importance that academics, the curricula and associated aspects play
in addressing retention and the ‘student experience’. The Learning, Teaching and
Student Experience Strategy has been produced in parallel with this document.
The implementation of both strategies will be overseen by the University’s Learning
Teaching and Assessment Committee. The goals set out are ambitious. Cross
departmental working will be vital to their success and will be facilitated and
supported.
7|Page