HEA Annual Conference 2008
Changing Academic Culture through Events Weeks
Lloyd Pettiford and Angela Brown
School of Arts and Humanities, Nottingham Trent University
Having ‘Events Weeks’ is a very simple idea. We do not make claims in terms of it
being ‘rocket science’, but we do wonder how many institutions/Faculties have
taken the plunge and tried to implement such an idea. Since we have this
experience, we thought it worth sharing it for 2 reasons.
o
Perhaps to encourage others to give this a go but with some awareness of
the issues
o
To help us as we think about how to develop (We would like to turn a
qualified success into an unqualified one)
Events Weeks seems to work from ‘both ends’ as it were. In terms of the
institutional context we are encouraged to reflect upon the breadth and range of
student learning opportunities, particularly as part of an Institutional Learning
and Teaching Enhancement Strategy. If that is the management/bureaucracy end
of the spectrum, at the other end Events Weeks allow us to tap into the
undoubted creativity and enthusiasm of all sorts of staff and students. The costs
of ‘failure’ for any given event within Events Weeks are low and so creativity can
be combined with risk, often resulting in (almost) life changing and inspiring
experiences. But before saying any more about this idea some words on our
rationale for this alternative to reading weeks.
There were perhaps three key moments in starting Events Weeks:
o
one was an internal conversation about the long (previously even
longer) teaching period before Christmas and how it would be nice to
inject a little energy into people, both staff and students, at this time.
This discussion fed into the considerations and then recommendations
of a School working group on enhancing the student learning
experience at undergraduate level. The recommendations from that
group
included:
encouragement
for
appropriate
undergraduate
attendance at supplementary lectures/workshops; make a range of
1st-3rd July 2008
Page 1 of 8
HEA Annual Conference 2008
additional learning opportunities available to the School’s students;
and the introduction of a programme of professorial lectures to enrich
all degree courses.
o
the second was a discussion with a colleague at another institution
about ‘Reading Weeks’ when staff could finally get some research done
and students went skiing;
o
and the third was an ‘away day’ on the student experience at which it
was wondered what we could do to begin to develop intellectual (rather
than instrumental) engagement among more of our students.
As a result of all of these, the idea of Events Weeks emerged. Some entertaining,
and occasionally strange, brain-storming sessions took place involving a wide
range of people including representatives from all of the School’s academic
teams, including programme leaders, subject leaders, research leaders, the
School’s professoriate, the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching Group, with
administrative support colleagues, and with representatives from the Students’
Union, about all sorts of events, the timing of events in the academic year, and
their marketing (although in the end we didn’t go with ‘toothpaste posters’
advertising minty fresh events week, lecturers in stocks nor bungee jumping)
Through research amongst the student body we narrowed down what we wanted
to do to a series of academically focussed, but also often very creative, events.
First of all, we needed to see what the School’s academic staff thought. In
presenting the idea to the School, we took the unusual step of proposing not to
do it. I presented the idea saying that it could offer staff a change of pace and
intellectual excitement, but that it really would be rather a lot of work and that I
was not keen to do it unless people could tell me why I should bother. I explained
our idea for a week free of the normal curriculum for events; something like a
reading week in some respects, but a central School-organised programme
surrounded by a satellite of subject based events. The School’s Learning and
Teaching Co-ordinator, who wasn’t aware that I was going to present the idea in
this way, then sat and ticked off each of the top ten reasons she had noted for
trying Events Weeks, as other people suggested them to the meeting.
We also needed to pitch the idea to students.
We started by consulting our
Student Forum, a body which is a sub-committee of the School’s Academic
Standards and Quality Committee and whose membership includes all of the
student representatives from all of our programmes.
1st-3rd July 2008
We were seeking their
Page 2 of 8
HEA Annual Conference 2008
views on and support for our proposals and on our aims for introducing Events
Weeks; we wanted them to act as advocates for Events Weeks amongst the wider
student body, through informal discussion and as part of their more formal role as
course representatives, so their support was critical in terms of adding to the
impetus for developing Events Weeks. A survey, designed by the Learning and
Teaching Co-ordinator and tested out on Student Forum, was circulated to all
undergraduate students in the School asking for their views on the idea itself, on
the types of events we might run, and on whether we should do it at all.
In the end we decided to have two Events Weeks. One in November (which might
also be seen as a retention-linked follow up to the University’s very large
‘Welcome Week’, but more academic and less social) and the other in February
(apart from November we reckoned this the most miserable of academic
months). From the start we realised that Events Week would have to be a ‘space’,
which could be used in multiple ways by a diverse student body; we couldn’t
manage, and did not envisage, an event for all our 2,000 students – this had to
be something that students dipped into, or out of, for any number of reasons. Our
main aims were:
1) A change of pace for all, both staff and students;
2) Intellectual engagement for its own sake, in order to begin to develop and
change the academic culture
In terms of the first one, we ‘hoped’ that staff would be present on campus and at
some, at least, of the events (and we actively encouraged presence through
‘Heads of Department’ (Academic Team Leaders)). And we envisaged that freed
from usual lectures and classes they would appreciate the space to talk to each
other or students, or to do something different. Although ‘presence’ has always
been a key aim, Events Weeks have offered other possibilities in this regard,
where for instance illness or personal circumstance have prevented a member of
staff taking a proper holiday at more usual times Events Weeks have allowed
colleagues to take a break, usually to warmer climes!
For students, we wanted them to engage intellectually but also realised a change
of pace could be good too; we know that Events Weeks have become, for
different students, a time to discuss their fears or check their progress, to catch
up with notes or assignments, to relax, to read, to visit a friend or family member
in need. From the start we realised we could not expect everyone to turn up to
1st-3rd July 2008
Page 3 of 8
HEA Annual Conference 2008
everything, nor prescribe usage, simply to explain our rationale; from this there
have been some unexpected, but valuable outcomes, such as 4 th year language
students returning to the country/ies where they spent their third years to visit
friends and brush up on language skills.
It is significant that after the first events week, when we sent out an evaluation
questionnaire by email to our undergraduates, we received responses from about
200 students; 100% said we should do it again, even though only around a
quarter had actually attended events – no-one demanded their money back or
complained about a ‘gap’ in the curriculum. A second evaluation questionnaire,
distributed to all first year students in the School and focused on the topics of
their experience of the induction programme and of the two Events Weeks,
provided additional support for the continuation and development of Events
Weeks.
For this questionnaire we received responses from 26.3% of all first
years; again 100% said that we should continue with Events Weeks. Student
Forum meetings have more or less ‘demanded’ that we keep Events Weeks;
students, within forum meetings and more generally, have been active in forming
our ideas on which events will ‘work’ in terms of attracting attendance, and they
have been vigorous in defending the value of Events Weeks. This was expressed
at the most recent Student Forum meeting even though none of those present
attended events. Staff feedback has also been 100% positive. Despite a limited
number of formal feedback forms filled in by staff (all positive) anecdotal
feedback has also been fully supportive too.
One reason for Events Weeks not just becoming a ‘holiday’ is that we ensured
that students were fully aware of a serious, academically focussed programme of
events. In the initial discussions with students and with representatives from the
Students’ Union about the development and idea of Events Weeks, it was clear
that they wanted such a focus; that a programme of events with direct relevance
to their course of study, as well as to their future career, was one which they
would welcome and support. In introducing the idea to them, and in reviewing the
implementation of Events Weeks with them, we stated our aims as being:
a. to encourage students to take a broader interest in their intellectual
development;
b. to make possible learning events outside the lecture/seminar norm;
c. to allow time for students to read and prepare assignments;
1st-3rd July 2008
Page 4 of 8
HEA Annual Conference 2008
d. to
make
staff
available
specifically
for
guidance
on
up-coming
assessments;
e. to hold lectures, invite speakers and show films of interest to all students
in the School;
f.
to provide subject-based events such as field trips or research seminars
aimed at students;
g. to provide space for support services such as careers to offer ‘drop in’
events;
h. to offer a ‘welcome week’ style programme of cultural/social and academic
events from which students can pick and choose.
As well as:
i.
to create a sense of community in the School; and
j.
to create a sense of excitement in the cold months of February and
November
From the start, field trips (day or residential) have been very popular, despite the
planning/Health and Safety issues to which staff must attend. We have also run
student focussed seminars, symposia and workshops, sometimes with input from
colleagues at other institutions in the UK and overseas. For each Events Week,
the School organises a central programme (usually of introduced films) and also
the advertising for all the events (apart from that through module booklets). Any
number of different events has filled the space provided by Events Weeks,
including competitions, debates, professorial lectures etc as well as less formal
ones such as spontaneous earnest conversations over coffee, planning sessions
for books and so on. For staff this counts as a normal week on timetable which
allows some pressure to be brought to bear if necessary; but in most cases such
pressure has not been needed. This can be seen in the enthusiasm which staff
have brought to refining and developing the events offered from each subject
area, to devising, planning and supervising field trips outside the normal
curricula, and to drumming up student interest in attending.
If the first year of Events Week felt like getting a plane off the ground then the
second year has felt like keeping it in the air. This still requires much energy, but
not so much. We are also slowly building a more efficient plane in a number of
ways. First we now know that although free of the curriculum, it helps us to
nudge some students towards some events. Second, we know more about how to
focus our advertising (mainly through posters and the University Virtual Learning
1st-3rd July 2008
Page 5 of 8
HEA Annual Conference 2008
Environment). Third we know that trips and subject based events are most
popular, along with sessions which are careers-focused and which offer
information on volunteering opportunities. That said events on serious (and more
‘general’) topics such as genocide have drawn staff and students from across the
School. The advertising extends beyond the physical and virtual premises of the
School and, as a result, students from other Schools which do not offer Events
Weeks have attended events within our programme.
We are very happy with the intellectual engagement in terms of quality and have
many verbatim comments to support this; a lecture-debate I held with Professor
Bill Niven on the possibility of comparing genocides for instance was attended by
a dozen people…after 2 of the scheduled 1 hours we had to call a halt, but the
session was fascinating, not least for me. The flip side is quantity; sometimes we
would like to see more students. But here we are still talking; if we accept that
students will use this in multiple and personally useful ways we may have to
accept low attendance at times. I rarely sign up for the many events advertised
at my gym but am delighted they exist – it suggests a serious approach to sport.
Next year, all except 4th year language students will have always lived with
Events Week. We also must accept that if one of our aims was to develop and
change the academic culture then this is a process – in an odd way, if Events
Week had been an instant and absolute success, we may have had no need for
Events Week in the first place.
Having offered Events Weeks now for two years, we can see that whilst there is
room for improvement and further development, the idea has proven to be a
successful one.
Feedback from students has been consistently high and the
results of our surveys and of discussions with groups of students indicate that, as
we anticipated, students both use and value the space provided by Events Weeks
differently. The cultural values of the School and of the disciplines within it are
more clearly understood and shared. Responses indicate that, however they use
them, Events Weeks provide a space for students to:

develop
their
understanding
and
confidence,
and
recognise
achievements to date or to refocus or to realise where they need to make
adjustments to their way of working;

seek support and guidance from tutors and support staff on areas of
worry and fear;
1st-3rd July 2008
Page 6 of 8
HEA Annual Conference 2008

reinvigorate themselves through the break in routine and by engaging in
the enjoyment and excitement of activities within Events Week whether
on or off campus, whether formally or informally arranged;

recognise that they are members of a community of scholars within the
School and are developing a sense of identity
As well as seeking to fulfil the aims of social and academic integration, Events
Weeks also fit within the School’s portfolio of strategies for student retention. The
University as a whole has seen improvements in student retention rates over the
last three years; NTU’s record on student retention has been commended by the
National Audit Office. At School level, we have over the last three years also seen
improvements in student retention rates and student progression.
It is
impossible to identify, at School or University level, which strategy has had the
most impact.
Although it is early days, within the School, we do consider that
Events Weeks may be playing an important part in terms of student retention;
this was recognised by the national audit team during their visit as well as by
internal subject review and monitoring.
Future Plans
Building on the success of Events Weeks is in some senses easy, in others more
problematical. A basic structure now exists along with a clear understanding of
what is expected from members of staff; we can tinker with this to improve it. We
can also see which events have worked and which have worked less well, whether
the success criteria are qualitative, quantitative or a mixture. On the other hand
we have to address issues of fatigue and expansion. Fatigue is about how to
maintain enthusiasm – we don’t want this to become like the case of the child
who is initially excited by the puppy but ultimately regards walking the dog as a
chore. Expansion is kind of the opposite problem – if creativity becomes more
costly, how can we keep this in check; and if other Schools (the whole
University?) seek to become involved how do we retain Events Weeks intellectual
identity in the face of the needs of corporate marketing? One of our key aims in
terms of expansion is to link Events Weeks to the earlier ‘Welcome Week’
(induction) period so that students get both a sense of the School as a
community and the possibilities of learning which are unique to study after
School.
In conclusion, we now really feel that Events Week is a part of what we do;
nobody says don’t do it, and whatever their reasons this allows us to provide a
1st-3rd July 2008
Page 7 of 8
HEA Annual Conference 2008
space into which people can provide meaning. You can finish Events Week
inspired, fitter, further trained in computers, with your dissertation sorted out,
with a renewed confidence or commitment to your studies, with new friends or
insights, having visited somewhere new, having seen things in a new light and so
on. The seeds are planted and we are seeing them grow; we think it a garden
worth mimicking.
1st-3rd July 2008
Page 8 of 8