Student Engagement
at the University of Exeter
Charlie Leyland, Student Engagement Manager
University of Exeter Students’ Guild,
& Academic Policy and Standards
Plan
• Student Engagement foundations, manifestations and successes
• Students as Change Agents
• Plans for the future
Student Engagement: Strong
Foundations
• Sophisticated early model of student engagement (SSLCs, involvement on
key committees)
• Strong long-standing partnership with Students’ Guild
• High rates of student representation (e.g. Guild elections)
• Long history of community action, volunteering and participation
Student Engagement: Foundations
How?
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Governance structures
Feedback surveys
You said we did
‘Service-based’ quality assurance and enhancement
opportunities
Student Engagement:
Manifestations
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Reason for applying to study at Exeter
Teaching Awards (and its evolution)
FRUNI
Grand Challenges
The Forum
Budget Scrutiny Group
Joint role (Student Engagement Manager) between Students’ Union &
University
• Plans to develop students’ role in Quality Review
• Students as Change Agents
Student Engagement: A
success story
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QAA Institutional Review (Commended)
National Union of Students ‘HE Student Union of the Year’
The Sunday Times ‘University of the Year’ 2013
International publications on Change Agents
National recognition for Community Care-homes project
National recognition for Virtual Law firms initiative
Sector recognition of quality of Exeter Student Experience
Government recognition (e.g. Labour Government HE Framework)
Attracts external funding (e.g. HE Academy)
Student Engagement: A
success story
Student Engagement: Our model
1. Learning
2. Quality Assurance and
Enhancement
3. The Academic Community
4. Extra-curricular activities
Student Engagement at the University of Exeter
How else?
• Support students to spot opportunities and to research, propose
and make changes themselves
• Expected/ing and enabled to be true partners in their University
experience
Students as
Change Agents
Simple:
•Students have an idea
•Do some research
•Come up with solutions
•Implement recommendations
•Showcase & benefit
Projects this year
Amongst the 50-60 or so project initiations this year, the most
popular areas have been around:
• Mentoring schemes
• Employability
• Assessment
• Links with the teaching and research community
• Module choice
Project:
Student Engagement
in Lectures
Technology-enhanced
learning
Student use of Lecture Capture; Turning Point ‘clickers’; SMS in Lectures
• Findings for ‘clickers’
- Student/Lecturer interaction improved
- Allows Peer comparison
- Promotes discussion
- International engagement improved
- Increases student concentration
Recommended that increased use
of these technologies
Real Change!
4,000 audience response handsets were issued across
undergraduate and masters students (2009-10).
This has continued for all first year students.
More information
• Prezi http://prezi.com/rljuyz_sn8iw/change-agentsuniversity-of-exeter/
• ELE
http://vle.exeter.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=2930&topic=
0#section-10 or ELE►All courses ► University
Resources ► Students as Change Agents
• Webpage – www.exeter.ac.uk/changeagents
• Twitter – http://twitter.com/ : UoEChangeAgents
• Blogs - http://blogs.exeter.ac.uk/studentprojects/
Top tips for ‘Change Agents’
1.
Work on the aforementioned foundations to lead
and embed culture of student partnership across
insitution
2.
Start with a small number of projects that are
manageable
3.
Maintain a constantly positive stance
4.
Agree roles, responsibilities and working
arrangements with students
5.
Have high expectations of the students but always
be available in the background
Adapted from:
HEA/ESCalate publication:
Dunne,E. & Zandstra, R. (2011)
Students as change agents, new
ways of engaging with learning
and teaching in Higher Education
Top tips for ‘Change Agents’
5.
Keep in contact with students throughout a project
6.
On occasion, students may need support in finding
strategies to work in ways that are not seen as
intrusive or threatening
7.
Be sensitive to different perspectives and get buy-in
to ensure change is taken on board.
8.
Make sure that positive outcomes are shared with
appropriate parties
Adapted from:
HEA/ESCalate publication:
Dunne,E. & Zandstra, R. (2011)
Students as change agents, new
ways of engaging with learning
and teaching in Higher Education
Thank you!
Time for Questions
If you have any ideas, more questions or would like more
information please contact
Charlie - C.leyland@exeter.ac.uk