26.09.07
1994 Group to sponsor conference on 'Enhancing the Student Experience' in partnership with the NUS on 28 November 2007
Enhancing the Student Experience
Defining it; Delivering it; Capitalising on it
Wednesday 28th November 2007, Central London
Sponsored by: 1994 Group, In partnership with: National Union of Students.
Speakers include:
- Professor Steve Smith, Vice-Chancellor, University of Exeter and Chair, 1994 Group
- Miles Templeman, Director-General, Institute of Directors (IoD)
- Wes Streeting, Vice-President for Education, National Union of Students (NUS)
- Dr. Brian Lang, Principal and Vice-Chancellor, University of St Andrews
-
Professor Brenda Smith, Assistant Director, The Higher Education Academy
- Professor Robert Burgess, Chair, HE Academy and Vice-Chancellor, University of Leicester
Chaired by: Donald MacLeod, Editor, EducationGuardian.co.uk
Student satisfaction with their HE experience can change quickly and is now a critical issue for the sector. Increased information about student academic performance, employability and the experience of life on the course requires a planned response now if institutions are to secure their future reputation and position in the market.
Universities and colleges are working to define their "student offer" more clearly both to students and to employers, in order to improve student recruitment, to enhance student satisfaction and retention, and to improve graduate employability by informing employers of the skills, outlook and interests of potential graduate recruits from individual institutions.
Launching a policy statement from the 1994 Group "Enhancing the Student Experience project", this national one-day conference will set out what the undergraduate "student consumers" of today and tomorrow are expecting from learning and teaching, support, and prospects on graduation. Delegates will consider how to define the student experience at their institution; how to exceed student expectations; and how to capitalise on the student experience to secure the future of the university.
Specifically this conference will:
- Set out what the undergraduate "student consumers" of today and tomorrow are expecting from learning and teaching, support, and prospects on graduation
- Examine what employers look at: from simple qualifications through to the life experience that higher education can give a student to bring to the world of work
- Map out the critical nature of the interaction of academic and student experience in an age of higher tuition fees and more student choice, plus more sophisticated employer selection
- Launch a policy statement from the 1994 Group Student Experience Project and disseminate the project's findings to date, useful to institutions from all mission groups
- Consider how to understand, measure and benchmark the student experience at your institution
- Discuss how to use the student experience to create the reputation as well as the reality of a high quality and enjoyable HE experience at your institution
- Look at how to respond to the student experience at your institution, including a high level panel debate
- Share good practice in participatory seminars examining how to
deliver an enhanced experience for the diverse student population of
the 21st century, including:
- The admissions experience
- Delivering for international students
- Effective student services and support
- Explore how to enhance the student experience in terms of "customer support" and assessment and feedback - areas identified by The Unite Student Living report 2007 and the National Student Survey 2006
- Provide an opportunity for networking and sharing good practice for all those involved in understanding student expectations, managing demand and facilitating an excellent student experience