Read what I've been up to in the past month.
Developing Engagement with Education
Read the full Action Plan here.
We read through and analysed over 13,000 pieces of student feedback data 📊. Our challenge was to turn these snapshots of lived experience into projects that will form our annual strategic plan as an SU - the Big Plan 💛.
We rationalised our plans based on how they are 🤔:
1. Impactful and measurable
2. Achievable and in our control
3. Focused and specific
4. Student involved
We settled on four key projects and have started work on them already - mapping out what students have told us, what we do, the project timelines and how we’ll measure success 📐.
I worked on the Education Big Plan project with my SU Education Team and University leadership and spent a lot of time thinking about where we can make an impact 👏🏼. We decided to go for something that is going to be a challenge, that’s going to lay the foundations for the future, that’s going to be passed on 🌟.
The most striking feedback spoke to me and told me that we need to cultivate a culture of engagement with education 📚. Average attendee sits between 40% and 50%, the NSS ranking for teaching is low, and the feeling of community is taking a hit. None of these issues are in a silo.
➡️ We’re going to use research and development to pin point what students really want and implement methods to make curriculum and delivery more responsive to student feedback.
➡️ We’re going to use and evolve governance and strategy to have a more joined up approach to student experience vision setting, and use existing groups to put student voice at the top of the agenda.
➡️ We’re going to address how the conversation needs to change, and positioning and culture around teaching, attendance, engagement and student feedback needs to evolve into a more positive space. Positive change should be incentivised.
It’s been energising to have such a collaborative approach to building these plans.
Read the full Action Plan here.
Leading a Project to Make Change for Commuting Students
How do we define commuting students at Essex?
There isn’t currently a single, shared definition of commuting students at Essex. From a Student Recruitment and SU perspective we predominantly define commuting students as those that don’t change their address to come to the University of Essex. Some may change their address but remain a significant distance from campus where transportation is necessary. This is in-line with our understanding of the definition used by the wider sector. As part of the follow-up work, an institutional definition should be developed to allow for effective targeting in our communications.
Why are students commuting to Essex?
· To save money on rent and accommodation
· To maintain their lifestyle in their local area, including part-time employment
· To fulfil caring responsibilities
· To remain with their existing support system
Wins so far...
- Rehauling the lockers system to make it a free, deposit-only service and repairing out of use lockers to increase availability.
- Collecting details of commuting students to allow for tailored communications that provide support, advice and resources that may be useful.
- Opening Func. as a general common room with microwave availability.
- Launching the Come On In campaign to send a signal that we understand and want students to enter the classroom.
- Raised awareness of issues affecting commuting students and increased travel and transport information.
Come On In Campaign
I launched the Come On In Campaign with support from Larra Anderson, PVC Education, Barry Pryer, Dean of Postgraduate Taught Education, and SU President, Lily-May Cameron.
We got messages sent to departments and students to emphasise understanding and compassion. Posters are also appearing around campus!
As the new academic term begins, we understand that the first few weeks can be both exciting and a little overwhelming as you adjust to new schedules, unfamiliar buildings, and the flow of university life. We want you to know that we are here to support you every step of the way.
If you find yourself running late to a lecture or feeling lost around campus, don’t worry—our staff and lecturers understand that this is a transitional period. You are always welcome in the classroom and lecture halls, even if you arrive after the start of the lecture. We’re committed to making sure you feel comfortable and included in your learning environment.
If you ever feel uncertain or need assistance finding your way, please don’t hesitate to ask a staff member or fellow student. We are all here to help make your time at the University as smooth and enjoyable as possible.
We’re excited to have you here and wish you every success in the term ahead!
Championing Students at the University Senior Staff Conference
It was wonderful to speak at the University of Essex Senior Staff Conference 🎤 with Pro Vice Chancellor Education Professor Larra Anderson on student engagement with education 📚.
Our presentation focused on factors influencing engagement from teaching to environment, and the levers we can pull to change culture ⬆️. What are our opportunities to set expectations and influence engagement 📝? How can we grow involvement and make education personally relevant to student goals and contexts? What can we do to reduce anxiety and welcome students into teaching spaces 🤝? How can we give variety and develop strategies to support all styles of engagement? What can we do to build emotional connections 💞? How do we think boldly about the future of education at Essex? ✨
We addressed a room of over 90 senior members of staff to share our thoughts on where we are as an institution and our vision for the future of education and engagement 👩🏫. To achieve that vision, we need collaboration and a common vision. As part of this collaborative approach, I shared some of the work I’m leading as part of the University of Essex Students' Union Big Plan on Developing Engagement with Education 💛.
I’m grateful for Larra’s passion and drive to collaborate 👏. We have achieved amazing things already and I’m excited for the months ahead 💪.
First Education Committee of the Year
I’m so proud of my team 👏📣
An incredible start with the first Education Committee of the year 💛. I have been so impressed with the team work, the preparation, passion, dedication and fantastic contributions of my team 💯. I’m grateful to work with Natalie Denham - Science & Health Faculty Convenor, Miriam Mebrahtu - Social Sciences Faculty Convenor, Jenny West - Arts & Humanities Facutly Convenor, Chloe Jeffery - Postgraduate Convenor and Lily-May Cameron - SU President 😌.
Student representation on formal committees is a tough gig 📖. Chloe & I have a year of Education Committee under our belts already, but the rest of our team made their debut today. It’s especially tough for new representatives faced with career academics & professionals, 505 page paper packs, imposter syndrome & anxiety 😅.
I could not have been prouder of the impressive performance and I can safely say that Essex students have quite the team representing them 📣.
Thank you to Professor Larra Anderson who is Chair, Wendy who is Secretary, and everyone on Education Committee for being so welcoming and supportive of our student voice & membership 💛.
Speaking on Changes to Student Finance
📰 With headlines this that University tuition fees are set to ‘rise with inflation’ 📈 to £10,500 per year, over five years, alongside the restoration of maintenance grants for the poorest students 🎓 - I joined Ali Miraj on LBC 📻 this afternoon to discuss what this means for students 💛.
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Discussing the Higher Education Landscape
I took to the stage at the University of Surrey for a plenary panel on ‘The Future of Higher Education under a New Government’ 🎤. I loved discussing the policy landscape and sharing leadership advice with Jim Dickinson from Wonkhe 🎓, in a conversation facilitated by Kath Phillips, Head of People & Represention at Surrey SU 🦌.
The audience were so engaged and asked question after question 😅. It made for a fun afternoon of diving into some of the hottest issues in HE right now and sharing my take on how we can tackle them together 💪🏼. Having this space to say it out loud and address the sensitive challenges we face is just the start of the work that needs to be done 💛. Thank you for allowing me to share my policy insights, experiences and advice to SU Leaders from around the South of England 😌.
