Together We Level UpInstitutional Support for Student Transition, Success

and Retention

Charlee Greenhalgh and Kerry GoughBirmingham City University

What Works? Students as Partners

• Long history of partnership working• CELT & BCU Students’ Union working in

partnership • Student Academic Partners since 2009 • THE Award winner 2010 ‘Outstanding Support

for Students’• Development of Student Academic Mentors

(2011) and Collaborative Projects (2012)

We know, here we go again,

Kristen Stewart, can’t believe it either!

What Works? Students as Partners

• Long history of partnership working• CELT & BCU Students’ Union working in

partnership • Student Academic Partners (SAP) since 2009 • THE Award winner 2010 ‘Outstanding Support

for Students’• Development of Student Academic Mentoring

(StAMP, 2011) and Collaborative Projects (2012)

Level Up: Providing Institutional Support for Student Progression and Retention

• Building upon Birmingham City University ethos of partnership working

• Alongside What Works? Summary Report findings– Creation of a strong sense of community– Academic site as space through which to secure success– Bringing central services together (Thomas, 2012)

• Fit with Birmingham City University’s ‘Partners for Success’ initiative

Level Up 2012/13:Represents Partners for Success in Action

• Online induction and transition programme• Both social and academic spheres

Level Up 2012/13

• Public welcome site and private academic site

Importantly, in terms of Institutional Research

Away from perception of students as customers, instead to consider as invested stakeholders• Build them into the research process• Make an integral part of the solution• Give time to hear their views and then build this

into the wider institutional research

Students feel valued, we get the added value of their insights

Not done unto... as experimental subjects

Build upon student confidence, taking ideas and putting into operationEngage students as stakeholders,

to become fully invested

In the case of Level Up

Conducted work as part of a Student Academic PartnershipExploring ways in which we can assist students in feeling like they belongStudents shared their ideas about their experiences• Conducted research across cohort• Questionnaire – 450 strong course• Focus groups – work up detail of Level Up programme• Written by students, for students, based upon their

own experiences• Surveyed post-event to revise and retune for 2013/14

But work together as part of a team

Find solutions together, building upon our students’ experiences, reinvest their energy

Take this to our sage elders…

• Best ideas for student retention come from the students themselves

• Taking student ideas and treating them seriously increases their commitment to the university

And to their own studies

Learn from it and let it grow

Albus Dumbledore ‘Age is foolish and forgetful

when it underestimates youth.’

To become a part of something biggerOur Monster University

Working together, share in the success…

as partners for success

Benefits come full circle

Partnership for Shared Success

Student experience

Level Up transition

experience

Birmingham City University: Partners for Success

• Hk

Working together for shared institutional successPartnership with SU in research and practiceStrong, supportive staff and student relationships

Students Stay On, Progress and Succeed

Invested energy = invested timeInvested in their university

• Embarking on three year research programme with HEA to examine the deeper impact

Together We Level UpInstitutional Support for Student Transition, Success and Retention

http://www.bcumedia.com/welcome/Birmingham City University