Community and Partnership Initiatives: Developing a Strategic Approach

Community and Partnership Initiatives: Developing a Strategic Approach Using the Student Journey Model Dr Andy Clegg Principal Lecturer Learning and Teaching

Aims

— To explore staff and student perceptions of community

and belonging in Higher Education — Use the Student Journal Model to strategically consider

interventions to nurture student community and belonging — Highlight specific interventions from the University of

Chichester Business School

Student Communities and Belonging

Student Communities and Belonging

“I do not feel like part of the university community and find it hard to do group work with people on my modules’

“My personal tutor has been brilliant in helping me sound things out and understand concepts that naturally are very difficult for me’

[Level 5 Student Survey, 2017]

Student Communities and Belonging

• The project identified that between 33% and 42% of first-year students think about withdrawing from HE (Thomas, 2012) • Significance of ‘belonging’ for a student within an HE environment

Student Communities and Belonging

[Business School – staff and student workshop]

Student Communities and Belonging

[University staff contributions]

Belonging

‘Belonging’ recognises students’ subjective feelings

of relatedness or connectedness to the institution This ‘involves feeling connected (or feeling that

one belongs in a social milieu)’ (Vallerand,1997: 300) It may relate to ‘the extent to which students feel personally

accepted, respected, included, and supported by others in the [school] social environment’ (Goodenow,1993:80)

Belonging — Characterised by regular contact and the perception that interpersonal relationships have stability, affective concern, and are ongoing (Baumeister and Leary, 1995) — Thus interpersonal relations are essential for satisfying the need to belong

Framing Student Belonging

Individual Cognition

The Environment

Social Identity

[Source: Dr. Nicholas Bowskill Student Generated Induction – A Social Identity Approach, 2018]

A Social Identity Approach • ‘Identification is a predictor of engagement and increases in identification predict increases in engagement (Reynolds et al, 2011 in Haslam, 2017) • 'Identification with the university is a key predictor of the extent to which students engage with and enjoy university life with significant consequences for continuation’ (Jetten et al, 2007 in Haslam, 2017)

[Source: Dr. Nicholas Bowskill Student Generated Induction – A Social Identity Approach, 2018]

Social Identity Continuum

Identity Continuum [Tajfel] (context-sensitive)

Me

We [Source: Dr. Nicholas Bowskill Student Generated Induction – A Social Identity Approach, 2018]

Framing Belonging [Source: Dr. Nicholas Bowskill Student Generated Induction – A Social Identity Approach, 2018]

• Theory – Retention depends upon integration • Socialisation into the institution • Socialisation into the discipline/course

• Strategy – Learning Communities • Definition / Framing / Implementation

• Outcome – Belonging

Tinto, V. (1995). "Learning communities, collaborative learning and the pedagogy of educational citizenship." AAHE Bulletin 47: 11-13.

Tinto, V. (2000). "Learning better together: The impact of learning communities on student access in higher education." Journal of Institutional Research 9(1): 48-53.

Nurturing Belonging

Belonging is achieved through: Supportive peer relations

Meaningful interaction between staff and students

Building engagement and belonging

An HE experience that is relevant to interests and future goals

Nurturing Belonging

Belonging is achieved through: Supportive peer relations

Meaningful interaction between staff and students

Building engagement and belonging

Simple Guiding Principles

An HE experience that is relevant to interests and future goals

Nurturing Belonging What Works? – Model of Student Retention and Success

Students as Partners

Developing A Strategic Approach

Dance map – the empl oyability journey A toolkit and resource for mapping em ployability jou Dance Depa rneys rtment, Unive rsity of Chich prepared for ester, the HEA strate gic enhance Cathy Childs ment progra mme 2015 Project

Lead Principal Lec turer, Head of Dance Dr Andy Clegg Principal Lec turer for Lea rning and Tea ching In partnership

with:

Developing A Strategic Approach

Pre-University

‘Creating the Community Proposition’

Developing A Strategic Approach

During University

‘Embedding the Community Proposition’

Developing A Strategic Approach

Post-University

‘Capturing the Community Proposition’

Developing A Strategic Approach

Green Pre-University - Activity#1 During University - Activity#2

✔

Amber

Red

‘Capturing the Community Proposition’ ✔

Post-University - Activity#3

✔

Business School Approaches

‘Creating the Community Proposition’

Business in a Box

Business School Approaches

‘Creating the Community Proposition’

Outreach Events

Business School Approaches

Open Days

‘Embedding the Community Proposition’

Business School Approaches

Marketing Forums

‘Embedding the Community Proposition’

Business School Approaches

Work and Takeaway Evenings

‘Embedding the Community Proposition’

Business School Approaches

‘Embedding the Community Proposition’

Socials

Business School Approaches

‘Embedding the Community Proposition’

Pedagogy/Teaching Spaces

Business School Approaches

‘Embedding the Community Proposition’

Pedagogy/Teaching Spaces

Business School Approaches

‘Embedding the Community Proposition’

Pedagogy/Teaching Spaces

Business School Approaches

‘Embedding the Community Proposition’

[Acorn Consulting, East Sussex]

Pedagogy/Teaching Spaces

‘Truly exceptional!’

Business School Approaches

‘Embedding the Community Proposition’

Fieldtrips

Business School Approaches

‘Embedding the Community Proposition’

Volunteering

Shared experiences

Business School Approaches

‘Capturing the Community Proposition’

ab e nting & Financ Accounts Pa–yBA (Hons) Accou 15

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Alumni Stories

uga Subomi Onlea,nNot on the High Street

Developing Interventions Effective Interventions: Mainstream • Ensuring all students participate and benefit Pro-active • Ensuring engagement Relevant • Activities need to be informative, useful and relevant to students' current interests and future aspirations Well-timed and appropriate media • Some activities will be better over time than simply a one-off Collaborative • Activities should encourage collaboration and engagement between staff and students

Developing Interventions Effective Interventions:

Challenges

Mainstream • Ensuring all students participate and benefit Student Pro-active • Ensuring engagement Relevant

engagement and work commitments

Internationalisation Staff confidence in

• Activities need to be informative, useful and relevant to having conversations students' current interests and future aspirations Well-timed and appropriate media

with students

• Some activities will be better over time than simply a one-off Wider University Collaborative

Time intensive

• Activities should encourage collaboration and engagement between staff and students

support

Impacts ‘The university is a close community. Small classes' means the lecturers know you on a personal level. Lots on contact and available' ‘The staff are very helpful and want students to succeed. The university has a sense of community. Most staff go above and beyond for their students’ ‘The dedication of lecturers to ensure I'm not just on track with good grades and enjoying my time at uni, but they go over and above to make sure I exit uni life 'job ready' and confident’ ‘Staff and students build a relationship which makes staff more approachable’

NSS Q21. I feel part of a community of staff and students 2018

2017

79.45%

72.61%

Impacts ‘The university is a close community. Small classes' means the lecturers know you on a personal level. Lots on contact and available' ‘The staff are very helpful and want students to succeed. The university has a sense of community. Most staff go above and beyond for their students’ ‘The dedication of lecturers to ensure I'm not just on track with good grades and enjoying my time at uni, but they go over and above to make sure I exit uni life 'job ready' and confident’ ‘Staff and students build a relationship which makes staff more approachable’

NSS Q24. Staff value students’ views and opinions about the course.

2018

2017

80.82%

67.61%

Summary

Effective identification and understanding of community is

central to student identity, engagement and retention A point of differentiation for HE institutions – for Chichester

community = ‘hero signature experiences’ Strategic approach required to ensure a holistic and

inclusive overview of community-related interventions Challenge of external pressures on student engagement!

Community and Partnership Initiatives: Developing a Strategic Approach Using the Student Journey Model Dr Andy Clegg Principal Lecturer Learning and Teaching