Last week we defined the trending term ‘student success’, and discussed how this phrase makes it a lot clearer for us to understand what a successful outcome for our students tangibly looks like. But what are the steps that we need to take to form effective strategies that achieve it? Tom Lowe, the Head of Student Engagement and Employability at the University of Winchester, believes that there are two questions we need to ask ourselves:
The answers to these questions should help guide our student success strategies, as Tom explains in the video below.
As discussed, the employability team at Winchester has developed a clear framework to guide their efforts towards fostering student success. This has been partially achieved through the setting of seven strategic priorities:
Alongside creating a checklist of what they believe every student should leave with:
This need for learning and development beyond a degree certificate is seeing increasing demand by students and, in the competitive job market of today, is becoming a necessity. Research from QAA Scotland[1] in 2019 found that:
So, what exactly are these wider learning and development opportunities that students and employers are demanding? The University of Queensland recognises many possible avenues to explore when trying to devise opportunities that will arm students with a skillset that adequately prepares them for success post-graduation[2]:
It should be noted, however, that there is not a 'one-size-fits-all' solution to student success. Our strategies should, instead, be tailored to our unique organisational characteristics and aims. Next week we will be joined by Alan Stuart, Director of Employability Service at Middlesex University, who will show us exactly how to do so. Don't miss out.
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