How to ensure a good applicant and student experience

1. How to ensure a good applicant and student experience workshop Professionalising Admission to HE in FE Conference 2 March 2010 Janet Graham, Director of SPA

2. How to ensure a good applicant and student experience • The student experience defines the core retention strategy in many higher education institutions • It is specifically mentioned within strategic plans and institution values • Significant research is devoted to it, both internally and externally (e.g. 1994 Group; Higher Education Academy; NUS; QAA Scotland; UUK)

3. How to ensure a good applicant and student experience • 1994 Group report, Enhancing the Student Experience • “A student’s experience of university does not begin at the moment they step onto campus at the beginning of October, and it does not end when they are shaking the hand of the Vice-Chancellor at graduation. The early relationship between student and university is important during the applications and admissions process, in preparing students for university life, and to initiate their engagement with and attitudes towards their university in the best way possible. A student’s experience of university can stretch back even further through effective HE engagement with schools and colleges.” • http://www.1994group.ac.uk/studentexperience.php(Nov 2007)

4. How to ensure a good applicant and student experience • January 2010: Colleges with HE provision required to submit Higher Education Strategies to HEFCE • HEFCE pilot included the student experience as a separate category for appraising the strategy • HEFCE’s checklist for course management roles and responsibilities was devised to follow the student experience • “The burden can be reduced with good administrative support (although this is not always available) and a clearly defined contribution from admissions, guidance and marketing staff.” • Link also to Widening Participation Strategic Assessments required by HEFCE/OFFA

5. The applicant experience strategy Pre-application enquirers potential applicants WP/Outreach Marketing Application study choices and research on FEC/HEI Schools’ and Colleges’ Liaison ? Post-application Selection/decision making; offers accepted applicants unsuccessful applicants ACADEMIC PROVISION Admissions Transition confirmation induction; study support enrolment Teaching & Learning Retention and graduation Student Services

6. Workshop Discussion Topic 1 • Consider the key findings and areas of development from HEFCE’s pilot student experience category • How do these relate to your institution? • What are the issues for students progressing to HE within your own institution and for those entering from elsewhere? • Are their needs/expectations different and is their experience managed differently?

7. Workshop Discussion Topic 2 • Consider HEFCE’s checklist for course management roles and responsibilities • How does a student experience approach benefit the checklist? • What implications are there for you in the ‘before the course starts’ section? • What are the pros and cons of an integrated approach to handling this section?

8. Workshop Discussion Topic 3 • How could an applicant experience strategy be developed for use in FE colleges? • Is it possible to support your potential ‘customers’ in a fair way to match them with your ‘products’ in a way that gives impartial advice and guidance, i.e. if your products don’t match are students be advised to try elsewhere? • What elements of such a strategy has your institution addressed, if any? • How can HE and FE partners work together on this? • What is the role of IT systems to support this? • What can senior managers do to support and develop continuing good practice and professionalism in this area?

9. Thank you Email enquiries@spa.ac.uk, call 01242 544891www.spa.ac.uk