First Year Student Experience Project
Progress Update
July 2013
Since April, the key transitional phases students are likely to encounter during their first year have been agreed. These are intended to provide a common frame of reference for staff and students supporting first year undergraduate students through on-line resources, an extended programme of induction activities, Personal Tutoring, Peer Mentoring, and the coordination of communication from professional services and the Students' Union.
The new pre-arrival landing pages for undergraduate students have been developed in consultation with Year 12 and 13 students from local schools, and are now available at: http://www.bath.ac.uk/new-ug/ The pre-arrival information for postgraduate offer holders has been separated out and is likely to be re-developed as part of a PGR/PGT project later this year. Rich Prowse, the Acting Head of Web Services, would welcome your feedback on these new pages.
The new First Year landing pages are due for completion in mid-August, and will be available for staff to view prior to launching to new students in mid-September. They will include an introduction to key aspects of Academic Study, Student Life, Extra-curricular Activities and Employability, as well as links to associated resources. They will also highlight throughout the first year issues and resources relating to the key transitional phases.
The Heads of Professional Services are currently preparing a programme of induction activities relating to the transitional phases that will take place throughout the first year. These will be presented to students as a coherent whole, alongside those offered by the Students' Union. Student Experience Officers, Senior Tutors and Directors of Studies will be asked to help publicise and encourage their students to make use of them.
The Communications Steering and Coordination Groups have agreed the communications framework for Professional Services and the Students' Union, and key messages in relation to the induction of first year undergraduate students. They have also considered branding and visual identity design concepts for a University of Bath Hub, which could be used to navigate students towards sources of information, advice and support.
Any staff or students interested in contributing ideas to this work are invited to contact the relevant Project Leads and Student Experience Officers directly. Contact details and information about the aims, objectives, outcomes and delivery of this project are available on the First Year Student Experience Project homepage.
April 2013
Since December, there has been extensive consultation with staff and students to test the initial ideas about key transitional phases during the first year and the resources students would find useful to support their transition. This work is being finalised in consultation with the Students' Union Officers, and the final framework will be made available on these pages in the next few weeks.
The Project Leads, Student Experience Officers and Web Services have also been developing the content for the new pre-arrival and first year web pages, including links to key resources. The pre-arrival pages will be tested with local sixth form students, and should go live from the end of May. The first year pages are due to go live at the end of July, and all pages will continue to be refined in light of user feedback.
The Communications Steering and Coordination Groups have been meeting to identify and agree the terms of engagement for using shared communication platforms to support the FYSE Project. The Coordination Group is also collating the key messages from across the University and Students' Union that will be communicated throughout the first year to support student transition and engagement with the resources being developed by this project.
Key performance indicators and measures for the project have also been finalised by the Project Board. Questions being asked through the current on-line Programme Evaluation Survey will enable us to benchmark existing student views, so we can more clearly measure the impact of this project in the years ahead.
Looking ahead, the Project Leads and Student Experience Officers will be working closely with Senior and Personal Tutors, and Peer Mentors to develop resources that will enable them to support the transition of first year undergraduate students with specific reference to the resources developed by this project.
Any staff or students interested in contributing ideas to this work are invited to contact the relevant Project Leads and Student Experience Officers directly. Contact details and information about the aims, objectives, outcomes and delivery of this project are available on the First Year Student Experience Homepage.
December 2012
The First Year Student Experience Project is building a map of key transitional phases undergraduate students typically encounter during their first year, and developing content for on-line and department-based resources to support student transition into higher education. The four key themes for this content are Academic Skills, Extra Curricular Activities, Employability and Student Life
The Project Leads and Student Experience Officers have made progress in identifying some key transitional phases both prior to and during the first year. They have also identified some of the associated issues, messages and resources that will enable students to understand and make the most of their student experience.
The Web Services team is leading on translating this content into appropriate on-line resources, and the Director of Marketing and Communications is leading on the coordination of communication with first year students across a variety platforms through a steering group representing university departments and the Student's Union.
Early in the new calendar year, the Project Leads, Student Experience Officers and Web Services will be meeting with groups of staff and students to test and refine the work they have done so far. Senior Tutors, Directors of Studies and other staff involved with organising and supporting student induction will be invited to contribute to this process, as well as focus groups of students reflecting the diverse nature of our student body.
Any staff or students interested in contributing ideas to this work are invited to contact the relevant Project Leads and Student Experience Officers directly. Contact details and information about the aims, objectives, outcomes and delivery of this project are available at: http://www.bath.ac.uk/studentservices/fyse/index.html