Male students: engagement with academic and pastoral support services

Men are less likely to start an undergraduate course, more likely to drop out and more likely to get a 2:2 or third class degree than women. This report investigates if and how male students are accessing and engaging with academic and pastoral support services that can improve retention and attainment.

The report, including data and examples from a number of institutions, provides a better understanding of how men use support services in higher education, and gives practical recommendations for managers of academic and pastoral support services on how to increase men’s engagement with services.

The research investigated a number of services and provides service-specific findings for:

• Careers and employability services including volunteering
• Student advisers, counselling and wellbeing services
• Disability services
• Financial support and advice
• IT skills and support
• Library services
• support for religion or belief
• Study skills
• Students’ union services