What works? Student retention and success change programme: Final conference and presentations

Overview

The What works? Student retention and success change programme is a Paul Hamlyn Foundation initiative working with the Higher Education Academy Action on Access and 13 UK universities across 43 discipline areas. The programme examined what works in terms of retention and success and crucially developed understanding about how to implement change. Read  the summary and full report here.

The conference took place on 11 April 2017 at the Cavendish Conference Centre London. The one-day event allowed delegates to share and discuss the findings and outcomes of the What works? Student retention and success change programme – Phase 2.

What works? conference presentations

Keynotes 10:00-11:20

• Supporting student success: strategies for institutional change Prof Liz Thomas Lead author final report
• The future of fair access Prof Les Ebdon OFFA
• A note on working in partnership: enabling social mobility in higher education Fiona Waye UUK
• A note on addressing barriers to student success Kirsty Johnson HEFCE

Parallel presentations 11:30-12:15

• RUHere - Data based actioning and intervention evaluation using an interactive online student attendance monitoring system Carey Freeman University of South Wales
• Links in the Chain: turning learning analytics data into actions Ed Foster Nottingham Trent University
• A curriculum framework to support academic transitions Sarah Parkes Newman University Birmingham
• Enhancing Employability for Student Success Edinburgh Napier University’s Graduate Employability Project Fiona Wager Edinburgh Napier University
• Deploying a whole-system lens on student retention and success Cathi Fredricks and Ken Powell Canterbury Christ Church University
• Supporting Students from Northern Ireland: Exploring the Barriers and Enablers for a Successful Transition to Higher Education in the UK Danielle Chavrimootoo and Suzanne Hargreaves Liverpool John Moores University
• The positive impact of personal advising training Dominique Jethwa Queen Mary’s University London
• The implementation of a retention and progression project within the Law Division at London South Bank University Chris Shepherd and Risham Chohan London Southbank University
• Staff-student partnership: a catalyst for staff-student engagement Roisin Curran Ulster University
• Peer Mentors as Placement PALS – Final year students helping second year students on their employability in preparation for their sandwich year / industry placement experience Vianna Renaud Bournemouth University
• Start as you mean to continue – evaluation of the academic induction phase at a large metropolitan university and its contribution to students confidence to continue Penny Sweasey Manchester Met University
• How the What Works journey has transformed staff roles – and careers Nicki Schiessel Harvey Wil Vincent and Nick Morton Birmingham City University
• How does leadership vary in a satellite Campus and contribute to student engagement and success Jim O’ Brien Vera Offori Serwaa and Guy Brown Northumbria University London Campus
• Student partnerships: normal and democratising practice in higher education Nicky Andrew and Ruth Whittaker and Jackie Main and Lesley McAleavy Glasgow Caledonian University

Parallel workshops 13:00-13:45

• Level Up Mentoring: A Transitionary Tale of How Staff and Students Engaged Collaboratively to Influence the Institutional Change Management Process for Enhancing Engagement Belonging Retention and Success Jamie Morris and Kerry Gough Birmingham City University
• The DELITe project : An institutional approach to increasing interactivity to enhance student engagement belonging retention and success Matthew Homewood and David Ellicott Nottingham Trent University
• What worked for us and what can work for you: sharing our ‘toolkit’ of tried and tested actions Jennie Jones Rachel Bowden Julie Fowlie Marylynn Fyfie Gauld and Elizabeth Guy University of Brighton
• Smart start: Evaluating the evolution and ecosystem of a transition intervention for students on the autistic spectrum Ann-Marie Houghton Catherine Westwell and Georgia McCrone Lancaster University
• Using behavioural insights to improve student engagement via randomised controlled trials Lucy Makinson (Behavioural Insights Team) Maija Koponen Anne-Marie Canning King’s College London
   

Parallel presentations 13:50-14:35

• A project team approach for institutional change to improve belonging and success through improving retention data Alison Browitt University of Glasgow
• What Works at Wolves? A Case Study from the Institute of Sport Mark Groves University of Wolverhampton
• The entrepreneurial student response to What Works? Jamie Rawsthorne Unique Insights
• Expanding induction and using the VLE to enhance induction to First Year Life Science Chris Finlay and Maureen Griffiths University of Glasgow
• From Induction to ‘Internship’: Embedding Employability through ‘Appropriate Challenges’ Helena Knapton Edge Hill University
• What worked and What didn’t? The Informed Study Project 5 years on from Phase one: lessons learnt from developing an online self-evaluation of students Fitness to Practice Richard Day and Susan Annetts Cardiff University
• Enhancing first year students’ experience through cooperative learning Cases from Humanities and Social Sciences at QMUL Ana Baptista Queen Mary University of London
• Addressing Student Expectations and Building Confidence for the study of Law through a Pre-Arrival Activity Amanda Zacharopoulou Ulster University
• Balancing What Works and personalised student pathways: How Herts Success is fostering success amongst widening participation students Stéphane Farenga University of Hertfordshire
• CLAN- Campus Life Advice Network Carlo Rinaldi University of Glasgow
• Peer Relations: an integrated roadmap to student success Aine McKillop Roisin Curran Avril Honan and Grainne Dooher Ulster University
• Student Reflections: The importance of giving students the opportunity to learn from and value the experiences their degree offers Julie Fowlie Jet Dela Cruz and Bethany Scott University of Brighton
• Implementing a holistic model of student support: Lessons from UCLan and beyond Jackie Cooper and Benjamin Stein University of Central Lancashire and Hobsons
• Making The Leap: Supporting First Year Student Transition at the University of Limerick Sarah Gibbons and Michael Smalle University of Limerick
• Recognising Engaging and Student Leadership: How to support living at home students at university Miriam Amies University of Manchester Students’ Union
   

Parallel presentations 15:00-15:45

• Five Years of What Works: successes and challenges in developing a whole-institutional transition support programme Nicki Schiessel Harvey and Wil Vincent Birmingham City University
• Developing valuable and relevant skills and attributes at L4 to improve retention - a multi-school investigation Alison Day Cardiff University
• From local evidence to institutional action: a case study in how research evidence collected in one department has shaped institutional policy and practice Tracy Crossley University of Salford
• No student left behind: Enhancing student learning opportunities through a whole institution approach to retention and success Debra Mann and Lucy Walker University College of Estate Management
• Building the environment: Academic Mentors and enhanced communication to support transition and improve retention Michaela Keenan Ulster University
• Improving engagement and success: a case study of change in academic support and personal tutoring Jan Bamford London Metropolitan University
• Direct Entrant Induction at QMU: nurturing successful students online and in person Karl Johnson Queen Margaret University Edinburgh
• A co-creative community of practice in Computing Michaela Black Ulster University
• Early engagement and informed induction through innovative communications strategies: who what when where how and lessons learned Ruth Wood and Sue Riddell Canterbury Christ University
• Can peer coaching improve the academic attainment of higher education students? Jill Andreanoff and Gill Knibbs University of Essex and Independent Consultancy
• Graduate+: embedding belonging through employability Luke Millard Birmingham City University
• Pulling up your briefs: accessible assessment processes Debra Cureton University of Wolverhampton
• Taking an institutional approach to enhancing inclusive assessment practices Jenny Hambling and Michaela Borg Nottingham Trent University
• Developing multi-dimensional change: an institutional and student focused approach to engagement and belonging Marva de la Coudray and Zahraa Ahmad (SOAS) and Kaljit Virdee (Youth at Risk) School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS)