Sue Barnes

1
First Impressions CountOur Induction Experience

• Sue Barnes
• John Gardener
• Simon Quigley

2
Introduction

• Background
• New ideas
• Planning for change
• Social Interactions and Communication
• Our Findings
• The Future
• Our Resources

3
Background

• The previous system
• Run by Registry Services
• Student feedback no sense of belonging
• The New system
• Academic department involvement
• Student Staff interaction
• Preparation for Modules
• The team were then motivated to assess the impact
  of the new format
• We wished to ascertain student and staff
  perceptions
• We wished to analyse the impact

4
New Ideas

• We looked at recent research
• Other UK universities highlighted similar
  concerns to those outlined locally
• Guidelines from STAR project
• Induction events provide foundations for social
  interaction between students
• Induction activities promote development of good
  communication between staff and students

5
Planning for Change

• Meetings, meetings, meetings!
• Student Services, Academic departments, support
  services, colleagues, students ...
• Control devolved to Academic Departments
• Business School embraced the new initiatives
• We developed a sustainable programme
• We engaged in early planning
• Resistance to change

6
Social Interactions - problem

• Lack of Staff/Student interaction needed to be
  overcome
• Students reported that knew their way around the
  campus, but not the department
• Staff concerned about brief contact with new
  tutor group members
• No opportunity to get know students individually
  or prepare them for their studies

7
Social Interactions - solution

• Welcome Week group Activities
• Students in Blocks of 30 (became Seminar
  groups)
• Blocks sub-divided into teams of 5
• Block tutor provided welcome packs
• Treasure Hunt Logo Competition
• Guided tour of department
• Students encouraged to get to know each other
• Social gathering on Friday
• lunch, quiz, voting on logo competition, prizes

8
Communication - problem

• Students felt that Welcome Week did not help
  preparation for their studies
• They did not meet the tutors saw them for a few
  minutes in a lecture theatre
• Personal Tutors were allocated that week so there
  was no opportunity to meet
• The introduction to the department was just one
  hour to hear about the modules etc

9
Communication - solution

• Single Campus University
• Staff and students meet regularly
• Reinforced in Welcome Week by
• 10 (2 teams of 5) students had a meeting with
  academic staff member (not necessarily personal
  tutor)
• Timetabled session to login, find personal
  profile on SOLE, use university email system and
  locate information on Blackboard

10
Findings

• Student friendships formed during Welcome Week
  endured
• Student-Department contact
• encouraged cooperation among students
• engendered positive engagement with studies
• End of academic review identified critical
  moments for students

11
The Future

• Building on Success
• More emphasis on Academic and Study skills
• Students will be encouraged to write up a
  practical activity from Welcome Week as part of
  their Study Skills Module
• Referencing is still a challenge!
• Early feedback to form an action plan for future
  engagement in their own learning
• We will take some photos next year!

12
Our Resources

• Treasure Hunt
• (suggestion from students - to be renamed Welcome
  Week Activity Pack)
• Logo Competition
• Quotes from staff and students
• Questions