Creating a rewarding student experience for all students is an evolving challenge for universities. Growing student numbers, the increased diversity of the cohort, online learning and the need to develop curricula that give graduates the skills required of them in a fast-changing labour market all complicate matters further.
Speaking at Salesforce.org session, hosted during THE Campus Live UK&IE, Liz Marr, pro vice-chancellor of students at the Open University, stressed the importance of a strong communications strategy, and with new students facing a “fear of the unknown”, it was vital to establish a connection with students at earliest possible juncture.
“There is the fear of not fitting in,” she said. “There is the fear of not doing the right thing. There is the fear of standing out for the wrong reasons. There is a lot of concern, nervousness and anxiety…It is tinged with excitement at the same time. Understanding all of that helps us know what we need the institution to be like in order to support those students.”
Not only must university staff be patient with students, but they must also listen so that frequently asked questions can be anticipated and addressed elsewhere. Technology can help, offering an always-on access point for students to get information. But it can’t automatically create a welcoming campus culture. That takes a communication strategy that addresses all on campus, which comes from representing the diversity of the student body in marketing materials and creating communities on campus.
“I started as rector, talking to my student body about respect, just respecting each other,” said Debora Kayembe, rector at the University of Edinburgh. “Because no matter where we come from, no matter who we are, this [is an] exercise of respect, and getting the leadership to meet the students face-to-face.”
According to Salesforce’s Connected Student Report, which surveyed 2,600 students and university staff to identify the major challenges in higher education, 76 per cent of students say well-being is a top challenge. Julio Villalobos, education industry strategic advisor at Salesforce, says technology can help universities support their students, using data to better understand what skills they need to meet their career aspirations, and to be proactive in their interventions.
“What you can’t measure, you can’t manage,” said Villalobos. “We can use technology to help us to understand global insights or even specific insights, and then you can approach them as a group or individually.”
Such systems can work better when they are co-designed with students, said Marr. Student feedback tells her that, above all, students are looking for a sense of community. Many students have care responsibilities, others have employment commitments, or lack a quiet space to study at home – an acute problem in an era of remote learning – and institutions must take these factors into account.
Technology offered universities a channel of communication to stay aware of student concerns and circumstances. They must also be prepared to listen.
The panel:
- Debora Kayembe, rector, University of Edinburgh
- Alistair Lawrence, head of branded content, Times Higher Education (chair)
- Liz Marr, pro vice-chancellor of students, Open University
- Julio Villalobos, education industry strategic advisor, Salesforce
Learn more about Salesforce for Education and access the Connected Student Report.
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