Scaling success: how to retain the student experience when going for growth

There has been much chatter recently in the UK surrounding Ucas’ journey to 1 million higher education applications by 2030, while the Office for Students (OfS) outlined a new approach to regulating equality of opportunity in the sector. 

Together, they signal bold ambition for scaling the sector while maintaining focus on widening participation. Yet we must not forget the one ingredient key to long-term, sustainable growth across UK higher and further education: quality student experience.

According to UCAS’ estimates, by 2030 UK universities could see a 30 per cent increase in the number of applications, with growth in both UK school-leaver and international numbers. Although we don’t yet know whether the projections will translate into increased enrolments, there are already signs of growth at many providers. This growth is driven by increased numbers of international students and by a more demographically diverse population of UK students.

• Look after the intangibles and the metrics will look after themselves
• Student support takes a village – but you need to create one first
• Think big: Successfully scaling higher education

Growing student numbers, combined with increased regulation of the student experience and outcomes by the OfS through its “B” conditions, have increased the risks of being slow to adapt to changing student numbers – not to mention the risk of reputational damage if students don’t get the quality of experience they were expecting. Of course, it’s not just about the metrics; it’s also about the impact on real students whose university experiences and life chances might be harmed. Beyond regulation, there is a strong moral case for ensuring that institutions can provide a good experience for all students.

University College Birmingham, where I work, has seen a significant increase in student numbers, growing from approximately 5,000 HE students in 2019-20 to more than 6,500 today (and with a growing FE population, too). Today, our students are also more diverse in many senses – demographically, internationally, by programme of study and by mode of study (an increasing number of our students are apprentices).

Improving experiences and outcomes for students while growing has required rapid changes to the way we offer student support and a broadening of our understanding of students’ needs. Winning University of the Year and Student Support of the Year at the 2022 WhatUni Student Choice Awards – and being nominated in even more categories in the forthcoming 2023 awards – is a demonstration of the success of this approach. So what does this look like in practice?

Listen to students

We should listen to students not only through surveys, but by actually listening to authentic conversations in classes, corridors and cafes. Encourage staff to do this as part of their everyday practice and to respond quickly to feedback rather than waiting for the more formal mechanisms. Ensuring that a diversity of voices is heard is crucial – we use a variety of methods to collect student views, including peer feedback collection. As institutions get bigger, they get harder to navigate and there is a risk of growing bureaucracy and confusion for students. Talking to students with clear and honest messages helps to get core messages across; often our students have studied with us for many years – from college through to postgraduate level in some cases – so we need to keep them informed of changes.

Use data intelligently

We all collect a lot of data about students, both as individuals and at a group level. At University College Birmingham we use learner analytics to monitor student engagement and identify students at higher risk of dropping out or not achieving their potential. Risk measures include (lack of) attendance at taught sessions, interaction with the VLE and access to campus. We communicate this – sensitively – to students to encourage positive behaviours. We’ve seen great success with our student engagement team, whose job is to provide one-to-one support to students at the highest risk to get them back on track. Combining engagement data with personalised interaction has a significant impact on retention.

Focus on equity

Making sure all students feel they belong to the university on their terms and are supported to succeed is challenging for all institutions, particularly when the make-up of the student body is changing rapidly. We have a strong focus on equity and have made particular efforts to close awarding gaps. It is particularly helpful to take a whole-institution approach, with multiple elements including training for all staff, a mixture of targeted and universal support for students and a strong use of data and evidence. Building community through inclusive activities and events, co-created with students, helps foster belonging, as does acknowledging that there isn’t only one student experience. Many individuals have complex lives and experiences outside of the campus; there is power in acknowledging this and empowering students to engage in the ways that are most effective for them.

It’s all about the individuals

Almost every positive comment we receive from students talks about the impact of teaching or support from particular individuals. In the scaling of student experience, we need to ensure that the relational elements of education are not lost. When resources are stretched, this means focusing people’s time where their skills can add the most value for students. Differentiating transactional processes from experiential activities helps with identifying the right type of resource to put into each. Resources can’t stretch infinitely; being as efficient and focused as possible means that universities are able to scale their resources in the areas that will add most impact and value to students.

Alice Wilby is pro vice-chancellor for access, participation and student experience at University College Birmingham, UK.

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