Did you attend our Welcome Week/Induction period in September 2023 and leave us some feedback about it in our All-Student Survey in October 2023?
Check out the feedback from our Student Experience Team in relation to your comments.
More time spent explaining university systems like Moodle, Abyssa etc
We will feed this back to individual academic departments to ensure more time is allocated to these systems in future induction periods.
Some induction information was duplicated across multiple sessions
The Student Experience Team is currently developing best practice guides for departments. These guides aim to offer information, advice and guidance on designing effective induction sessions. We are committed to addressing challenges such as duplication, information overload, and will specifically incorporate insights on developing engaging ice breakers.
Additionally, the guides will emphasise the importance of creating opportunities for new students to connect with and learn from the experiences of second and third year students. Our goal is to support departments in enhancing the quality of induction sessions, ensuring they are informative, engaging, and conducive to fostering a supportive and inclusive academic community.
Lack of branded UoC freebies for all students
Your individual academic departments can choose to give their students branded UoC freebies – this decision lies with each academic department, rather than with the central Student Experience team. In order to deliver a consistent student experience, we will share your comments with the relevant departments to address any disparities in the distribution of welcome packs/branded goods.
Welcome Week events: too sports-dominated, lack of social events
Our current approach to September Welcome Week involves a curated timetable that includes both academic and non-academic sessions, providing a range of opportunities for students to interact and connect with their peers. However, we understand that there is room for improvement and would appreciate more insights into the specific activities or sessions students believe would enhance the experience.
To address this, we plan to take the following steps:
- Feedback to Induction Steering Group: The suggestion will be shared with the Induction Steering Group.
- We will encourage departments to consider integrating more variety into their future planning for Welcome Week sessions.
- Collaborative Planning with Students: We recognise the importance of working closely with students to identify the types of events that resonate with preferences. For 2024 planning, we are involving students in the planning process to help ensure that the Welcome Week activities align with expectations and interests.
More opportunities to engage with current students
The University currently operates a Peer Mentoring Scheme aimed at assisting first-year undergraduate students. This scheme, open for application by all eligible students, is actively promoted before, during, and after Welcome Week.
Peer Mentors, who are trained second and third-year students, play a crucial role in welcoming new students, sharing their personal experiences, guiding them to essential university services, and providing assistance on various aspects of university life.
We know that not every student may have been able to participate in the Peer Mentoring Scheme for various reasons. To address this concern, we’ll take the following actions:
- Feedback to Peer Mentoring Team and Induction Steering Group for further consideration. Feedback will be integrated into discussions around event planning and how we can enhance inclusivity for Induction 2024.
- The Student Experience Team is currently developing best practice guides for departments. These guides aim to offer information, advice and guidance on designing effective induction sessions, including ice breakers and giving students the opportunity to connect with their peers.
More events for postgraduate students
We’ll share the suggestion of more postgraduate events with the Induction Steering Group and Postgraduate departments. We will encourage academic and support departments to consider integrating more events for postgraduate students into their future planning for Welcome Week sessions.
CSU have recently employed a Community and Events Coordinator. Engagement with postgradute students is a priority for this role. Did you know that CSU also have an affiliated Postgraduate Students Society? Click here to find out more.
Welcome Week/Induction information wasn’t explained very well
The Student Experience Team are currently in the process of revising our induction communications for 2024. This initiative involves a thorough review of our existing communication channels, guides, and online materials. Importantly, we are committed to actively involving students in this process to ensure that the revised communications meet their needs and expectations.
Additional events for students (ie Education) who missed/could not attend Welcome Week
Some students may have missed out on Welcome Week events due to academic sessions being scheduled during Welcome Week. Typically, academic days are designated for two days within Welcome Week to facilitate students’ engagement in non-academic induction events and activities.
To address this concern, the Student Experience Team will take the following actions:
- Communicate with the Department: We will bring this matter to the attention of the relevant department to explore ways in which the scheduling of academic sessions can be optimised to allow Education students to participate in Welcome Week events.
- We recognise the importance of balancing academic commitments with the overall student experience. We will work collaboratively with the department to find solutions that ensure Education students can fully engage in the range of activities during Welcome Week.
Provide students with support if they are alone
We know that starting university can feel quite isolating so we provide a range of opportunities for students to connect and make friends.
All students have access to the Umii app which allows them to connect with other students at the University. The app is free to use and allows you to be matched up with other students at the University who are studying a similar course or who have similar interests. You can use the app to find other students who may be feeling lonely or looking to make new friends.
In addition, all first year undergraduate students also have the option to sign up for a Peer Mentor. Peer Mentors are trained second and third-year students who play a crucial role in welcoming new students, sharing their personal experiences, guiding them to essential university services, and providing assistance on various aspects of university life.
The Student Experience Team acknowledge that not every student may have been able to participate in the Peer Mentoring Scheme for various reasons. To address this concern, the Student Experience Team will take the following actions:
- Feedback to Peer Mentoring Team and Induction Steering Group for further consideration.
- Feedback will be integrated into discussions around event planning and how we can enhance inclusivity for Induction 2024.
- We will explore ways to enhance support for both residential and non-residential students.
The Student Experience Team is currently developing best practice guides for departments. These guides aim to offer information, advice and guidance on designing effective induction sessions and will emphasise the importance of creating opportunities for new students to connect with both new and current students at the University.