04 National Student Forum – Annual Report
For each key topic, the Forum developed: We therefore urge Government and/or
Overview
of report an ideal vision of what it would be like for
students if everything is working well in
approach this area
and suggestions as to how individual
outcomes universities and colleges can support
students in this area
The NSF was set up to help define ‘a
reasonable student experience’ and to
make recommendations to Government to
help to achieve this. However, many of our
suggestions for improvement fall within the gift
of individual universities and colleges, rather
than Government policy. Therefore, we outline
our recommended practice for universities and
colleges in each of our key discussion areas,
against which we invite individual institutions to
measure their current practice.
We readily acknowledge that many universities
and colleges may already be implementing
some of these practices, but urge all
institutions to consider whether adopting new
ways of working and/or reviewing the extent
to which guidance is being implemented in
practice, could lead to further improvement in
this area.
recommendations for Government,
and/or for areas which require further
consideration and collaboration at a
national strategic level
We have drawn upon our expertise in what it
is like to study in higher education to develop
recommendations that we believe require
attention at a national strategic level. Some
recommendations may involve a shift in current
policy or practice, or new collaborations at
a national level. However, others may more
appropriately require careful consideration
of how effectively or how widely existing
programmes of work or specific initiatives are
being implemented. As students we are not
experts in the workings of the sector, and we
both value and respect the sector’s autonomy.
Executive
Summary 05 National Student Forum – Annual Report
national sector organisations, as appropriate,
to consider how these recommendations
might be taken forward most effectively –
either individually or collaboratively. We invite
stakeholders to view our work as an invitation
to engage in ongoing dialogue to bring about
improvement for all students in the future.
The Government will respond publicly to the
report’s recommendations.
The National Student Forum was set up by the
former Department for Innovation, Universities
and Skills (now the Department for Business,
Innovation and Skills) in early 2008 to give a
greater voice to students on higher education
(HE) courses across England and to ensure that
policies are the better for being informed by the
student voice. It is required to produce an annual
report for ministerial review and comment.
The 2008-09 Forum consisted of an
independent Chair appointed by BIS and
eighteen members who reflect the diversity of
the undergraduate and postgraduate population.
Members participated in four full Forum events
and three subgroup meetings to develop
recommendations and proposals to improve the
student experience.
This year, we chose to focus on: teaching
and learning (including technology-enhanced
learning); employability; the particular needs of
postgraduate, mature and part-time and disabled
students; and accommodation. A summary
of our visions, suggestions for how individual
universities and colleges can support us and
recommendations for consideration at national
policy and strategy level is outlined overleaf.
 Vision – what does it look like when we’re
Teaching getting teaching and learning right?
and Learning As I a student, I acknowledge that I am an active
partner in the learning process, but I also expect
to find that:
my learning experience is a high priority for
the university
my learning is, where possible, personalised to
my needs
my courses are flexible yet structured,
and transferable
essential resources are easy to access and
readily available
assessment and feedback are used to help
me learn
I can be an active partner to my university or
college in the design and management of my
own education
my university/college encourages me to
view my education as more than just
subject knowledge
Issues and challenges
The Forum raised a series of challenges and
issues relating to teaching and learning that
are faced by students at some institutions.
These included: a lack of clarity and advance
information about what learning at university is
like; insufficient emphasis on the development
of lecturers’ pedagogical skills; too much
assessment of learning rather than for learning;
insufficient course innovation; confusion around
transferability of credit between institutions;
lack of sufficient choice in mode of study; and
insufficient opportunity to collaborate, engage
with and co-design the learning experience.
06 National Student Forum – Annual Report
How can universities and colleges support
teaching and learning?
We would like to see all universities and colleges:
professionalise teaching and learning within
the institution
personalise and differentiate approaches to
take account of disabilities, learning difficulties
and learning styles
increase flexibility in course structures and
modes of study
develop a cross-institutional strategy to
enable students to co-design and manage
their learning
undertake regular reviews of course content
and material to ensure currency and relevance
(where appropriate to subject matter)
ensure a university-wide focus on assessment
for, not just of, learning
review adequacy and accessibility of study
resources for number and range of students
monitor and formally record students’
broader learning
In particular, we identified some of the current
barriers to the growth of technology-enhanced
learning: unequal digital access; unequal digital
literacy for both students and staff; the lack of
time and lack of support for tutors to develop the
necessary skills and restrictive university policies
and practices at some institutions.
We would like to see all universities and
colleges: implement a systematic policy to
enhance traditional teaching methods with new
technologies; leverage technology to provide
innovative methods of assessment and feedback;
implement a dedicated support programme
for students and lecturers to develop skills
and confidence in using technology; support
whole campus access to ICT resources for all
students; and promote the university or college’s
technology-enhanced learning approaches and
resources to prospective students.
Recommendations
1. Incentivise universities to achieve excellence in
teaching and learning, as well as research
2. Encourage greater transferability (of credits)
between institutions
3. Increase flexibility and innovation in course
structures and modes of delivery
4. Develop a national strategy to increase
students’ access to academic texts through
electronic means
 We acknowledge that, as students, we need to
Employability take advantage of the opportunities universities
and colleges make available to us, if we are
to be in the best possible position to secure
employment post-university. However, we
also believe that an effective university-wide
employability strategy, high profile careers
services and high quality work placement
programmes are critical factors in improving
our employability.
Vision: how will we know if we are
getting it right?
As I student I am motivated and proactive in
improving my employability, but my university also
supports me so that I feel:
able to make an informed decision about the
next step
confident that I have valuable skills and
experience to offer potential employers
optimistic about my career prospects
Priority 1: a clear university or
college-wide employability strategy
We would like all universities and colleges
to incorporate the following aspects into the
development or review of their
employability strategies:
explicit recognition and active promotion of
the value of work placements, volunteering
programmes and part-time jobs
increased resources for, and the promotion of
the use of, personal development plans
the provision of optional modules/classes that
consider how the skills/knowledge developed
during study/placements translate across into
the work environment
an employer mentoring scheme in which
employers volunteer to mentor students
a curriculum offer that includes the opportunity
for students to engage with alumni or
employers working in a related field and is
co-developed with employers
07 National Student Forum – Annual Report
systematic integration of the university or
college careers service into students’
everyday lives
adequate levels of resourcing, awareness-
raising and monitoring of careers services
Priority 2: a well-informed, well-resourced,
high profile university or college
careers service
We would like to see: better integration of
careers services into different aspects of
university life; improved support and training for
careers advisors in how to best support particular
student groups such as disabled students and
international students; and university and college
careers services placing more emphasis on
promoting success stories of alumni from
non-traditional universities and alumni
mentoring schemes.
Priority 3: a high quality, well-structured
work placement programme
We acknowledge that there are three partners to
a successful work placement – the student, the
placement provider and the university. To improve
work placements at an institutional level, we
would hope to see all universities and
colleges implementing:
a dedicated work placement specialist unit
a structured, phased approach to the
delivery of information and guidance about
work placements
a formal agreement with placement providers
that sets out guidelines for what students need
to learn on their placement
training programmes for provider mentors
sufficient communication with students on
placements and the provider
a commitment to listen equally to both the
student and employer perspective to resolve
any matters of dispute over the quality of the
placement; and to enable students to change
placements if necessary
Recommendations
5. Incentivise placement providers to increase
the number of, and improve the quality of,
placements on offer
6. Identify ways in which university careers
services can be better supported to meet the
specific needs of particular student groups
(e.g. disabled students, international students
and postgraduate students)
 A vision for a positive postgraduate
Postgraduate experience: where are we trying to get to?
students If all is working well in the system, a postgraduate
student would be able to say:
I received appropriate information, advice
and guidace (IAG) prior to embarking on
postgraduate study and I am clear about the
levels and types of funding available to me
I benefited from a structured, tailored
induction process
I have reasonable levels of contact
with supervisors
I have access to adequate research facilities
I have access to teaching opportunities,
together with training and ongoing support
for this
I feel part of a wider research community
I can access effective, ongoing guidance on
subsequent career development
Issues and challenges
Currently, common challenges for postgraduate
students include: patchy information, advice and
guidance; financial issues (e.g. lack of access
to student loans or research grants); variable
support from supervisors – and training for
supervisors; insufficient teaching opportunities;
Liam’s story: a snapshot of the ideal
Mature and university experience for a mature,
part-time part-time student
Liam was able to access a nationally recognised
students one-stop-shop source of information that
contained everything mature and part-time
students need to know to make their decision
about institution. He was relieved to find out
that he was still eligible for the same funding,
pro-rata, as full-time students. Liam was given
the opportunity before his course began to
update his study skills. Liam’s timetable was
set significantly far enough in advance that he
was able to arrange for childcare and to let his
employer know that he would be absent from
work regularly at the same time each week for
the entire duration of his degree course.
At university Liam found his lecturers relatively
easy to access because they held their office
hours on the day he attended lectures and used
an appropriate communication channel. They
recognised university was just one element to his
busy life. Liam appreciated that both his employer
and university understood when deadlines
clashed and so both were reasonably flexible
around dates. Liam was reassured to know that
if, for any reason, he was unable to immediately
complete his studies, his university was
sufficiently flexible to enable him to complete
it in future, or he would be able to formally
transfer credit for the learning he had achieved
elsewhere, if necessary.
08 National Student Forum – Annual Report
lack of focus on the development of transferable
skills; difficulty in accessing appropriate
accommodation and social isolation.
How can universities further support
postgraduate study?
ensure postgraduate student handbooks are
relevant and accessible
encourage personal mapping and development
of skills needs
improve teaching opportunities for
postgraduate students on
research programmes
implement banks of postgraduate ambassadors
that feed into wider networks
use teams of supervisors where possible
Recommendations
7. Increase opportunities for cross-institutional
networking and ideas exchange for
postgraduate students
8. Improve access to independent, impartial
advice about the benefits of postgraduate
study and the practicalities of study
9. Improve awareness about the full costs of
postgraduate study and sources of finance
Issues and challenges:
We identified the system-specific issues and
challenges for mature and part-time students
including limited public funding or subsidies for
part-time students, the lack of entitlement to
funding to re-train in a different area; the lack of
clarity about where to source independent IAG;
the lack of sufficiently tailored IAG; insufficiently
flexible modes of study and course structures.
How can universities and colleges support
mature and part-time students?
increase flexibility for modes of study and
course structures
tailor IAG specifically to the needs of mature
and part-time students
provide and widely promote ‘returning to
learning’ courses
ensure that support facilities and services are
available for those studying part-time
ensure that timetabling is sympathetic to the
needs of mature and part-time students
Recommendations
See recommendations 2 and 3, plus:
10. Review student finance policy to provide
comparative funding for part-time students
and the universities that teach them
11. Review Equivalent or Lower Qualifications
(ELQ) policy, especially for courses that
address specific skills shortages
 Issues and challenges
Disabled We reviewed some of the issues faced by some
students disabled students. These comprised the need
for more tailored information before entry into
higher education; insufficient awareness of
the specialist financial support available; the
existence of misconceptions and stigma that
unwittingly perpetuate discrimination; and both
academic and non-academic disadvantages.
How can universities and colleges support
disabled students?
To improve the experience of disabled students,
we would like to see all universities and colleges:
improve IAG for prospective disabled students
ensure enrolment and induction procedures
are inclusive and tailored to meet the needs of
disabled students
Accommodation Vision: where are we trying to get to?
If my living circumstances as a student
are ideal…
I feel like an included, valued and respected
member of my community
I feel financially secure
My living space is appropriate to my needs
I feel safe
Issues and suggestions for improvement
We raised the following issues: increasing
costs of accommodation in relation to student
loans; patchy relationship between students
and the wider community; variable quality
of accommodation and contractual issues;
insensitive allocation within halls of residence,
and a lack of accessible accommodation for
different student groups. We would like to see
Government introduce incentives for private
landlords to adapt their properties to better
accommodate disabled students and/or other
student groups who may have additional
accommodation requirements. We would also
like private providers of student halls to increase
the number of rooms that are available and
accessible for disabled students and for students
with families.
09 National Student Forum – Annual Report
raise awareness of disability issues within
universities and colleges amongst the wider
student community and improve awareness of
disability issues amongst academic staff
ensure that institutional feedback mechanisms
capture data for disabled students, and use this
data to improve future provision
Recommendations
See recommendations 4 and 6, plus:
12. Improve disability awareness training
and awareness-raising within universities
and colleges
At an institutional level, we would like to
see all university accommodation services:
negotiating a range of prices/types of
accommodation and more local travel subsidy
schemes for students
working with the Students’ Union and local
community associations to build relationships
and improve perceptions of students within the
wider community
working with private landlords to encourage
them to be more open to renting to students
outside the ‘traditional’ student areas
supporting collaboration between local
authority planning services and students
increasing awareness amongst students of
the basic standards they should expect when
looking for accommodation – and what to do if
these aren’t being met
offering contract checking services
offering prospective students the chance
to express a preference about types of
accommodation; and all residential managers
being flexible and accommodating people’s
individual request
The Forum did not make formal recommendations
for accommodation but invites stakeholders to
engage in further dialogue about how the issues
might be tackled effectively.