How Can We Support The Living at Home Students Experience? BMH - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Title

How Can We Support The Living at Home Students Experience?

BMH Learning at Lunch Thursday 14th September

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Title What is an Off-Campus Students’ Project Coordinator?

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Title

The Off-Campus Student Project Coordinator Role

• Partnership between the University and the

Students’ Union

• Focuses on Integrating and Improving Off-

Campus Student Experiences

• Encompasses: Living at Home Students,

Mature Students, Student Parents and Carers

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Title Living at Home Students

• 27% of students live at home (The Guardian 2013)
• Due to family, religious
• r economic reasons
• Less likely to complete

studies or feel involved in student community

• Less likely to engage in

extra-curricular, more academically focused

(Alterline Research 2016)

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Title How Do We Engage With Living at Home Students?

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Title Living at Home Residential

• Before Welcome Week
• Tote-bags with: support

guides, common room map, portable charger, travel wallets, biscuits, pens, notepads

• Social and Supportive

Activities

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Title Residential Feedback

“I’m really glad this event was held. Before it, I was rea eally ly ne nervou

• us

s abou

• ut

t starti ting ng uni nivers ersit ity y but I we went nt hom

• me

e no not bei eing ng able e to

• wa

wait till it started.”

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Title Residential Feedback

“It made me feel a lot more confident about mee eeting ing peo eople ple at uni niversi versity ty and nd partici ticipa patin ting g in n student life.”

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Title Residential Feedback

• 94% agreed they felt more part of the Living at

Home (the remaining 6% slightly agreed)

• Similar figures for wider student community
• Overwhelmingly emphasised the fantastic
• pportunity to make friends

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Title Welcome Week

• Pre-Welcome Mature Students Day: focus on

wellbeing

• Active Society: stalls, meet and greets, quizzes,

meals

• University Departmental Welcome Events
• Home Away From Home

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Title Home Away From Home

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Title Our Societies

• Living at Home Society
• Mature Student Society
• Student Parents and Carers Group

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Title Living at Home Society

• Student led society which organises socials,

trips, meals

• Communicate with 535 member Facebook

Group

• Work with SU to bring Living at Home projects

to life!

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Title Living at Home Projects

• Residential
• Daytrippers
• Student Train Campaign
• Rep Positions on Senate
• Commuter Cost Fund

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Title Commuter Cost Fund

• Clear link between travel and

experience

(Institutional Partner Liz Thomas Research 2016)

• Travel cost reimbursement £100 per

term

• 50 places available, 688 applications
• Part of a wider research project to

improve support for living at home students

• Feeding in to this years Access to

Recreation Fund

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Title Access to Recreation Grant

• Joining SU societies and groups which have membership fees
• Purchasing equipment necessary for joining SU society activities (for

example, kit)

• Joining RAG (Raise and Give) challenges which have admin fees
• Travel to attend meetings and activities with your society
• Trips that meet the goals and purpose of the society
• Gaining relevant documentation to participate in activities (e.g.
• verseas criminal records checks that require payment)

UP TO £200 PER SEMESTER

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Title Mature Students Society

• Important to think about, diversify and tailor to

different branches of ‘Living at Home’ students

• 500 member Facebook Group + Email

Newsletter

• Developed research with their support
• Socials & Lunch Club
• Careers
• Peer Mentoring

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Title Student Parents and Carers Group

• 198 members in Facebook Group
• PGR Parent Peer Support Group
• Student Parent Advice Booklet
• Feeding into new university policy for

undergrad new parents

• Family Friendly Activities and DayTrippers
• Working with Carers Trust, Carers UK,

Manchester Carers Centre – Carers Awareness Day Activities… Conferences, Stalls

• Supporting Going Higher Campaign for

Student Carers – Interacted with campaign to get Carers recognised by UCAS

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Title Family Friendly Campus Tour Day

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Title Back to Living at Home Students!

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Title

Having my University understand

‘Living at

Home’ needs

Beyond Engagement?

Engaging with Living at Home Students is most important with Welcome Week social events and supporting representation… BUT … This needs to be sustainable with the long term interest of re-thinking the image of a stereotypical student

Knowing I won’t miss

• ut on a

Student Experience Halls or Home

(different but equal)

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Title

Establishing and Embedding Living at Home

• Ensuring representation is consistent and accessible

e.g. members of staff, officers, reps, society

• Creating Long Term Thinking with Institutional Events

(importance of academic routes with uni and SU)… e.g. Welcome

Week, Follow Up Meets, Pre-Exam Well-Being Sessions, Post-Exam Celebrations, Reclaim the Night inclusion, Elections

• Appropriate Timetabling for Living at Home Students

(Can placements be made local for students)

• Online Resources
• Discussing Living at Home

with Prospective Students

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Title Thinking about Living at Home Students

Bad Example Lack of Consideration

• n Student

Finance Flyer

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Title Thinking about Living at Home Students

Good Example Included at Open Day next to Accommodation

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Title Additional Support

• Working with Advice
• Developing FAQs
• Raise Awareness of

Support

• Temporary Solutions

to Long-Term Issues

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Title To Conclude! What Can You Do?!

• Don’t forget these students exist!!
• Consider tailoring support and being flexible for living at home students. A

little empathy can go a long way.

(if you’re an academic tutor ask about them living at home, if you’re a lecturer or seminar tutor be considerate if a student may be a little late)

• When discussing student experience, ask the question “will this be

accessible to any students who lives at home?”

• Do you work with an academic society or student reps, are they

considering living at home students?

• Sign-post living at home students to the Students’ Union.

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Title Stay In Touch

miriam.amies@manchester.ac.uk Off-Campus Students Project Coordinator 0161-275-2940 Where you can find me: www.manchesterstudentsunion.com University of Manchester Students’ Union @ManchesterSU

Any Questions?

/LivingatHomeUoM