General Principles
Induction and transition should help our new students to build confidence, foster a sense of belonging, connect with people, and celebrate the prospect of beginning a new experience. Our ultimate goal is to help our diverse group of students to settle quickly into their new environment and to minimise the risk of their withdrawal from the University. These first few weeks of engagement are critical to the success of this goal and require engagement and collaboration from many different areas of the institution.
Our approach to induction and transition aims to develop a strong sense of belonging in new and returning students. The model, summarised in the diagram below, shows how we have categorised activities that build academic self-efficacy, resilience, and community.
General Considerations
Induction/transition should excite, inspire, reassure, and engage students.
All students will have some in-person engagement with staff and their peers during induction week. It is not enough for all induction activities to be online.
Each faculty will host a welcome talk/event with a presentation from the Vice Chancellor.
It is important not to overwhelm students with information during induction - give information in bite-size, easily digestible chunks and consider what is essential and what is not. Consider how you sequence the provision of information over the first Teaching Block. Remember that induction/transition extends well beyond the first week of Teaching Block One (TB1), up to the end of the Teaching Block and beyond.
Now is the time to set out clear expectations regarding student behaviour, engagement with taught sessions, independent learning and assessment. Inform them of our student engagement and attendance monitoring systems and policy and how this will be implemented. This is also an excellent opportunity to discuss the Student Charter, Graduate Hallmarks and the Student Conduct Policy.
SEAM Policy: https://policies.docstore.port.ac.uk/policy-075.pdf?_ga=2.220580698.374072734.1688636987-342356510.1686824370
Student Charter and Graduate Hallmarks: https://www.port.ac.uk/about-us/structure-and-governance/our-people/student-charter-and-graduate-hallmarks
Student Conduct Policy: https://policies.docstore.port.ac.uk/policy-261.pdf?_ga=2.253215179.374072734.1688636987-342356510.1686824370
Now is also the time to make students aware of the support available to them. Talk about personal tutoring, local support available in faculty (e.g. Skills Tutors, Engagement Officers) and inform them of the wider support available through ASDAC, Res Life, The Chaplaincy and the Student Wellbeing Service.
Keep students informed. Communications should be timely, clear and unambiguous.
Effective induction practice recognises and supports the diverse prior learning experience of our students. Think about equality, diversity and inclusivity in everything you do. Check out the EDI Moodle training course to ensure all teaching is Accessible, Inclusive and Supportive.
Provide opportunities for students to get to know each other through formal and informal activities. Where possible, these should be face-to-face (i.e. not online). Sharing experiences and concerns facilitates peer-to-peer support, allows students to develop their identity, build confidence, and relationships, and helps to foster a sense of belonging.
Work in partnership with students – take every opportunity to gain their insights and co-create solutions to challenges. Have you spoken to your current students about their experiences? Can you include these students in your induction activities?
The risks of students feeling isolated and overwhelmed are high. Monitoring engagement is crucial, and the role of the Personal Tutor is critical in this respect. Please refer to the Personal Tutoring Framework and SEAM policy for details.
The Role of the Personal Tutor
“Personal tutoring forms a central activity in our student’s academic, personal and professional development; improves engagement; increases retention; and encourages students to become partners in their learning, progression and achievement.”
Excerpt from the Personal @ UoP website (https://personaltutoring.port.ac.uk/)
The Personal Tutor/Tutee relationship is emphasised throughout this document as critical to developing students’ sense of belonging. The Personal Tutoring and Development Framework, if used in conjunction with this guide, will provide all Personal Tutors with guidance about supporting students during their induction and beyond. First-year tutors, in particular, would be wise to consider how their interactions with tutees will influence and support students’ sense of belonging.