Extending co-curricular activities to reinvigorate student campus life

Susanne Croft

Student Experience Team leader Student Success

Universal College of Learning (UCOL)May 2015

and

In partnership to encourage student leadership, student

voice and peer support, to reinvigorate student campus

life

Introduction - Why it was necessary for the Student Association and the Student Experience Team to collaborate:

• In 2011, Parliament passed the Education (Freedom of Association) Amendment Bill which removed compulsory membership to Student Associations • AS@U lost three quarters of its funding and UCOL management became the arbiter of funding the Association had access to within the framework of the Compulsory Student Services Levy. • Resulting in diminished services,• discontinued monthly student activities and • low morale within the Association and student body• Noticeable apathy and absence of student activity and vibrancy

• “as Tinto (2009) has recently observed, ‘student success does not arise by chance. It is the result of an intentional, structured, and

proactive set of strategies that are coherent and systematic in nature and carefully aligned to the same goal’” (Kift

et al (2010))

Intention

• Conversations with AS@U initially to share ideas to increase student leadership, student voice and peer support• Proposal prepared and accepted; to work in partnership, share resources and create an action research pilot project to increase student leadership, student voice and peer support• Leadership development was considered a key element of the initiative a Business School Lecturer offered a leadership training package• Dates and action plan set• Vision and mission statement created by the leadership team

Introducing the original Team

Miranda Orpin – President of the UCOL Student Association 2014

Susanne Croft – Leader Student success – Student Coach

Andrew Mock – Lecturer in School of Business

Our Vision

Through valuing and promoting our student leaders,

all UCOL students will be heard, respected and acknowledged,

to ensure, the sense of belonging, safety, vibrancy and support they

deserve to succeed.

Mission Statement

• All students at UCOL deserve the best education and support that can be offered.

• We want all students to feel safe, included and valued for the variety of belief, culture and experience they

bring to our learning community.• We want all students to leave UCOL, strengthened as individuals, skilled in their chosen vocation, connected

to others, and directed in their future goals• We will provide a forum to share, inform, support and

monitor our success through the Mandela Initiative and class leader meetings

Structure

• UCOL has three campuses, the project was piloted only in Palmerston North• The timeline from discussions to the initiation of the project was about 4weeks and was fully underway in 8weeks• The work justifiably sat within SET and AS@U existing roles, additional financial assistance only for catering• The structure needed to be sustainable and maintained within the Student Experience Team (SET) to offer stability and to maximise the role and function of the Student Association within the programme.

Proactive strategies

• Communication with lecturers and programme leaders, by email and personally to ensure lecturers understood the name and role change for the previously known Student Representatives• Code of conduct and job description written and made available

Nomination forms created for the role• Making time to visit every faculty to discuss project• Marketing - Posters and in-class introduction of the project to

students throughout orientation week, handing out the job description and concept of value added through training

Class Leader Meetings 2014• Fortnightly• Sign in• Food• Check-in and notices• 20mins Leadership bites• Discussion• Information gathering topics were sent back with the student leader to their classes to discuss: transport, clubs, internet and resources. The responses shared at the following fortnightly meeting were immediate, relevant and considered.

Initial outcomes exceeded expectations

• Students became proactively involved in naming and finding solutions to meet their unmet needs on campus

• The results show an increase in student confidence, belonging, peer support and a willingness to become involved in campus life

• Students are openly sharing their opinion and are getting involved

Recorded Outcomes 2014…

• Eighty-eight percent of students thought the leadership training was important or very important and several lecturers and students asked if leadership training would be provided to other students who had shown interest,• Ninety-one percent of students wanted the training to be in a block course at the beginning of the semester so the fortnightly meetings could focus on resourcing the base training,• Students wanted meetings to be fortnightly but in the intervening weeks to have small groups for confidential matters to be discussed,

Recorded Outcomes…

• Thirty-one percent showed an interest in being re-elected to the role in 2015,• Students voted to change the title from Class Leader to Student Ambassador to capture the extent of the expected role and take the power status out of the title,• In response to hearing feedback at a Class Leader meeting from students on other programmes about the lack of campus activities, two Class Leaders approached their lecturer on the Bachelor of Exercise and Sport Science, seeking an opportunity to offer a lunchtime fitness programme. The lecturer took this to the next step offering to diversify their skills to complete credits towards an assessment within the programme of study,

Recorded Outcomes…

• Clubs have been started by lecturers who want to support students. Lunchtime clubs have been allocated: one is proposed, ‘Presentation for the workforce’, supported by the Hairdressing and Beauty students in 2015,• An active student executive has been formed,• SET services has noted an increase in referrals from students supported by their class leaders,• The IT department took the impetus to improve the WiFi and Internets system.

2015 Changes

• Leadership training 6hours held at the start of each Semester. Including communication skills, leadership skills and conflict resolution• Increased support for the peer mentoring component of the role• Guest speakers• Use of scenarios from student experience• Examples: in-class disruption and disrespect

Students sharing confidential informationDifficulties with teaching staff

Recorded Outcomes 2015 …

• From 9 participants at Student Representative meetings to 35 regular attendees at Class leader meeting in 2014 meetings

• Student Ambassador meetings in 2015 are averaging 40 regular students• In-class student to student issues raised as scenarios for collective resolution to empower the approach to an issue• Student lecturer dis-satisfaction named and confronted positively• Student are naming the classroom issues and finding solutions with and without support (Example – change in lecturer)• Lecturers are appreciating the commitment and respect the Ambassador position as merited and appreciated feedback.

STUDENT AMBASSADOR CODE OF CONDUCT AND JOB DESCRIPTION

• Student Ambassadors agree to conduct themselves in a manner consistent with their position as a chosen ambassador and positive role model, representing their class within their programme of study.

The task as Group or Class Student Ambassador:• To attend the compulsory six hour leader training held either on a Saturday morning or two consecutive evenings to equip you for the role• To listen to classmates without discrimination, bias or judgement as they share information to be brought to the regular meetings• To treat with respect and sensitivity information shared by a classmate. The Ambassador understands they are not a counsellor, social worker or learning advisor and will refer students to appropriate services within UCOL as necessary respecting the student’s wishes at all times;

Tasks continued…• To observe the attitudes, trends and general comments of students in the class• To liaise with the lecturer at all times and be available when the lecturer requests assistance• To attend the fortnightly meetings and send an apology if unable to attend – it will be up to the class ambassador to know when the meetings will be held and not wait to be told• At the meetings, to be prepared to speak up as the representative and ‘voice’ of the class or programme and to be prepared to get involved as necessary in agreed events

Tasks continued…

• To share information to the class that may come out of the student meetings and promote events to others;• To be willing to share confidential concerns or complaints they may have, at the specified small group sharing and discussion meetings, held fortnightly, with the Student Coach and/or President of the Student Association• If a Student Ambassador wants or needs to resign from the role, they will discuss this with the Programme Leaders. If this is done in time, a new Student Ambassador will be nominated.

In return, the chosen Student Ambassador can expect:• The Student Ambassador programme will be well organised;

events and meetings will be held when and where they are advertised, ambassadors will be notified in a timely fashion of any changes;• The Student Ambassador will not be asked to do more than is

reasonable within their role. (The Leaders in 2014 felt the role was well within their capability to cope with workload.)• The Student Ambassador programme will resource students for

the job and will include quality leadership modules within the six hour training;

• At the end of the training the Student Ambassador will receive a badge in recognition of the role;• At the completion of their term the Student Ambassadors will receive a

certificate;• Supervision and back up, assistance, or personal support as required

within their role;• Accountability; should any behaviour that is not appropriate to the

Ambassador role, that has been noted or identified by students or staff, may result in that Ambassador being asked to stand down.• Note: There will one ambassador per 15 students in the class. If a Class

Leader wants or needs to resign from the role, they will discuss this with the Ambassador Programme leaders. If this is done in time, a new Student Ambassador will be nominated from the class.

References

• Alkema, A., McDonald, H., & Ryan, R. (2013a). Student voice in tertiary education settings: Quality systems in practice. Retrieved from https://akoaotearoa.ac.nz/download/ng/file/group-8706/student-voice-in-tertiary-education-settings---full-report.pdf

• Alkema, A., McDonald, H., & Ryan, R. (2013b). Using the student voice to improve quality: Summary report. Retrieved from http://www.akoaotearoa.ac.nz/studentvoice

• Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the oppressed. New York, NY: Herder and Herder.• Kift, S. M., Nelson, K. J., & Clarke, J. A. (2010). Transition pedagogy: A third

generation approach to FYE: A case study of policy and practice for the higher education sector. The International Journal of the First Year in Higher Education, 1(1), 1-20.

• Tinto, V. (2009a). Learning better together: The impact of learning communities on student success. Retrieved from http://www.maine.edu/system/asa/vincenttinto.php

• Tinto, V. (2009b). Taking student retention seriously: Rethinking the first year of university. Keynote address presented at FYE Curriculum Design Symposium 2009. Brisbane, Australia. Retrieved from http://www.fyecd2009.qut.edu.au/resourses/SPE_VincentTinto_5Feb09.pdf

• Yorke, M. (2006, July 12-14). Student engagement: Deep surface or strategic. Keynote address presented at the 9th Pacific Rim First Year Education Conference: Engaging students, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia. Retrieved from http://www.fyhe.qut.edu.au/past_papers/2006/program.hmtl

Susanne CroftLeader Student SuccessUniversal College of LearningEmail: s.croft@ucol.ac.nzCell: o21 889 550