This document discusses efforts to improve student retention and success at Kent University. It provides results from staff and student surveys that identify strengths like academic advising and areas for improvement such as support for mental health. Key themes from interviews highlight effective practices like personal support for students and transparency. Challenges include supporting commuter students and assessing workloads. The document proposes a whole-institution approach centered on academic tutoring, peer networks, and well-being support. It details enhancing the academic adviser system through standard meetings, skill-building sessions, and integrating advising into course credits.

1. Collaborative Retention Project:
building blocks for student success
Dr Louise NAYLOR
l.h.naylor@kent.ac.uk

2. Developing an integrated institutional approach to student success

3. Quantitative audit results (staff)
Q2 Staff have a sense of belonging to the University
(73.2/69.7 %)
Q3 Staff are supported to maximise student retention
(51.7/46.4%)
Q5 My programme offers good flexible learning
opportunities (73.2/72.2%)
Q7 Teaching on my programme is informed by relationships
with secondary schools (23.2/13.5%)
Q8 I am confident that teaching on my programme is
interesting and engaging (100/95.2%)
Q10 My programmes attendance system works well
(50/41.2%)
Q13 Staff understand how to support students as
independent learners (89.3/85.4 %)
Q1 Level of teaching expertise on my programme is valued by
my University (60.7/70.8%)
Q4 Staff are given opportunities to discuss and reflect together
upon student retention data (46.4/54.3%)
Q6 Staff are trained to respond appropriately to an incidence
of prejudice in the classroom (41/53%)
Q9 My programme embeds student mental wellbeing into
curriculum design (47.3/54.5%)
Q11 Staff understand what attainment gaps are and how to
close these gaps (38.2/50%)
Q12 Students benefit from a good personal tutoring system
(66.1/74.8%)
Q14 My programme makes good use of alumni networks
(37.5/48.6%)
Q15 Employability is embedded in the design of the
programme (82.1%/91.6%)
Programme Strengths (higher % agree) Areas for improvement (lower % agree)
Responses for Kent - 56 (58%) programme leader responses (project total 284)

4. Key themes from Qualitative audit results (staff)
➢Academic Advisor system, 1-2-1 support,
personal caring approach, maintaining close
contact with students.
➢Inclusivity & flexibility within programmes
➢‘Transparency in all student-facing activities
particularly with regards assessments and
feedback’.
➢Support for students with different entry
profiles (e.g. BTEC).
➢‘Revision programmes for stages 1 and 2 to
ease the transition into the next stage.’
➢Developing student networks through
activities across levels of study.
➢ Refining the Academic Advising system to ensure it
is robust and consistent.
➢ Review current workload models to ensure that staff
have sufficient time and resources to support
students.
➢ Raise the profile of teaching and learning, through
reward and recognition.
➢ Improve the support for mental health and wellbeing
for the whole university community (staff &
students).
➢ Improved support for students whose entry profile is
BTEC.
➢ Policies, procedures and culture that support
students with caring responsibilities.
➢ Developing better transition activities / information /
advice & guidance.
Programme Strengths Areas for improvement

5. Headlines from our Institutional Visit – 22 March 2018
Refreshing the role of the Academic Adviser with a greater
emphasis on employability and being a mentoring / coaching role.
➢ Better support for commuter students, help build networks,
engage with extra curricula activities
➢ Attendance monitoring ‘follow up letter’ should be reviewed
to be more supportive and less punitive.
➢ Bunching of assessment deadlines (especially in January)
Reasons for withdrawing
➢ Mental health & wellbeing challenges
➢ Being a commuter student (cost of parking etc), difficult to
make friends.
➢ Isolation / loneliness
➢ Poor teaching
➢ Adapting to living away from home (1st time living with others)
➢ Early offers of full-time employment
Student Feedback Students: Areas of challenge/opportunity

6. Headlines from our Institutional Visit (staff)
➢ Greater support for students to ensure they have
chosen the right course.
➢ Raise the profile of Academic Advising, how the
role can support students across all aspects of
their learning and experience at university.
➢ Developing a community of practice for staff to
share ideas and good practice around teaching and
learning
➢ Extend externally to other networks eg Advance
HE online Communities of Practice (Retention,
Assessment & Feedback, Employability), in addition
the RAISE Network works as a genuine students as
partners network. UKAT network on Academic
Advising and Tutoring
Staff feedback Staff : Areas of challenge / opportunity

7. Building blocks to support student retention & attainment
Whole Institutional approach – driven by senior leadership
(use of data, analytics, strategy, staff CPD, student union)
Personal / academic
Tutoring
Peer to Peer networks (e.g.
Peer mentoring)
Mental health &
Wellbeing
Core academic Training for all academic staff
e.g. Personal tutoring, Employability, Assessment, Feedback, Inclusive learning, Blended learning
Transition into HE
Welcome week
1st seven weeks
Digital literacies (staff
& students)
Students as
Partners
Sense of belonging
Early feedback
Pre-enrolment
activities
Student life cycle approach.
All staff, connected services,
regular use of data, role
modelling,

8. Academic Adviser (AA)
AA review
TEF outcomes
Progress Profiles
Virtual Student
Adviser
Appointment
Management System
Transition
Induction
Enhancement Weeks
Graduate Attributes
(reflective log)
HEA Collaborative
Retention Project

9. Enhancing the Academic Adviser System at Kent
• Sample proforma for
meetings with Academic
Advisers (Stages)
• Progress Profiles
• Sharing good practice
‘Enhancing Academic
Advisers’ (L&TN)
• Online Resources
• Integrated sessions in the
curriculum or as credit-
bearing non-contributory
module
• Graduate Attributes

10. Integrated Academic Adviser System
BIOSCIENCES
Academic Support, Key Skills and
Information (I, II & III)
1credit (0.5 ECTS) = 10 hours
Advantages
✓Students gain credit/transcript
✓Sessions can be timetabled
✓Learning community/opportunity
✓Integrated with Welcome and
Enhancement weeks (7 &19)
✓Gain your #gradgoals
Individual sessions with Academic Adviser on
academic performance/progression, support for
career planning
Themed group sessions with Academic Adviser to
develop transferable skills/Graduate
Attributes/report writing
Year group sessions to deliver general information
about module selection or University processes or
resources
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