Video transcript: Introductory video - Enablers
Transcript for the video embedded on the Access and Student Success Strategy page.
[Music]
[Alongside Professor Jeff Grabill, this heading appears: Professor Jeff Grabill, Deputy Vice Chancellor of Student Education]
Jeff says: At Leeds, we’re committed to building a culture and systems that supports an inclusive approach to access and student success. We’ve implemented two reverse mentoring schemes which have enhanced students’ sense of belonging and improved how we support under-represented students.
[Alongside Rachel O’Connor, this heading appears: Rachel O’Connor, Associate Professor in Legal Education and Reverse Mentoring Lead, appears]
Rachel says: Reverse mentoring is, in simple terms, about flipping more traditional mentoring roles. In our context, it takes student lived experience and it positions those experiences as expertise. By putting the students in the position of mentor, focusing on issues relating to their lived experiences of being part of the university and feeling under-represented within it. It’s about being heard, but also being empowered to contribute towards change. There’s been a huge amount of benefit to reverse mentoring both on the staff and students side so staff developing their practice as personal tutors, as educators, as leaders becoming more inclusive as a result. And then on the students side of things, I think the biggest benefits have been self-confidence, increased sense of self-worth, and a real drive for students to put themselves forward for lots of future opportunities.
[We return to Professor Jeff Grabill]
Jeff states: In the summer of 2023, the University ran its third iteration of our Student Research Experience Placements.
[The text ‘Student research experience placements’ floats on to the screen, next to Jeff]
Jeff continues to speak: These allowed students to work as professional colleagues alongside staff, conducting independent research. The projects explored student experience, particularly through the lens of under-represented groups.
[Alongside Chloe Anderton, this text appears: Chloe Anderton Medical student at the University of Leeds, appears]
Chloe says: The student Research Experience placement is organised by individuals within Leeds Institute of Teaching Excellence, and it’s a 6 week paid student opportunity where you can conduct some form of pedagogical research. This was a qualitative project, so it was a fantastic opportunity to take a break from statistics and numbers and start thinking more about people and what education means to different people and how we can work to improve that at the University.
It made me sit back and think about how to ask questions, how to sort of encourage people to feel comfortable and gain information with some particularly sensitive topics as well, because a lot of my project focused on aspects of equality, diversity, inclusion.
So, there were some difficult experiences discussed and it was a real privilege actually to sit there and have those conversations. This is such an impactful project from start to finish, really. It’s fantastic to walk through the medical school and to see improvements being made, and to know that student voices have been heard.
[Professor Jeff Grabill returns to speaking again]
Jeff says: Increased representation across our campus is crucial for fostering a sense of belonging among minoritised ethnic students. All students benefit from being taught and supported by individuals from diverse backgrounds.
[The graphic for the Race Equality Charter arrives on screen]
Jeff continues: We officially joined the Race Equality Charter to prioritise building a campus-wide community that will drive systemic change at every level. We continued our involvement with the ‘100 Black Women Professors Now’ programme.
[The text ‘100 Black Women Professors Now’ pops on to the screen, next to Jeff]
[Alongside Sally Osei-Appiah, the following text appears on screen: Sally Osei-Appiah, EDI learning and development Manager and PGR Diversity Lead]
Sally states: Last year, I started a new role that entailed me leading a number of projects, aimed at supporting black and ethnically minoritised PhD students. And so I got a chance to talk to the students and learn about their experiences, many of which I could identify with because I had done my PhD here in the UK. And so when they talked about the incessant feelings of isolation, for instance, and of the microaggressions of being overlooked, of never feeling that they are enough just because of the colour of their skin, because they were in a white majority environment. I understood and I empathised.
On one occasion, I had done a programme and this PhD students came over to me and she was crying. You know, it meant so much to her to see me stand in front of them and do that.
It drew my attention to the fact that what I was doing was really important, was making a difference in the lives of these PhD students.
[The video returns to Professor Jeff Grabill]
Jeff says: The University will maintain a collective whole-institution approach to ensure that every student feels valued. High-level evaluation of the University’s activities, throughout the student lifecycle, will be crucial for implementing an evidence-based and inclusive approach aligned with our Access and Student Success Strategy.
[Text appears over an aerial photo of the University of Leeds campus, with the University of Leeds logo and the address leeds.ac.uk/student-success]
Jeff concludes: To find out more about our research and evaluation please visit the student success pages on our website.