Video transcript: Progression Between the Years

Transcript for the video embedded on the Access and Student Success Strategy page.

[Music] 

[Alongside Alice O’Grady, this heading appears: Dean of Student Education] 

Alice says: At Leeds we are committed to reducing inequalities in higher education throughout the student journey. All students should feel they belong, are valued, and are supported to thrive academically to achieve their unique goals.  

In the 2022/23 academic year, we committed to embedding an inclusive curriculum and developed 10 high-level recommendations to meet our institutional Baseline Standards of Inclusive Learning and Teaching. 

[The text ‘Institutional Baseline Standards of Inclusive Learning and Teaching’ appears on screen, next to Alice] 

Alice states: These are now being implemented cross-institutionally via a number of teams such as Equality and Inclusion, Digital Education, and our School Academic Leads for Inclusive Pedagogies. We made significant progress with Curriculum Redefined redesigning 100 programmes... 

[The text ‘Curriculum redefined’ appears on screen, next to Alice] 

Alice continues: ... which are now live within our curriculum, and recruiting 75 ‘Transformative Educators’ who have dedicated time to support further innovation and exploration across the curriculum. We also successfully piloted ‘Student Engagement Callers’. 

[The text ‘Student engagement callers’ appears on screen, next to Alice] 

[Alongside Chantelle Fuller, this heading appears: Chantelle Fuller, Student Engagement and Support Caller] 

Chantelle explains: We use different triggers to identify students who might be struggling or need that extra support. So this is like looking at the students digital engagement, are they going on to university services online? Are they going into libraries? Students get flagged when they haven’t been engaging for a few weeks. So our job is to listen to a student’s story, see what they’re struggling with and really personalise the support that we’re signposting them to. Because we’re all recent graduates, we can all relate to the student experience. It really feels like they have someone on their side. It’s not about them and the university, it feels like we’re a bit of an in-between. So it’s really fulfilling and it’s nice to feel like you’re making a difference. 

[The text ‘Plus programme’ appears over a view of Leeds University and Alice returns as the voiceover] 

Alice says: In a year that was challenging for almost everyone, the cost-of-living crisis made things particularly tough for Plus Programme students. As always, we let their voices guide us, listening to individuals# stories and worked harder than ever to tailor and approach that enhanced students’ experience of life and study at Leeds. 

[Alongside Meegan Worcester, this heading appears: Meegan Worcester, Plus Programme student]  

Meegan details: I just felt like everyone was very supportive from the get go. I think about two weeks before freshers week started, they said, we have all these events going on for just Plus Programme students. So, first event I think was a Nandos meal and then the second event I went to bowling. It was a really nice chance to just meet people who were going through similar stuff as me. All the Plus Programme staff were great. They come out with a newsletter every week, and they have all these opportunities to take an internship or do a placement, and it’s been really helpful. I’ve got to go to a little insight day for the Civil Service and Shut Up and Write for exam week, and it’s just been really nice to just have that extra support and have those extra opportunities that other students won’t have access to.  

[Alice O’Grady comes into frame again, to continue their narration. The following text appears: Student success stands] 

Alice says: Learning from Michigan State University, we trialled a new package of support via our Student Success Stands. These are a dedicated resource run by our Student Success team.  

[Alongside Iona Gillies, this heading appears: Iona Gillies, Student Engagement and Support Caller] 

Iona Gillies says: The point of the Success stands, basically is to outreach to students. It’s very like chilled out, friendly vibe. It’s a great thing to be involved in because we get to actually talk to students in person and get loads of different perspectives and we can then kind of send them in the right direction. We have projects that are going on, disability services cards, student information service is also one thing we can signpost to. We try and make it as easy as possible for the students to get the support that they need. I feel like I’m really helping support students at the University of Leeds doing this. And yeah, I think it’s a great initiative.  

Alice details: Moving forward, we will continue to work to develop an in-depth understanding of our students and their needs through learning analytics, tailoring student support at all levels of study to accommodate diverse backgrounds and supporting smooth transitions throughout the student journey.  

[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] 

Alice concludes: To find out more about progression between the years at Leeds, please visit the student success pages on our website.