NEON Widening Access Initiative (Retention and Success) Award – Commendation
The most common anxieties in students are: poor time management, personal concerns, academic performance, lack of confidence and struggling to ask for help. The Engagement & Retention Service has shown positive retention outcomes through their support of students, academically and personally. The Drop‑in Support Sessions, Academic Workshops and Peer Mentoring opportunities guarantee that students have easy access to guidance and support from application to graduation. In the academic year 2016/17 the service saw 1,235 individual students in total across these three main activities.
An addition of ‘Shared Experience’ events were also led by a panel of staff and students to foster a platform for open discussion about their views and personal experiences. Covered topics included ‘Dyspraxia’ and ‘BAME Students’ and future sessions will cover ‘Mature / Student Parents’ and ‘Commuter Students’.