Parallel Session 4

4.1 Poster session, room W1.06

A database of student support – find what you are looking for

Pieterjan Bonne, Jara Van Wiele, Tine Wåst Nielsen, Xenia Mejer Mattsson, Therese Fitzgerald & Bairbre Fleming, SURFY project

Discover an attractive and easily searchable database on student support and guidance. As first result of the Erasmus+ project Supporting UnderRepresented First-year Students – https://surfy-project.eu – that looks at how to increase access and success of students from under-represented groups or disadvantaged backgrounds, the database supports staff in developing and evaluating student support and guidance, both for the entire student community as targeted towards specific groups of students from under-represented groups or disadvantaged background.

Be inspirated by Artevelde University College and their offer of group sessions to connect first year students with specific educational needs.

Lien Coppejans & Marie De Wispelaere, Artevelde University College, Belgium

Through the poster presentation you will find out which group sessions team support provides for students with specific educational needs. The focus of these sessions is mainly on meeting and learning from each other in order to empower them in their studies and in the society. We share good practices that contribute to this caring environment.

We make the link with scientific research and explain how this fits into our educational vision.

Lowering the bar towards help: bridging student and counseling staff communities.

Dagmar Douven & Ilse Hoeven, KU Leuven, Belgium:

We present our experience in encouraging student communities and merging them with support and advisory staff activities, focusing on easy access to help thanks to its immediate proximity and normalized presence. We close the gap between student and counseling staff communities by co-locating staff and students and employing students in key roles, thereby reaching students that otherwise risk being left out.

Higher education educators’ needs in stimulating self-regulated learning

Sabrina Govaerts & Astrid Koelman, AP University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Belgium

Our study suggests an online toolbox, using the LEMO questionnaire, to help educators in higher education scaffold self-regulated learning (SRL). Through Educational Design Research, the project aims to empower educators in fostering SRL and building a community among students, addressing challenges in adopting a coaching role.

4.2 Show-and-tell session (outdoor) , room W6.06 (basketball court)

Developing academic writing practices in the age of AI: how students as writing coaches can support the academic practice of new students in higher education.

Ellen Pope & Dr Debbie De, Aston University, United Kingdom

This presentation showcases how working in partnership with students can foster academic writing development for new students transitioning to university. We share the learning from our student writing coach programme, feedback from our evaluations, and our approaches to training and development. We also explore the implications of supporting academic writing development and good academic practice in the age of generative artificial intelligence (AI).

Building a Community of Care: Promoting First-Year Students’ Well-being at VUB through the Survival Guide

Katrien Vanderstappen, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium

This session will introduce our Survival Guide for students, which is given free of charge to all first-year students at the start of the academic year to reduce barriers to mental health and asking for help. It contains basic and evidence-based tips for strengthening resilience and encouraging self-regulated learning/being. It points out referral options to empower students early on and also aims to encourage students to pay attention to the well-being of their peers. Suggestions for improvements are welcomed.

Building a community for first-year international students

Patrik Foltýn, Tomas Bata University in Zlín, The Czech Republic

Creating a community among first-year international students and already integrated expats can be a beneficial approach to enhancing their overall experience. Zlínternationals innovatively integrates FY international students by partnering with local expats. This cooperation supplements traditional university orientations, fostering cultural exchange, and networking. Through events, Zlínternationals accelerates integration and promotes a sense of belonging. This pioneering approach recognizes the importance of community engagement in enhancing the student experience and ensuring successful integration into local life.

4.3 Show-and-tell session, room W2.05

How to encourage and include underprivileged young people to consider a university degree, – a focus before the first year

Patricia Perlman-Dee, University of Manchester, United Kingdom

This presentation will discuss and analyse the possible impact of an early intervention “by inspiration” that can encourage youngster from deprived socio-economic areas in Manchester, UK to consider applying to University. The session will particularly focus on helping youngster understand and practise transferable skills, such as communication, building trust, emotional intelligence and networking. This talk will help you to consider how a community of learners is created before the students even start the first year.

Better Together. Peer support groups for students with a disability at KU Leuven

Debbi de Caluwé, Inge Vandenbussche & Jana Verheyden, KU Leuven, Belgium

As a first-year student, it isn’t always easy to find your way at university, especially when you’re in a situation that makes studying more challenging. KU Leuven has developed peer support groups for students with a disability. Groups are led by a higher-year student with the same diagnosis. Both study-related topics as well as personal topics can be discussed. The focus lies on social and academic integration and on empowerment of students.

Student engagement and empowerment through the thoughtful use of a third space

Lieve De Mey & Natalie Meeuwis, KU Leuven, Belgium

KU Leuven’s Intercultural Meeting Centre shows both in numbers and appreciation from students involved – no matter their background or study-phase – that student commitment and shared responsibility works, even with limited staff involvement or budget. Discover how an inclusive and welcoming environment for new international students can be created through the use of a third space. Starting at the day of arrival at the Orientation Days right until the day they leave the university.

Céad Míle Fáilte! How a Student Welcome and Access Student Leaders build student communities and create a sense of belonging in University College Dublin, Ireland.

Fiona Sweeney, University College Dublin, Ireland

Explore how the team collaborates with students to co-create and deliver the annual Student Welcome. Focusing on the 4 pillars of student success; financial, social, academic and cultural, discuss how Access Student Leaders work with incoming 1st Year students, to create resilient student communities to create a sense of belonging. Takeaway some practical tools and tips on how to make our institutions places where students feel welcome and belong regardless of their age or backgrounds.

4.4 Presentation session, room W2.10

Femme Swinnen, Hilde Janssens, Sara Backx & Antje Simon, University of Antwerp, Belgium

Fostering a ‘caring community’ and raising awareness on mental health: the Mind Matters Week as a concrete multi-layered project

This session will show how to foster a caring community in which (first-year) students can engage in the way that suits them as well as raising awareness on mental wellbeing. During the Mind Matters Week, a range of activities are organised to involve students in promoting their own mental health and that of others. Participants will gain insight into the purpose and design of the Mind Matters Week as well as the results and impact.

5 Ways to Wellbeing: An institutional welcome week approach

Jack Hogan, Luke Millard & Alastair Irons, Abertay University, Scotland

The Abertay Student Welcome Experience in September 2023 shifted its focus to fostering a sense of belonging through the principles of the 5 ways of wellbeing. We will showcase the redesigned approach which moved from a singular welcome event to a multi-engagement approach. We will reveal the impact of this new approach at institutional, school and programme level through feedback from students and partners such as the Abertay Students’ Association.

4.5 Presentation session, room W2.11

Student Testimonial: From students to a community in 24 hours

Sandra Power & Frank O’Donovan, Munster Technological University, Ireland

Students will deliver an impactful first hand testimony on their participation in a first year visual communications trip to Amsterdam, a project funded and supported by the Transitions at MTU programme. The creation of community and peer-to-peer support between class groups, meaningful engagement and connection with department staff, and the longer term impact on creative practice will be discussed. Investing in transitions is key to student success and belonging and will inspire replication.

Welcome to the Family: Challenging The Indoctrination of Architecture School By Finding Community During Foundation Year.

Emily Crompton, Manchester Metropolitan University & Rob Vinall, University of Brighton, United Kingdom

Welcome to the Family – a collaborative presentation exploring creative approaches to teaching that enable connections, social engagement, and a sense of belonging in foundation year (pre-first year) students. Projects examined include one which asks students to explore individual identities to find a community of practice and one which takes students outside the university environment to find communities of discipline and profession as well as engendering agency. Rather than an indoctrination, the presentation will argue how a Foundation year can emancipate students.

4.6 Workshop session, room W2.06

Exploring sustainable solutions for student health and well-being

Veronica Skjetlein & Gina Aarheim, Campus NTNU Trondheim, Norway

Understanding that students are experts in their own lives, storytelling serves as a powerful tool to delve deeper into their lived realities. Join us for a collaborative co-creation workshop where we’ll delve into these everyday student stories together, extracting shared insights and ideas to improve student health and well-being. Together, we’ll examine the importance of belonging and significance in enhancing student well-being.
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