Uncategorized Archives - Page 3 of 6 - Alterline

Increasing Mature Student Recruitment – project completed December 2020

The Office for Students has identified reversing the decline in higher education participation by mature students as a key priority relating to improving fair access to higher education. However, mature students have different hopes and fears, media habits, decision-making processes and information needs than their younger counterparts. Our latest collaborative insight project provides fresh intelligence to help widening access and…

What’s Influencing 2021 Postgraduate Recruitment?

Postgraduate students make up almost a quarter of all students in the UK, but they rarely attract the level of attention and priority that their numbers demand. Amidst the tough decision making about university recruitment and academic scheduling earlier in the Covid pandemic, it was unsurprising to see the announcements being made about pausing postgraduate course recruitment and deferring September…

Student Accommodation and the impact of Covid-19

We know from our past research with prospective first-year students how important the accommodation offer is to their choice of university and expectations of their student experience with 74% agreeing that the accommodation offered by universities influenced their choice of institution and 49% agreeing that they would change their mind about studying at an institution if they did not like…

The rising need for student mental health and wellbeing support

Student mental health and wellbeing have been high on the university agenda since it was recognised that there appeared to be higher levels of mental distress amongst students compared to their non-student peers.[1] Coupled with the intimate link between achieving academic success and strong mental health, the case for university and students’ unions’ teams to focus on developing their wellbeing…

Enhancing PhD recruitment – project completed October 2020

We know applying for a PhD can be complex, daunting, challenging and exciting all at the same time. Rather than a purely rational process, choices are shaped by a series of conscious and unconscious decisions taken over a period of years. This unique collaborative insight project will generate fresh qualitative intelligence to help teams approach recruitment of Postgraduate Researchers (PhDs)…

Research-led strategy secures over £400,000 investment for Westminster Students’ Union

A new strategic plan at Westminster Students’ Union is leading to big improvements for students. The new strategy has been built upon intelligence generated by Alterline into the lives and needs of students’ and has already secured over £400,000 investment to improve the social spaces on offer at one of the Unions central London locations. Alterline's intelligence report highlighted a…

The role of university estates and buildings in the student community

In 2018-19 Alterline worked with two UK Universities on an in-depth qualitative insight project to explore how estates, spaces and buildings were having an impact on the development and maintenance of community for students on campus. Download the summary report to find out more.

Students’ Unions and their role in student wellbeing

Rightly much attention is currently being paid to the issue of mental health on campuses with many new policies and initiatives, both nationally and locally. Students’ unions are keen to play their part and do all they can to contribute to members’ wellbeing and yet when it comes to practical actions many unions find themselves under resourced to meet the…

Being well, doing well re-launched for 23/24

We continue to build on the evidence gathered to date and work with both university and union teams to generate insight and solutions based on student voice.

Master’s marketing and the value of scholarships

UK universities are deploying a myriad of marketing tactics to attract the attention of, and secure applications from, prospective postgraduate students, including what often appear to be complex scholarship offers. With UK demographics affecting applications from home students the market for international students is even more competitive. In such a fragmented and diverse market how do universities assess what postgraduate…