Reports Archive - Page 2 of 6 - Alterline

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 student union collaboration re-launched for 19/20

In 2017-18 and 2019-20, Alterline’s ‘Being well, doing well’ project brought together 18 students’ unions and university wellbeing teams to develop robust and insightful evidence about student mental health and wellbeing. In this particularly challenging year for students, we will continue to build on the evidence gathered to date and work with both university and union teams to generate insight…

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…

Is the strength of your alumni relationships based on the value of the exchange?

I’ve spent some time recently meeting university alumni teams discussing some of the challenges they face in today’s climate with higher education under increased scrutiny and pressure.We talked about current approaches to encouraging recent graduates to join the alumni fold; recruiting older graduates to be active alumni and finding the best way of reaching out to them if email is…

University space – critical to developing university communities

Feeling part of a community and being connected with like-minded people who share our interests or values is an important element of life satisfaction. For students, this sense of being part of “something”, part of a community, is an integral feature of a successful and happy student experience. In a recent Alterline study looking at the interplay and relationship between…

“What does a tick mean?!” Exploring poor experiences of assessment and feedback through student experience research

Since the advent of the National Student Survey (NSS) assessment and feedback has received consistently lower ratings compared to other areas, however concerns in this area have been highlighted in institutional experience surveys going as far back as the late 1980s. The result is neither good for students nor good for institutions facing increased pressure from the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF). …

Experts in ‘now’: making the most of your alumni in the era of the TEF

In the rapidly changing landscape of the UK labour market and higher education sector, recent graduates have experience that institutions can take advantage of to provide up-to-date, first-hand advice to current and prospective students about making it on the road to career and life success. Alterline's Dr Beth Carley discusses how alumni engagement can contribute to the strategic objectives of universities…

Why university libraries are becoming more coffee shop and less text book

Students spend a lot of time in the university library, but is the experience what it should be? Alterline Research Director Ben Hickman explains how university libraries can help student experience in a world where tuition fees may soon be linked to the Teaching Excellence Framework. Customers. It’s not a word often used to describe university students. But rises in…

New project announcement:

Understanding the digital behaviour and experiences of students at the University of Sheffield Library

The University of Sheffield Library has commissioned Alterline to deliver an in-depth qualitative study investigating students’ and academics’ experiences of their digital offer. The project will combine ethnographic observation, interviews and focus groups and will culminate in a report which explores current behaviours, identifies key areas for improvement and maps users’ needs and expectations. The Library will use the evidence to shape their digital strategy and improve user experiences.