UK higher education's Welcome Week is more than a tradition. It is the first critical opportunity a university gets to engage students, create a learning community and lay the foundations for their success.
The first few weeks and months can be pivotal for student retention. In 2021/22, withdrawal notifications rose by 28% compared to the previous academic year, demonstrating the significant challenges some students face during this initial transition period.
Arriving on campus for the first time can be daunting, overwhelming and exhilarating for students. In the early days, they may find it difficult to adjust to new routines and experiences. Many also need to balance part-time work, caring responsibilities and tight finances alongside their studies.
How can universities make Welcome Week a launchpad for student engagement and belonging – both essential for long-term student retention plans?
Design Welcome Week around engagement and belonging
A staggering 92% of students surveyed in 2023 said they had experienced loneliness at university and nearly half (43%) worried they would be judged if they admitted it. This shows just how important it is for universities to create opportunities for students to connect with their peers right from the start.
Group and sporting activities are often highly valued by students and help them to feel included in university life. Research also shows that being involved in a wider learning community has a major positive impact on students' achievement, wellbeing and motivation to complete their courses.
Universities have effective ways to make the practical aspects of finding your way around campus and getting used to new routines a simpler, more personal experience for students. But what specific strategies can they introduce to turn Welcome Week into a positive and memorable springboard for long-term student engagement and success?
1. Engage with students before they arrive
Welcome Week doesn't begin on day one. Most institutions start engaging with students weeks or even months before they set foot on campus.
This might include a pre-arrival buddy scheme, virtual Q&A sessions with student ambassadors or an online welcome hub explaining how to use the library and student support services. These early touchpoints can help new arrivals feel informed, welcomed and prepared.
Explore key data such as UCAS's Modernised Contextualised Data Service (MCDS) too. Information such as whether students received free school meals, spent time in care or come from underrepresented groups can provide essential insight to ease them into university life. It could also be used to ascertain what kinds of support a student might need once their course begins or match them with student mentors to help them find their feet.
Knowing in advance that a proportion of the incoming cohort has special needs or are the first in their family to go to university, for example, means a meet and greet could be arranged to help those students build a network of peers and settle in more quickly.
2. Personalise the student experience
Academic staff who design their teaching sessions to be practical, visual and interactive can appeal to a wider range of learning styles and bring out the best in their students. The same principle applies to Welcome Week. Students arrive with very different expectations, confidence levels and needs, so a one-size-fits-all approach is unlikely to work for everyone.
Make use of the details gathered during enrolment to personalise students' experience, such as their communication preferences, hobbies and academic interests. Knowing some students like to receive quick updates via a messaging app, while others respond better to email or informal video clips helps to get the right information across.
The channel matters, but so does the relevance of the message. Rather than sending the same information to everyone, universities can highlight opportunities according to individual interests, such as pointing a computer science student towards a coding society.
Welcome Week events can also be planned with personalisation in mind. A mix of academic tasters, wellbeing drop-ins and regional meetups for international students help to ensure there’s something meaningful and welcoming for everyone, setting students up for the best possible start.
3. Offer a flexible Welcome Week agenda
A packed, mandatory timetable of events can be overwhelming. Instead, some universities now use apps and online platforms that give students more control over how they spend their time. These tools allow students to browse options and select the activities that interest them but they can also suggest sessions based on details already gathered during enrolment, such as subject interests or hobbies.
Students might explore the society tasters, academic workshops and wellbeing drop-ins on offer and choose the ones that appeal to them to build their own personalised schedule. At the same time, push notifications can highlight events they might enjoy, such as a literature society for an English student, or a regional meetup for an international student.
This flexible approach allows students to shape a Welcome Week that reflects what matters most to them and plan their involvement around other commitments without missing out.
Can Welcome Week help shape long-term student success?
Welcome Week is the beginning of what could be a life-long connection between a student and their alma mater.
Students' first experiences of being on campus can have an impact on their future engagement and sense of belonging. It can encourage them to manage their studies, stay on track and complete their studies too, gaining the qualifications and skills they need for career success.
An exciting and engaging series of Welcome Week activities and support services, tailored to the needs of students, can help an institution set the tone for the entire student journey.
How can Ellucian help?
Ellucian has years of expertise helping higher education institutions to meet students' needs and achieve their unique strategic goals. The Ellucian Student platform supports students through every stage of their higher education journey, from Welcome Week to graduation.
You can use the Ellucian Student solution to:
- Kick Welcome Week off to a flying start by providing each student with a personalised dashboard of information they need to engage and succeed
- Send automatic push notifications to help students stay on track and take advantage of the social activities and support services they have access to
- Access the relevant data to match peer support teams and mentors, including course information and details of students' backgrounds and experiences
- Tailor communications based on a student’s individual preferences
For more information on how you can use the tools in Ellucian Student to support your students’ success visit https://www.ellucian.com/en-gb/products/ellucian-student.
