CDF 2021-22 – Inclusive institutions: enabling and supporting culture change – Engaging students to support inclusive cultural change

Part of the 2021-22 Collaborative Development Fund project ‘Inclusive institutions: enabling and supporting culture change’, this series of case studies and accompanying toolkit look to explore and change the key attributes of student engagement programmes which support meaningful, far-reaching, and sustained transformation to a more inclusive higher education.

Research shows that students who actively engage with their university through not only their academic curricula, but also co-curricular activities are less likely to drop out and more likely to achieve better outcomes (Thomas, 2012). However, not all university students engage with their institutions to the same degree. These groups include mature students and those who are first generation to higher education, students from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, as well as those from lower socio-economic households.

The case studies form part of a project that aims to surface the work of various student engagement programmes in six higher education institutions in England which have been developed to support a more inclusive culture in their universities.

Advance HE recognises there are different voices with differing views and approaches in the provision of higher education from around the world, this includes how institutions may choose to enhance their curricula.

Advance HE members can download the toolkit and accompanying case studies below, and more information about the project, along with supporting videos, can be found here.