Increasing Sense of Belonging for the ‘Younger Mature’ Student
Jessica Burgess, Senior Communications Officer, University of Leeds and Adam Brooks, Graduate Intern, Educational Engagement and Student Success, University of Leeds
Who are the ‘younger mature’ students?
At the University of Leeds, younger mature students (aged 21-30) make up the largest proportion of the mature undergraduate student cohort, representing 67% of the mature undergraduate population at Leeds.
However, whilst students aged between 21 – 30 may make up the largest percentage of this student group, they are traditionally the least engaged with activities tailored to offer support specifically to mature students.
Lauren Huxley, Student Experience Officer at Leeds’ Lifelong Learning Centre (LLC) shares her experience: “In my role at the Lifelong Learning Centre, I run a lot of events and things for mature students. When we ran things for mature students, it tended to be the older age bracket who engaged. It was those who would more typically identify as a ‘mature student’. We weren't really getting that younger age bracket despite it being the biggest group within mature students.”
This point was reinforced to staff at the LLC following a round of their ‘Mature Student Mystery Match-Ups Buddy Scheme’ with a student participant providing this feedback:
“I'm not sure if there's much that can be done about this but I'm finding it a little difficult to find friends around my own age at the minute. I'm 28 and find that most people seem to be either 18 or c. 40+. As much as I'm happy to talk to people of all ages, it would be great to find some people who are in a similar stage of life... I just wondered if this was a common problem for inbetweeners like me and if you had any advice at all?”
This comment, paired with the notable lack of research focusing on the ‘younger mature’ age group (particularly regarding their sense of belonging) emphasised the need for a dedicated support Network.
Setting up a student-centred Network
The primary objectives of the Middle Ground Network (MGN) are threefold: to increase opportunities for social interaction among younger mature students, to develop a deeper understanding of their needs and preferences, and to enhance their overall student experience by fostering a sense of belonging and improving social connections. Through these efforts, the MGN aims to create a supportive and engaging environment that helps younger mature students feel more connected to the University community.
The Network was established in December 2022 with the goal of fostering a sense of belonging among younger mature students at the University of Leeds. This initiative was made possible through the generous donations of alumni via the Footsteps Fund.
The creation of the MGN was a collaborative effort involving the Lifelong Learning Centre, the Student Success Unit, and Leeds University Union. Central to its development was the active participation of students, who were not only consulted but also employed as Engagement Coordinators. These five coordinators, drawn from the target demographic, played a crucial role in shaping the Network.
At the heart of the Network is a commitment to partnership and student voice. The project recruited paid students from the target demographic to lead the initiative, ensuring that their perspectives were integral to the planning and execution of activities. This collaborative approach extended to various teams within the University, including the Students’ Union, who provided spaces and helped foster institutional support.
From the outset, the MGN emphasised student ownership. Naming the Network, designing its branding, and planning its activities were all led by students. This ensured that the Network was tailored to meet their needs and preferences. To gather baseline data and understand what types of events and activities would be most beneficial, pre-evaluation questions were embedded into the Network registration form.
Laura Conroy, Student Success Officer in the Lifelong Learning Centre has also been involved since the inception of the Network. Laura says: “That student voice is a really core thread of what we're doing. It's a Network run by students for students.”
“The events we've done have all been founded in feedback from students. It's not just been me and Lauren thinking ‘Well, we'll go bowling. Like that'll be fun.’ Like it probably would be, but the fact all our events have their origins in student feedback means we know that this is something that they genuinely want to do, and we've tried to celebrate that.”
The Network organises a variety of events and activities aimed at increasing social interaction among younger mature students in person and also fosters community virtually through its WhatsApp group and social media presence. This ongoing partnership with students allows for continuous feedback and adaptation, ensuring that the Network remains responsive to their evolving needs.
Lauren explains their approach: “The events we run through the Middle Ground Network are quite different to what we’ve done previously in the Lifelong Learning Centre. The Network events are more like the events you see being put on at the University more generally for students, say things like going bowling, going for a karaoke event, games nights etc. The standout for me has been the collaborations with ‘Get Out, Get Active’ where we’ve been to Whitby and Bakewell, and we’ve had really good feedback - anyone who went on the Bakewell trip, said that this was the highlight of their year.”
The impact
The Middle Ground Network (MGN) has had a significant impact since its launch. As of the end of the 2023/24 academic year, the Network had 169 registered students, with 40% of them attending at least one event over the academic year and 18% engaging in sustained participation. This engagement is a testament to the variety and accessibility of the events organised, which were held at different times and locations to accommodate diverse schedules and commitments.
Post-event surveys revealed that 96% of participants felt that the events strengthened their sense of belonging, and 83% indicated they would keep in touch with fellow University of Leeds students they met at these events. This feedback underscores the Network’s success in fostering meaningful connections among students.
The data from the questions about ‘sense of belonging’ is particularly telling. There was an increase of 21 percentage points in students who agreed with the statement, “I feel a sense of belonging at the University of Leeds,” compared to pre-engagement survey responses. Similarly, there was an increase of 21 percentage points in those who felt part of the student community. When asked if being part of the MGN had impacted their sense of belonging, 76% of students agreed, highlighting the positive influence of the Network.
Staff behind the Network have made similar observations, Laura says: “I think for me that the belonging thing comes from feeling seen by staff, that they're not just blending in with that bigger homogeneous mature student group, that by having something that is specifically for that younger demographic, they're feeling catered for and seen by the University in a way that perhaps they haven't previously.”
“And I think, through the Network, we've now started to see students coming to other Lifelong Learning Centre things that they hadn't before. For example, I've definitely noticed a couple of the younger mature students going to some of the skills workshops. It seems the Middle Ground Network has acted as a nice gateway into the broader Lifelong Learning Centre offer to mature students.”
One student expressed their gratitude, stating, “I am very glad it exists as I feel like it fulfils an area of support and community that is truly lacking at the university.” This sentiment reflects the broader impact of the MGN in addressing the unique needs of younger mature students.
Laura also reinforces this point from feedback she received personally from a student. She says: “I also think one of the biggest bits of feedback that chimed with me, someone said “I didn't realise how much I needed this Network”, I think they'd just been managing [...] But then once they'd actually engaged with the middle ground Network, they found a richness, a richness in the Lifelong Learning Centre, in those connections and that sharing of experience that perhaps they hadn't found before. And I think the penny dropped: there was a group that was for them, and they've made long lasting friends as well.”
The success of the Network can be attributed to the strong partnership between students and staff. All student Engagement Coordinators reported that their involvement in the project increased their own sense of belonging at the university. They emphasised the importance of the co-creation aspect, noting that staff and students shared the same vision and values. Students appreciated the authenticity of the project, with one remarking, “This wasn’t a box-ticking exercise; there was real determination to help and support mature students.”
And the impact of the MGN has started to stem past simply the Lifelong Learning Centre (LLC). Laura explains the wider institutional impact they are starting to see:
“The Network gives younger mature students the confidence to just put themselves out there a bit more, perhaps leading to building more of an ethos to embrace opportunities at university more widely, whether that be socially or academically.”
“It’s also definitely led to a culture shift – particularly around the language we use. For example, previously I’d just say, ‘mature student’, whereas now I always try and say ‘mature and younger mature students’ because we know that that group is really broad. I think just saying that plants the seed that the mature student experience is diverse, and it is important to recognise that.”
The Network’s achievements were recognised with the Leeds University Partnership Award in 2023, underscoring the project’s success and the positive impact it has had on the University community.
To find out more about the Middle Ground Network, please get in touch with the team by emailing studentsuccess@leeds.ac.uk.
