What’s Needed to Enhance the Student Transition into HE?

By Professor Kate Strudwick- Dean of Teaching and Learning, University of Lincoln

There is no one, or ‘right’, way to enhance student transitions into higher education, they are inherently diverse and arguably subjective to individual learners. However, for those of us with experiences leading on, implementing and developing approaches to supporting and enhancing student experiences and all that comes into that agenda, we appreciate the impact a successful transition can have on all aspects of the learning journey in higher education.

What are the core elements of student transitions?

A good and successful student transition can have wide ranging implications. Research has shown the links with retention, continuation, attainment and success (See Gale and Parker (2012) 3 broad categories and Gravett & Winstone (2019) https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2012.721351

The stages involved in student transition provide educators with an opportunity to understand and capture the core developmental processes that are integral to learning in higher education. Transitions, and the experiences that come from them, can have consequences for individual learners and cohorts.  These should be recognised as area of priority within the student experience sphere and therefore understood as such when designing and developing areas of support for students on an institutional basis. The fundamental importance of these stages of transitions for all students should also be considered as being linked to developing a wider sense of belonging within higher education.   

In this blog I am not proposing to set out a manifesto for enhancing student transitions, but I will reflect upon my knowledge(s) learnt during my time in higher education. In addition to this I will draw upon the experiences and expertise of others in my institution, as another means to explore the optionality with the myriad of support routes for a successful student transition.  

“It’s all a puzzle”- steps to enhancing student transitions

By visualising student transition as part of a jigsaw puzzle, this allows us the opportunity to foresee where and how different pieces can be connected to provide a more holistic institutional approach to support student transitions. Let’s address this as a stepped approach to joining up thinking to build a completed puzzle:

The importance of adopting a fluid approach

It is integral for any strategies, projects, or models seeking to enhance student transitions to be flexible and adaptable. They should not be designed or envisioned to be one dimensional, static or fixed, but to be framed within institutional context. This fluidity allows for a certain level of flexibility for approaches to be embedded institutionally, across academic schools and colleges and professional services, enabling them to be fully aligned to core strategies and principles. Approaches should be broad in their aims/impact but structured around a HEI’s localised context.

Adopt a holistic design strategically through collective responsibility

At my institution we have embedded support for student transitions throughout our Teaching Learning and Student Experience strategy (TLSE) https://www.lincoln.ac.uk/strategicplan/teachinglearningandstudentexperience/ to “Co-create a distinctive student experience alongside students, educators and employers”. Our Student Retention Programme is configured by a set of principles which align with focusing on specific support students may need including Personal Academic Tutoring and pre arrival, and developing holistic ‘wrap around’ support from academic and professional service departments. By seeing this as a collective endeavour we have created a framework based on our institutional understanding of core narratives to create bespoke approaches which have relevance and appropriateness for our students.

Ensure foundations are set within a sense of belonging

When we consider institutional developments, projects and support services which are key to student transition – such as Welcome Week, induction and re-induction – we should position these with aims to combine and create one picture. Different elements of student transition are interconnected, with all playing a crucial role in establishing a more informed and comprehensive understanding of student experiences. Student transitions should therefore be seen as a core part of a continuous journey in higher education, one which enables students to feel connected, valued and empowered, all built upon establishing their individual sense of belonging. 

Connectivity and coherence with belonging at University

Coalescing core institutional projects so they are integrated into belonging further aligns connections that have relevance for student transitions. Projects at my institution have been firmly established as part of our TLSE Strategy, developed under our Sense of Belonging Taskforce. Bringing together staff, students and the Students’ Union to develop Sense of Belonging and enhance student experiences. By being part of Advance HE’s Building Belonging project we have been able to institutionally define the concepts of ‘belonging’ and ‘building’ with our local identity. This has ensured that our institutional mindset identifies with fostering a strong sense of belonging not just a goal – it's a fundamental part of our strategy. Belonging is complex, fluid and multifaceted conceptually, but we had five key areas – connections, engagement, inclusion, community, and diversity. Each of these interconnected themes plays a crucial role in forming a comprehensive understanding of what it means to belong.

For actions to be informed by what we know…

It is important to use and apply institutional knowledge to piece together the jigsaw pieces. Insights from colleagues emphasises how we focus on establishing bespoke projects built on our knowledge of processes, ensuring we are responding in a proactive way, whilst “recognising that every student journey is different – and that transition isn’t something you can approach the same way for everyone” (Jane Greaves, Head of Strategic Programmes in the Lincoln Academy of Learning and Teaching (LALT). This is reflected in our commitments for ensuring all students with the ambition to, can access, succeed in and progress from higher education, as reflected in our Access and Participation Plan.

Alongside this we have insights of wider higher education sector trends which can inform on plans and developments that support student transition and build belonging. Notably that students are time poor and arrive with varied experiences in being ‘HE ready’. The link between student retention and transition is central to our approach to student support “…by focusing on comprehensive support, mental health and wellbeing, and inclusivity, we strive to create an environment where all students can success and thrive” (Jacqueline Drury, Director of Student Services).

To sum up, it is evident from experiences in higher education that student transitions are complex and personal. While I am not suggesting any single solution, institutions do need to design their approaches to be flexible, holistic, and inclusive, grounded in belonging and shaped by institutional knowledge. By viewing transition as a shared responsibility and aligning support with students’ diverse needs, we can collectively build a more connected, empowered, and successful learning journey for all.