From application to graduation: A cross-institutional approach to student retention and success

The University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN) is the 8th largest university in the UK and has been at the forefront of widening participation, recruiting a high percentage of non-traditional students. The university has adopted a new strategy for retention and student support and has seen an improvement in continuation rates from 83.3% in 2002-3 to 85.1% in 2007-8. The strategy has involved adopting a cross institutional approach to retention which incorporates the provision of accessible management information, commitment from students and specialist support. In particular, four central initiatives have provided a holistic and integrated approach to student transitions: Flying Start eases the transition to university life, WISER supports academic development, M&M provides a peer mentoring service and Fresh Start engages and supports students who have left study. Additionally, a central student information centre, known as the ‘i’, acts as a one-stop-shop for guidance and support. This integrated approach allows for cross-referrals between services and greater engagement from academic staff and students. Recent developments have seen an increased embedding of the projects with collaborative approaches to curriculum design and cross-participation of students in multiple initiatives.