Universities are contending with an apparent collapse in student engagement post-pandemic.
It’s not all students and it’s not all the time but across the whole sector there’s something going on that’s making students exhibit lower academic confidence, greater anxiety, and a greater tendency to drift away from their learning.
We want to do the right thing by our students; we want as many as possible to thrive academically and fulfil their potential. Yet no matter how committed we are to this cause, helping students adapt to new ways of working, new responsibilities and building the capacity to overcome personal challenges is difficult and time-consuming.
I’d argue that the primary focus ought to always be on making our courses and institutions welcoming, inclusive and intellectually challenging. However, there will always be a need to identify those students who are struggling to engage, particularly in the current environment, and helping them to get back on track. Given the size of our institutions and funding per student, it can be difficult for individual staff to identify and support individuals. We need to use institutional data to identify students who are disengaging and be systematic about offering ethical empowering support to them.
