Be More - The Undergraduate Student Experience Agenda

We think that your time studying an Undergraduate programme at Loughborough College should be rewarding and fulfilling; providing you with a range of opportunities to grow personally, academically, professionally and socially.

All of us at Loughborough College, together with the Loughborough Student's Union (LSU), are committed to providing you with the environment, resources and support to enable you to reach your full potential and to get the most out of your time with us.

'BE MORE' The Undergraduate Student Experience Agenda has been developed to outline the opportunities available to you and our commitment towards providing you with a life-shaping educational experience, supporting you to:

• Reach your full potential
• Become more employable
• Help shape your course and student life
• Enjoy a range of experiences and develop a variety of skills outside of your academic study

In order for you to achieve your personal best and meet your expectations at every step of your journey with us we will aim to:

• Provide a centralised Academic Tutor team, helping support you to develop the academic skills required for higher level study.
• Track and monitor your progress throughout your time with us, providing tailored advice and support where required.
• Provide you with a wide range of library resources to support your studies, including online access to e-books and e-journals 24/7.
• Provide you with the pastoral support mechanisms, resources and guidance to access the services required for your mental health, wellbeing and support needs.
• Facilitate training for all staff and students, equipping them to respond appropriately to a range of concerns. Training areas may include: mental health, first aid, safeguarding, Prevent and equality and diversity.

• Ensure all of our policies and procedures undergo an Equality & Diversity screening process and align to all appropriate guidelines.
• Assist you to evaluate your options and make well-informed decisions about all aspects of your undergraduate journey: both before you arrive, while you are studying here, and when considering what you would like to do after graduation.
• Develop a peer mentor programme to support you with managing the academic demands of your course.
• Create an open, inclusive, enriching environment in which you feel comfortable in sharing your personal experiences, viewpoints and strengths. Discriminatory and abusive behaviour or actions do not have a place in our community.
• Offer a selection of scholarships, bursaries and support funds to provide financial assistance, where needed, towards your studies.

We recognise the importance of creating a safe, inspiring, supportive and productive learning environment in which to ignite a passion for your subject area, develop your career ambitions and fulfil your potential. In order to do this we aim to:

• Provide a curriculum which is both inspiring and shaped by industry demands; ensuring you are engaged in your course and develop the skills and knowledge required by employers.
• Encourage a range of innovative teaching techniques, including the embedding of digital technologies within all courses, to help you to gain valuable skills. You will be expected to read widely, ask questions, debate difficult concepts and actively contribute.
• Develop and support you to design and undertake research at all levels of your course. We aim to celebrate student research in a collaborative manner across the department.

• Help you to test theories learned in the classroom in real-life settings by connecting you to a range of guest speakers, trips, placement opportunities and links with industry.
• Celebrate your achievements and academic excellence, including through departmental awards at graduation.
• Ensure all staff are qualified to support your learning; encouraging them to achieve relevant qualifications and undertake ongoing professional development.
• Ensure assessments are varied, relevant and where possible applied to the real-world. Feedback on assessments will be clear, developmental and provided in a timely manner.
• Ensure our facilities create an appropriate undergraduate learning environment, making sure all equipment is maintained and updated to mirror the ever-evolving nature of industry.

We understand your time with us is more than just studying an undergraduate qualification, it is about the additional skills, experiences and friendships you gain outside of the classroom. We are also committed to ensuring you are at the centre of the learning experience and your feedback lies at the heart of our future strategic decisions. In order to fulfil this, we aim to:

• Provide you with membership of the Loughborough Student's Union (LSU), one of the largest and best Student’s Unions in the Country. We will promote opportunities available to you via a range of means to ensure you are aware of what’s going on.
• Through our partnership with the LSU, provide an opportunity for you to participate in a range of sports and physical activity, no matter what level you participate at.

• Provide you with the opportunity to be a part of over 100 LSU student run societies or with LSU Media and its fully functioning magazine, TV and radio channels.
• Encourage you to benefit others by volunteering as part of the Coaching and Volunteering Academy, being part of an ACTION project or fundraising for charity through RAG.
• Ensure that you are provided with many opportunities, including becoming a Programme Rep, to express your opinions, perspectives and ideas to help shape your course, the services we provide and student life in Loughborough.
• Provide access to an Undergraduate Student Employability and Enhancement Fund, supporting you financially to undertake additional qualifications, experiences, trips and projects to develop the skills and attributes required for your future career.

We have a history of producing employable graduates, with the latest statics showing that 98% of our students were in employment or further study within six months of graduating. We are committed to continuing to provide you with a well-rounded range of activities and support services that will enhance employability and personal development; supporting you to fulfil your career aspirations. To help with this we aim to:

• Encourage you to participate in our Undergraduate Employability Award, a formal recognition of the skills, knowledge and experience you have gained during your time with us.
• Offer you the opportunity to be part of the Young Enterprise Start-Up Programme, supporting and mentoring you to develop a business idea from concept to launch.
• Ensure employability skills are embedded in all courses, including industrial placement and project opportunities; enabling you to develop the skills and solutions employers are looking for.

• Grow and expand our range of employer links providing you with first-hand knowledge, experience and employment opportunities.
• Offer free and impartial Careers and Employability advice and guidance from qualified staff, helping to pair you with your preferred graduate-level employment opportunity.
• Provide you with access to an online interactive portal to support you with the job application and recruitment process 24/7.
• Utilise our Alumni network to provide you with industry insights, mentoring support and guidance from graduates that were in your position. The network also enables you to stay part of our community after you graduate.
• Provide a range of additional qualifications, courses, workshops, trips and work experience opportunities to enhance your CV, assisting you to stand out from the crowd.