Parents’/Guardians’ Information Session Professor Mark Ormerod, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research and Enterprise)

Parents’/Guardians’ Information Session Professor Marilyn Andrews, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Education and Student Experience)

The Visit Day In the event of the fire alarm sounding: – Make your way to the nearest signed exit and move away from the building – Wheelchair users will be directed to a refuge point – Do not re-enter the building until told it is safe to do so

Overview Frequently asked questions The student experience at Keele – The Distinctive Keele Curriculum Parent Ambassadors and opportunity for questions

Benefits of higher education Graduate earning premium Earnings increase faster Less likely to be unemployed More likely to be healthier Life skills and other benefits * Office for National Statistics/Labour Force survey

Long term prospects Strong competition in graduate job market Some sectors require a 2:1 Others value ‘softer’ transferable skills Opportunities for well-rounded graduates with blue chip companies, graduate recruitment schemes and SMEs * Association of Graduate Recruiters (AGR)/High Flyers Research report (July 2012)

Financial support Free at the point of entry Financial support through bursaries and scholarships Opportunities for part-time work Student Finance Office and Advice and Support at Keele (ASK )

Settling in Welcome week Support services Living in hall/off campus Safety on campus Personal tutors Making friends * Opportunity to find out more today

The Student Experience

The Distinctive Keele Curriculum Launched 21 st May 2012 ‘We live in a world where change is exponential and we are helping to prepare students for jobs that don’t yet exist, using technologies that have not yet been invented, in order to solve problems that we don’t know are problems yet. In short, we have a responsibility to prepare our students for a lifetime of uncertainty, change, challenge and emergent or self- created opportunity’. Professor Norman Jackson 2007

Drivers for Change Changing world needs a different type of graduate Government Reforms: – Fees (Browne Review) – Funding – changes in recurrent HEFCE grants – White Paper implications – Business-University Collaboration (Wilson Review) Drivers regarding course content: – Employability – Internationalisation – Sustainability (economic, social, environmental) – Inter-disciplinarity

The Distinctive Keele Curriculum

Graduate Attributes Our Distinctive Keele Academic Curriculum Graduate Attributes Make a difference in my communities leadership communication care and respect for others community spirit Make the most of my potential active learning reflection self-development self direction integrity Make sense of my world breadth of knowledge and thinking perspective scholarship enquiry and problem solving independence of thought

The Student Experience Keele’s Distinctive Academic Curriculum Range of subject combinations Flexibility and choice Foreign language instruction Undergraduate research International exchanges

Our Distinctive Academic Curriculum is characterised by: the distinctive nature of each of our academic disciplines through which our students achieve ten distinctive graduate attributes which make explicit students’ achievements at graduate level and provide our graduates with a non-discipline language to articulate their achievements. and have the opportunity to engage in a range of developmental activities which will enable students to get the most out of their studies and hence improve their performance and achieve their full potential.

Our Distinctive Academic Curriculum Overarching themes: Graduate Attributes Employability Skills International Perspective Sustainability supported by high quality learning and teaching

Our Distinctive Academic Curriculum Development Strand Activities Preparation for study in higher education Personal and professional development Career development

Keele University and the Institute of Leadership and Management Activities within the development strand – such as leadership and employability – will be recognised by the ILM. The ILM will accredit these elements of the Development Strand and therefore Keele graduates will be distinctive simply by the nature of their award bearing programmes. This is the first such arrangement in the UK.

The Co-curriculum Attainment of the Graduate Attributes will be strengthened by engagement with the Co-curriculum The Co-curriculum, formerly called ‘extra curricular’ activities is a range of student focussed opportunities to assist the student develop a range of transferable employability skills Some of these activities can be recorded on the Higher Education Achievement Report (HEAR)

(some examples of) Co-curriculum Activities Student mentors and student ambassadors Elected positions in the Students’ Union, representing students (StARs) Sporting activities and student societies within the Students’ Union Volunteering activities Entrepreneurship activities, Starting a Business Keelelink partnership, working with schools and colleges Personal Development Planning Part-time work Study or Work Abroad opportunities (that are not part of the degree award) Work experience, placement opportunities and internships (that are not part of the degree award)

Significant ‘extras’ supporting student learning Student Support and Development Unit including financial advice and support Personal Tutors Language Learning Unit Study Abroad Development of the web, e-learning and the VLE Library and learning resource development 24 hour opening for 33 weeks of the year The Student Experience

The Distinctive Keele Curriculum " Our reforms are about empowering students and ensuring their university experience helps them succeed. I believe that a good student is not simply a consumer of other people’s knowledge, but will actively draw on all the resources that a good university can offer to learn as much as they can. A university experience should transform lives and career options. " I welcome the innovative approach that Keele University has taken with the Distinctive Keele Curriculum. This initiative will help your graduates to emerge with the breadth and depth of skills and knowledge that employers are looking for. " David Willetts, Universities and Science Minister

Keele Graduates 90% of Keele graduates are either in employment and/or further study, the national figure is 87% Keele’s unemployment rate is under half of the national average at 4% and 9%.

Destinations Keele 2010/2011National 2010/2011 Employment 56%Employment 63% Further Study 26%Further Study 16% Employment and further study 8% Not available 6%Not available 4% Unemployed 4%Unemployed 9%

Our educational programmes and learning environment are designed to help students become well-rounded graduates who are capable of making a positive and valued contribution in a complex and rapidly changing world, whichever spheres of life they choose to engage in after their studies are completed. The Keele learning and living environment creates happy and successful graduates who make lifelong friendships Keele Alumni - Forever: Keele After Keele ……………..

Thank you for attending this Visit Day Please stay and talk to the Parent Ambassadors Keele University Visit Days 2013