1. Bursting the Bubble: Students, Volunteering and the Community
Students’ Unions 2011
Jamie Darwen & David Owen

2. This initiative aims to create a culture within UK Higher Education where public engagement is formalised and embedded as a valued and recognised activity for staff at all levels, and for students.
Welcome, hefce and RCUK put significant funding into trying to change the culture of HEIs to recognise the importance of their PE work. To this end they have appointed us as the NCCPE, and 6 Beacons – pilot projects which have resources to try to change the culture of their own institutions to recognise, value and embed high quality PE activity 2

3. 50 universities, 170 volunteer-involving organisations, 2,100 students
17/04/2017
Aims of the programme:
1. To inspire a shift in culture
encouraging universities to recognise the value of student volunteering as part of their core strategy.
2. To build capacity
pooling the expertise of the student volunteering community, and working together strategically to galvanise a step change in the quality, quantity and diversity of student volunteering.
3. To deliver high quality engagement activity
enriching universities, their communities and the lives of the students involved.
50 universities, 170 volunteer-involving organisations, 2,100 students

4. Bursting the Bubble: Students, Volunteering and the Community
“Volunteering plays a vital role in developing students community awareness, allowing them to break out of what many respondents describe as the ‘student bubble’” Jon Snow

5. Bursting the Bubble: Students, Volunteering and the Community
Research Aims
To explore the motivations for, routes into and experience of volunteering among students, and the impact of participation on students;
To explore the motivations, enablers, barriers and capacity for community-based organisations involving student volunteers, and the impact on them from doing so;
of conducting research, maximises dissemination opportunities and develops the research and learning capacity specifically on student volunteering.
To develop a research methodology which makes maximum use of the knowledge, experience and resources within HEIs

6. Bursting the Bubble: Students, Volunteering and the Community
Research Design
University of East London
University of Gloucestershire
Keele University
University of Leeds
University of Oxford
University of the West of England
We carried out peer-led research in Six Higher Education Institutions selected as representative of the diversity within the UK.
Developing a replicable methodology.
Online
Survey
3,083 valid responses from students
Over 5,000 valid alumni responses
Participatory Mapping
Student led
Focus Groups and
Interviews
In each HEI
In-depth
Case
Studies
With students, VIO’s, volunteer managers and senior managers
Online student survey with over 3,000 valid responses;
Online alumni survey with over 5,000 valid responses;
Interviews and focus groups with 33 volunteer-involving organisations;
Mapping sessions and interviews with 94 student volunteers;
Focus groups with 30 students not currently volunteering;
10 semi-structured interviews with university and students’ union stakeholders.

7. Student Volunteers Make a Significant Contribution
63% of students surveyed took part in formal volunteering since starting university, with 49% taking part in the academic year 2009/2010
Volunteer-involving organisations (VIOs) place high value on students seeking them out for specific skills, knowledge and expertise as well as being valued for their youth and enthusiasm and broadening the diversity of their volunteer pool;
Students report many positive impacts on their own personal development, skills and employability and derive high levels of satisfaction from taking part.
Volunteer-involving organisations (VIOs) place high value on students seeking them out for specific skills, knowledge and expertise as well as being valued for their youth and enthusiasm and broadening the diversity of their volunteer pool;
Students report many positive impacts on their own personal development, skills and employability and derive high levels of satisfaction from taking part.

8. Rates of volunteering
% who had volunteered since starting university
% who had volunteered in 2009/10
% defined as community-orientated volunteers
% defined as university-supported volunteers 63 49 30 17
Likely to work in term time; take part in extra-curricular activities; to be 2nd year or above; have dependents; have a disability
1st years; not moved away to study; study medicine
Female; overseas; younger
Base: 3,083 (All valid responses to the Student Activities Survey)

9. Motivations for volunteering
Women, younger students and students from less advantaged backgrounds are more motivated to volunteer to enhance their employability.
BME (Black and Minority Ethnic) students, students from post-1992 HEIs, students with dependents and those who did not move away to university are more motivated to volunteer by reasons connected to their personal values.

10. Routes into volunteering

11. What are the barriers for students?
Not feeling part of the community
Paid work
Need to connect to the curriculum and ‘chosen’ career
Not knowing what is involved
Study Pressures
49% of non volunteers have volunteered prior to university (cite not feeling part of the community/friends and family not involved as important reasons for not volunteering);
Lack of time owing to study pressures is the most frequently cited factor for not volunteering;
While paid work is not a barrier for students who do volunteer (those who work during term time are more likely to volunteer), non-volunteers see lack of time owing to paid work as preventative;
Non volunteers are put off by not understanding what volunteering entails and not knowing how to get involved in volunteering while at university.
A clear suggestion from non volunteers is to link volunteering to an academic subject or chosen career (although volunteers are tiring of the emphasis on employability);

12. The impact can be long lasting...
‘What I learnt from my experiences of volunteering has equipped me with a huge amount of knowledge in dealing and working with people, organising events and how to deal with certain situations and responsibilities. What I have done since, in my working and personal life, I believe would've been far more challenging for me if I hadn't had those earlier experiences.’ Graduate, 2006
A majority (67%) of students think volunteering whilst at university has increased their willingness to volunteer in the future.
82 per cent of recent graduates under 30 years old mentioned volunteering on a CV and 78 per cent talked about it in interview.
Half (51 per cent) of recent graduates under 30 who are in paid work say that volunteering helped them to secure employment.
Benefits reported include:
Growth in personal confidence/self-esteem
Leadership and understanding how to work with others,
Negotiate and manage people were other soft skills frequently cited
Specific skills including run committees, secretarial skills and minute taking, fundraising and budgeting, event organising, editing newsletters, managing people and diversity and equalities awareness

13. There are significant challenges...
For VIOs
VIOs are frustrated by lack of access to volunteers
-see academic staff/departments as gatekeepers;
-plurality of departments to access.
Organisations are flexible in their approach to involving students and recognise that there are periods of the year when students will be less available. However organisations fear becoming overly dependent on students.
VIOs report a number of issues with availability and reliability of student.
Compared to volunteers in the general population, students feel less able to influence the direction of the organisation they help and are more likely to think things are badly organised.

14. There are significant challenges...
Volunteering experience...
Experience
Student Activities Survey
% of all volunteers
Helping Out
I feel things could be better organised 56 31
I am given the opportunity to influence the development of the organisation 55 96
I'm given the opportunity
to do the sort of things I'd like to do 73 91
Base
1,942
However, student volunteers feel less well managed than volunteers in the general population. They feel less able to influence the direction of the organisation and more likely to think things are badly organised.
Reasons for these differences are unclear but may include potentially higher expectations of student volunteers compared to others.
Through further analysis of the data using logistic regression, we also explored whether various factors affected the volunteers’ experience of how their volunteering is organised. The key finding was that the experience was significantly affected by whether the volunteering was university-supported, community or other volunteering rather than by any demographic characteristics of the volunteers. University-supported volunteers are the most satisfied with the way their volunteering is organised.

15. University- supported students report a more positive volunteering experience
Derive greater personal development benefits than other volunteers;
Develop better understanding of context and better relationships with community;
Ability to cope with role, influence organisation, and do the sorts of things that would like to do.
‘That’s what [university] does really well with the [volunteering unit] and the awards, they really make you reflect about your volunteering, about your experiences, and the key things you’ve learnt from it.’
(Student, volunteer, pre 92 University)

16. Bursting the Bubble – a summary
17/04/2017
Bursting the Bubble – a summary
Student volunteers make a significant contribution
63% have taken part in formal volunteering since starting university
Student volunteers report many positive impacts on their personal development, skills and employability
evidence from graduates that volunteering helps to secure employment
Students’ main motivation is a desire to make a difference
danger of too much emphasis on career development
Without adequate support, management and opportunities for reflection, volunteering can fail to realise benefits
Linking volunteering more closely to academic subjects might encourage more students to volunteer

17. resources – practitioners toolkit
17/04/2017
resources – practitioners toolkit
Case studies from pilot projects
Guides for involving students in public engagement
- eg. student-led volunteering projects, working with businesses
IVR guides for participatory research/evaluation
Guides and case studies for national campaigns
- BioBlitz, National Trust, Children’s University
Case studies of community-based learning
Research and toolkits for student involvement in Festivals

18. Public engagement is critical survival strategy for
HEIs

19. Framework and manifesto
Learning and research
Make a compelling intellectual case for engagement, and for how HEIs can effectively embed it in their work, based on robust evidence
Professional development
Partnerships and networking
Equip people with the tools to do effective engagement
Framework and manifesto
Draw on expertise
Generate support for the engagement agenda
Clarify what PE is and why it matters
Encourage HEIs to commit to PE
Communications
Ensure we engage our target audiences effectively
Develop a strong brand and quality products

20. Focal points for embedding public engagement
Investing in systems and processes that facilitate involvement, maximise impact and ensure quality and value for money
Embedding a commitment to public engagement in institutional mission and strategy, and championing that commitment at all levels
PROCESS
PURPOSE
Mission
Leadership
Communication
Reward
Support
Learning
PEOPLE
Reward
PROCESS
Public
Involving students, staff and representatives of the community in dynamic ways and using their energy and expertise to shape the strategy and its delivery
Support
Students
Learning
Staff

21. Students EDGE tool
BUILD A SHARED SEND OF PURPOSE
It is important to build a shared understanding of the meaning, value and role of student engagement.  Involving key stakeholders – students, staff and community partners – will help to explore and then articulate the purposes and benefits that student engagement serves.
PROVIDE AN EFFICIENT AND ‘JOINED UP’ SUPPORT INFRASTRUCTURE
Research from the vinspired students project suggests that support for student engagement is often piecemeal and fragmented across institutions, with little secure funding.  A review of current provision can consider how best to ensure that it is ‘joined up’ and delivers maximum value for the investment being made.
ENCOURAGE LEADERSHIP AND ADVOCACY
A senior champion for student engagement, who can communicate clear and consistent messages of its value and take responsibility, is critical to ensure effective support and development of the service.  The role of student leaders should be considered, and support provided for an active network of ambassadors across the institution.
RECOGNISE LEARNING AND CELEBRATE ACHIEVEMENT
A key way that institutions can demonstrate their commitment to student engagement is through celebrating and formally recognising students’ engagement activity.  Our research shows that students have a more positive experience of engagement if they are supported by their universities through providing opportunities for reflection, and a range of ways that learning through engagement can be captured formally and informally.
COMMUNICATE A CLEAR AND EFFECTIVE OFFER
Students will be more likely to get involved if there is a clearly articulated ‘offer’ that articulates why engagement is valued as part of their experience at university, and how they can expect to access opportunities to engage with the public.  A similar offer to community partners should clarify how they can expect to work with the institution and student body.

22. The Student Volunteering Pledge
Enhance student experience
Quality opportunities
Student leadership
Student Volunteering
Partnership with local community
Enable students to articulate what they have gained

23. A call to action... ... from our Student Advisory Board
What kind of society do we want to see?
What role should universities play in society?
How does my university help me to engage with the issues I see in society?
How does student volunteering have a role in this?
“We are looking for a university experience that is relevant to the needs of today’s society, and will equip us to meet the challenges faced by society. We believe that support for volunteering is one of the most effective ways that universities can help us to reach this goal.”

24. www.publicengagement.ac.uk nccpe.studentvol@uwe.ac.uk
17/04/2017
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