Looking at the Education and Student Strategy

College has released a new Education and Student Strategy this week which “sets out our vision, aims and priorities for education and the student experience.” The scope of the document is a guide for the development of the education system and student experience over the next five years, providing a strong framework for improvements that students will hopefully benefit from over this period of time. One of the unfortunate aspects of trying to make changes in College, as with any other large organisation, is that these changes can take time, which can be frustrating for some students who might only see the effects of their feedback after they have graduated. However, since the benefits of change tend to fall to the next generation, it can be easy to forget that any benefits we have received were also due to those who studied in these halls before us.

The Education & Student Strategy document takes into consideration several global factors that can affect the make-up of the incoming student population, including student social mobility, student demographics and the effects the current higher tuition fees might have on future Imperial students. However the document also looks at the outcomes an Imperial education can provide for students, such as competitiveness in an increasingly global job market. It also shows a focus on teaching, outreach activities and financial support for both undergraduate and postgraduate students.

The strategic aims of College over the 2013-18 period are “to achieve internatinal recognition: -As a global community of the most talented students -For our distinctive education -For our commitment to innovation in teaching and learning, and the wider student experience. -For our outstanding academic infrastructure.”

In order to achieve these aims College plans to focus on their admissions process — making an Imperial education more open to people form all backgrounds, improving the experience of new students joining the College and improving outreach activities to schools and colleges. College also plans to focus on the actual education experience, in terms of providing improvements to teaching, pastoral care and the university’s academic infrastructure.

One strong principle of the strategy over the next five years is the availability and ease of feedback mechanisms to allow staff, students and alumni a chance to contribute ideas that can enhance the student experience. As part of this the Education department has created a new website which allows for easy communication and access to information. There students can find out more information about the College’s vision, its objectives and how they can make a difference to the student experience at Imperial.

For more information, visit the new website at: tinyurl.com/q6zueqc