Excellence in education

Since arriving at Imperial, I have been extremely impressed with our students’ excellence. I’ve seen brilliant scholars explaining their research, talented entrepreneurs describing their spin-out company and gifted musicians inspiring a rapt audience. I love to walk through College in the evening and see the ballroom dance team practicing with the jazz band rehearsing next door. This is an incredible place thanks to the great talent, energy and motivation of our students.

Imperial staff care deeply about providing students with an excellent education. Recently the Council, our governing body, met with union sabbatical officers at an away-day. We discussed what we want the future of Imperial to look like, and how the “product” of a university education was perhaps less important than the “experience” of it. Learning is a process and one can never achieve a state of having learnt all there is to know.

So, what do we mean when we talk about excellence in education? I think we mean that the knowledge, experiences and relationships students gain during their studies are affirming, and, in many ways, life-changing. Excellent education is far more than getting a degree certificate, and one’s education does not stop with graduation. Our aim is to ensure that the education Imperial students receive prepares them for excellence throughout their lives.

We know that we value a highly rigorous research-led curriculum that enables students to engage actively with research in their disciplines and across disciplinary boundaries. To be immersed in one of the world’s top research universities gaining knowledge and experiences from the leaders in their fields is one of the hallmarks of Imperial’s educational experience.

We also value opportunities for students to delve into the unknown, experience the discovery of research, and be creative and entrepreneurial. We have made providing these opportunities an important part of our college strategy.

Excellent education is far more than getting a degree certificate

We strive to continually enhance our teaching and we aspire to move to the forefront in developing new ways of teaching and learning that combine our use of technology and our time together to optimise the knowledge, experience and relationships gained.

We know that there are aspects of our student experience that are not excellent and we need to improve. The mental well-being of students is of paramount importance to their lives and success, and we are enhancing our portfolio of student support services. We are also focused on providing timely and useful assessment and feedback and excellent research supervision and mentoring.

In my speech to the community on March 17th, I was pleased to announce some new grants for building excellence in teaching and research to move the College to the forefront of 21st century education. Our new Vice Provost (Education) Professor Simone Buitendijk will oversee the awarding and evaluation of these grants.

Consulting students on the decisions that directly affect them is important. We do this primarily through the elected sabbatical officers leading the student union. They, and other student leaders of the hundreds of clubs and societies, set the policies, tone and environment for the student experience. One of their important projects is their current work on a “Respect for Others” guide for students. This will be a code of behaviour and social expectations for students that builds upon the “Respect for Others Guide” that we produced last year for staff. Like the staff guide, the student guide will include a Respect for Others Pledge. And just as we expect all staff members to know and live by the Pledge, so will we expect students to do the same.

Why is this important? We have a wonderful community of over 22,000 people – it is a dynamic and vibrant environment where students will spend some of their best days and have some of their most memorable experiences. It is important to recognise that there are times when we fall far short of excellence and in fact create very negative experiences for our peers and our community. While I love to talk to students and celebrate their talent, creativity and dedication, I am deeply unhappy to read reports of some students undermining themselves and their teammates by drinking themselves sick and damaging property or others being disrespectful to their peers and their community. None of us want our community to be harmed or individuals to be hurt by the mistakes and thoughtlessness of a few.

Imperial students excel at taking on hard challenges and daunting projects. Where else can you see student productions of Sweeney Todd and Petrushka in the same week? I know that we can meet the challenge of providing the best environment and culture for students. We can work together to do better and I am optimistic that affirming our values through “Respect for Others” will help us to avoid these mistakes and make the Imperial student experience excellent for all.

Providing an excellent education for our students is a top priority at Imperial. Doing so requires enduring commitment by all of us, staff and students alike. I believe that together we can achieve excellence and we can show the world what an excellent education looks like.