'Living prospectus week' allows future students to experience University of Exeter virtually
Potential university students unable to tour universities to make decisions about their future are flocking online to innovative “virtual prospectuses”, lectures and advice sessions.
University of Exeter staff who work with pupils around the country to encourage them to go on to higher education are embracing technology to provide extensive and open access online content while schools and campuses are closed.
This week is the University of Exeter’s second “living prospectus week”, where people can speak to current students on Facebook about their experiences and see pictures and videos of campus. Each day there is a focus on a different subject.
Katherine Lloyd Clark, University of Exeter Assistant Director (Student Access, Recruitment & Admissions) said: “Although schools are closed pupils still have to make crucial decisions about their future, and it is important universities provide as much support for them as possible to help them make informed choices. This will be our second Living Prospectus week and pupils have found the opportunity to have conversations with their peers through online blogs and live chats hugely valuable.
“Face-to-face information, advice and guidance is crucial, but this is a chance to also trial more ecologically sustainable approaches to student recruitment.”
Living prospectus week is part of an initiative called Discover University. Since Easter the University of Exeter has been supporting potential students, parents and guardians, teachers, and careers advisors through various digital platforms on social media and through a dedicated YouTube Channel. A third of people with an offer to study at the University of Exeter attended one of several online events held in April, a quarter of who were overseas.
Students can discover more about the world-leading research at the University of Exeter, and develop their own knowledge, through a series of lectures streamed on Facebook Live. There will be five themed weeks where people can put questions to experts on topics including travel and technology, mental health and wellbeing, climate change and Brexit.
Regular advice and guidance workshops are hosted online twice a week, with staff and current students discussing topics including choosing a course and university, degree apprenticeships and student finance and budgeting. There will also be a toolkit for Year 12 and 13 students with advice on topics including writing a personal statement and applying for finance help with transition.
The University’s open days and the annual summer schools are now held virtually, where there are virtual tours of our campuses and accommodation, subject presentations from academics, a chance to meet lecturers, discover support services and talk to current students.
Teachers can access support from University of Exeter widening participation and school engagement teams through a specialised Twitter feed and online sessions. They can also attend conferences about their subject online.
Live events are recorded so people can view the videos later.
Professor Tim Quine, University of Exeter Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education), said: “We are excited to offer these extensive programmes to stimulate and engage pupils, and to help inform them, their parents and their teachers in making the best decisions for their future. This is a key part of our innovative and wide-ranging work across the country to widen participation in higher education, and is more important than ever in the current circumstances due to the risks of education gaps between advantaged and disadvantaged pupils being exacerbated by the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic.”
So far people have viewed around 9,000 minutes of video footage posted on the Discover University Facebook page. Some lectures have been viewed by more than 250 potential students, with 650 people watching a video for a minute or more.
Nicola Sinclair, Head of Widening Participation and UK Student Recruitment, said: “At the University of Exeter we have always worked around the country to help provide support and advice for teachers and pupils thinking about higher education. As soon as it became clear schools and our campuses would close we worked hard to replicate as much of that work online as possible, because it is crucial prospective students can still experience what university is like, and get support to help them make decisions about their future.”
Get updates about events and activities at the Facebook and Twitter pages @DiscoverUniExe. Register your interest in an online open day by visiting exeter.ac.uk/undergraduate/visit
