Welcome to our second-to-last article of our summer series! Today, we’ll focus on communication and transparency. We’ll analyse the impact they have on student success. 

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Student success has long been defined by several key elements, including enrolment, academia, community, well-being and administration. But that’s not it: communication and transparency are vital factors that contribute to the overall student experience. The exchange of information, clarity and openness between students, faculty and administrators create a foundation of trust and understanding. Let’s talk about how you can improve your communication strategy to provide the best experience possible to your students.

How are you building trust and engagement?

Trust represents the confidence and belief that students, faculty and administrators have in the institution, while engagement refers to the active involvement, participation and investment of individuals in their educational experience and the broader institutional community.

Communication and transparency are essential to building trust with your students. When students feel informed and involved, they develop a sense of trust in the institution and its decision-making process. Open and honest communication fosters a supportive environment, where students are encouraged to voice their concerns, seek guidance and actively engage.

Are you reaching your students with the right communication tools to deliver information in a way that aligns with their expectations and build their confidence in your institution? With mobile solutions, you can personalise your communications to send the right message to the right student at the right time: 

• Create tailored-made content: write your own messages with keywords and relevant catch phrases to make sure your students read them
• Target your audiences: build user personas for a more effective communication (new students, masters students, scholarship students…)

Do you provide an easy and intuitive way for your students to access information and resources?

Access to information and resources is key to student success. It refers to the availability and distribution of relevant and accurate information, as well as the resources students, faculty and staff need to engage in their academic pursuits. It entails providing clear and comprehensive information about academic programmes, courses, policies and procedures, ensuring that students have all the required information to make informed decisions.

How can you make it easy for students to navigate the university systems and resources they need to succeed?

• Communicate through mobile: smartphones are prevalent in our daily lives. In the UK alone, 96% of 16-24 year-olds own a smartphone and spend 3.7 hours a day on average on them¹
• One single login: offer your students an easy-to-access centralised location for all key university platforms and avoid endless maintenance activities with multiple systems
• Central access, anywhere: provide a seamless experience for your students to access their central education resource anywhere in the world, at anytime

Is your communication strategy contributing to your students’ academic success?

Academic success is when students achieve their academic goals, outcomes and milestones. It goes beyond mere grades and encompasses a comprehensive evaluation of students’ intellectual growth, critical thinking skills, knowledge acquisition and application of learning. 

When faculty members communicate course expectations, grading criteria and provide timely feedback, students can better align their efforts and succeed. Transparent communication about learning outcomes and assessment criteria enables students to understand the purpose of their coursework and make meaningful connections between their studies and concrete, professional applications.

Are your communication initiatives taking educational achievement into account? Here are a few tips to facilitate academic success through communication: 

• Establish clear expectations and assignment guidelines at the beginning of the course
• Provide timely and constructive feedback on assignments, projects and class participation
• Encourage open dialogue to foster a supportive environment where students feel comfortable asking questions, expressing their opinions and engaging in discussions
• Use multiple communication channels to ensure effective communication: face-to-face interactions, online discussion forums, push notifications…
• Be approachable and responsive: make yourself available to students by providing face-to-face or virtual consultation times
• Communicate resources and support services to inform students about the various services available to them such as tutoring, library resources and technology assistance

Are you encouraging your students to collaborate and engage?

Collaboration and engagement is all about students being actively involved, participating and interacting within the learning process and the border academic community. 

When students are kept informed about institutional policies, changes and decision-making processes, they feel valued and respected as stakeholders. Transparent communication also encourages collaborative efforts between students, faculty and administrators, creating opportunities for dialogue, constructive feedback and shared decision-making.

How can you ensure that your students work together with peers, faculty members and other stakeholders to explore ideas, solve problems and achieve shared goals? And how do you keep them invested, enthusiastic and committed to their academic goals? Look to: 

• Create a collaborative classroom environment
  Incorporate group activities and projects into your teaching methods
• Implement technology tools for collaboration, like online discussion boards, virtual meeting spaces of collaborative document sharing 
• Foster peer-to-peer communication to facilitate a deeper understanding of course material, provide support and encourage shared learning
• Facilitate discussions and debates to encourage students to actively participate, express their opinions and engage in critical thinking

How are you nurturing a sense of belonging?

When a student feels valued, accepted and included within the academic community, the institution has succeeded in developing a sense of belonging. It refers to the feeling of being connected to the institution, its members and a belief that one’s presence and contributions are meaningful and appreciated.

How does the communication strategy impact the sense of belonging? When information about campus events, clubs, organisations and extracurricular activities is available and communicated clearly, students can actively participate. Transparent communication about campus policies, safety measures and support services also helps create a safe and inclusive environment where students feel supported and connected.

To cultivate a sense of belonging that improves students’ well-being and engagement, make sure you: 

• Foster inclusive policies and practices
• Enhance faculty-student relationships
• Promote student engagement (via campus activities, clubs, organisations and events)
• Provide supportive services
• Create welcoming spaces
• Communicate regularly 
• Evaluate and respond to feedback

Is your strategy fostering continuous improvement and accountability?

In higher education, continuous improvement is the ongoing process of assessing, evaluating and enhancing various aspects of the institution to ensure the delivery of high-quality education and services.On the other hand, accountability is the responsibility and obligation to demonstrate effectiveness, transparency and ethical conduct in fulfilling their academic mission. 

By communicating your strategic goals, KPIs and assessment results, you demonstrate a culture of transparency and accountability. Students can then hold you responsible for delivering on your promises and meeting their educational needs. Transparent communication also encourages you to continuously assess and enhance your programmes and services, ensuring that they are responsive to the evolving expectations of your students.

So how can you adapt your communication strategy to foster continuous improvement and accountability? Here are some best practices:

• Engage in two-way communication by promoting a culture of open dialogue and active listening
• Clearly communicate expectations and standards
• Provide accessible information
• Share institutional performance data 
• Regularly assess the effectiveness of communication strategies and channels

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To sum up, communication and transparency are key to improving the student experience. By building trust, providing access to information and resources, facilitating academic success, fostering collaboration, nurturing a sense of belonging and promoting accountability, prioritising transparent communication not only strengthens the relationship between students, faculty and administrators, but also creates a culture of openness and engagement.

Our summer series is ending next week! Tune in next Monday to read our last article about administration and its impact on student experience.

¹ Average daily mobile usage in the United Kingdom from 2019 to 2022, Statista