Here at Edge Hill, we’re proud of our warm, welcoming community. As part of that, we can provide you with opportunities to not only be involved with on course support programmes like Thrive, but to also shape the future of our university services.
The Student Advisory Panel (SAP) is an initiative led by the Widening Access and Student Success Team. The purpose of the Panel is to give students from widening participation groups the platform to help enhance the support that the University offers, based on your feedback. The panel looks at the support that can be provided across the whole student lifecycle, from accessing higher education and student success on course to progression from university into a graduate role or further study.
The Panel is integral to the successful delivery of our Widening Access and Student Success Strategy. As part of the panel, our students have the opportunity to review university-wide initiatives alongside their fellow panel members. This ensures that our university remains inclusive and representative of the needs of the entire student body.
When Sophie made the decision to return to education after some time away, she registered for a place on our Thrive programme and applied for a place as a Student Advisory Panel member. She has now shared the wider impact of being part of these initiatives and has highlighted how working with the Widening Access and Student Success Team and other teams across Edge Hill has supported her to be proactive in ways that maximise her student journey and experience.
Sophie’s journey
As a mature student, Sophie had spent some time away from education, so she reached out to the Student Success Team to find out more about the support and events available to mature students. The team signposted Sophie to the UniSkills session, Returning to Learning. Ran by the Student Engagement Team, UniSkills workshops aim to help you to unlock your academic potential, whether you’re a prospective or current student. You can access their toolkits online and look out for their live online sessions.
The Returning to Learning session not only helped Sophie to refresh her academic skills, but it also helped her to build a community. Designed specifically for those returning to education after a break, the session allowed Sophie to collaborate and share experiences with her peers who had a similar background.
Sophie’s next steps
As a result of the support Sophie received, she realised that she wanted to help others with their experience too. She reached out to the Students’ Union to launch her own Mature Learners Society. So mature students just like her can get together to build a friendship with others and share their best practices so everyone can get the most out of their university experience.
Sophie was informed that a group of students had already requested a society for this, and that the application process was already underway. But the Students’ Union put her into contact with them and now Sophie has been added to the committee, meaning she can contribute to making a difference for mature students and leave her mark on Edge Hill. Sophie has used her own experiences to help make others feel more empowered throughout their own university journey and we can’t wait to see what she achieves next.
Helping other mature students
Sophie has since shared the contact details of the Edge Hill Mature Students Society (EHMSS) and has given permission for us to share her contact details with other mature learners who want to build a community on campus. As part of the Returning to Learning workshops, the Student Engagement Team have shared Sophie’s contact details, so she can be a friendly face to meet on campus. And our Widening Access and Student Success Team have also shared her details with Fastrack cohorts and her peers on the Thrive programme. Sophie and her fellow EHMSS members are building an inclusive community on campus and they’re really helping a group of students who can sometimes feel separated from their peers. And she’s highlighting that age isn’t a barrier to education.
Are you a mature learner?
Visit our Students’ Union Website to find out more about our EHSU Mature Students Society and become part of a supportive community. Follow the Library and Learning Services Instagram account to find out about any other updates too.
December 2, 2024
