Category: UK

Why change management often goes wrong in higher education

“Many institutions need to streamline how they run, redefine roles and processes and adapt the technology they use to deliver meaningful transformation”

There are some significant challenges ahead for the UK’s higher education sector in 2024.

Not least, attracting and retaining quality staff, supporting students through a cost-of-living crisis, falling international student numbers and the rising cost of keeping the lights on.

To address these challenges and remain competitive, many institutions need to streamline how they run, redefine roles and processes and adapt the technology they use to deliver meaningful transformation. Without effective change management, this can be a huge mountain to climb.

There are some pitfalls universities regularly fall into when planning and implementing change at scale.

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Supporting the UK’s international students in finding accommodation

“It’s really important that international students know what their rights are”

Relocating to a new country to study is no small task, and there are countless things that international students have to take care of when doing so.

One of the biggest challenges facing international students in the UK today is finding accommodation, so in our various roles as teachers and education staff, it’s more important than ever that we’re able to offer support as needed.

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If we neglect the complex needs of foreign students, how can UK institutions claim to be truly global?

“In order to claim we have truly global universities, we need to start proactively seeking solutions”

With another academic year now underway, a new generation of fresh-faced, wide-eyed students are filling UK lecture halls once again to embark on a new adventure.

This is perhaps especially true for international students  – who now make up nearly one third of the entire student population. Many will be coming to the UK for the first time, attempting to memorise their new timetables while simultaneously wrapping their heads around unexplained references to a weekly spectacle known as ‘Strictly’, grappling with Scouse, West Country and Glaswegian accents, and unravelling the secrets of the mythical ‘Cheeky Nandos’.

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Managing the uptick of international student applications in the UK

“The explosion of international applications has intensified the number of verification checks needed and made for a challenging landscape”

The UK has long been an attractive place to study for international students and, as the latest figures show, the trend looks set to continue. However, managing the implications of the UK meeting international student targets a decade before the deadline has undoubtedly piled pressure on university admission teams.

The explosion of international applications in the wake of the introduction of the new Graduate Route Visa, plus a general widening of the recruitment net, has intensified the number of verification checks needed and made for a challenging landscape.

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The unforeseen consequences of restricting the migration of student dependents

“Whilst understanding the UK government’s objective to control migration, the potential repercussions of curtailing this route could be substantial”

The recent announcement by the Home Office regarding the restriction of family migration for international students arriving in the UK, from January 2024, has gained significant attention in the context of rising migration figures.

The latest statistics from the ONS confirmed that net migration has peaked to 606,000 in the 12 months to December 2022; far higher than the government’s target – although the largest increase in these figures is down to visas being issued under the Ukraine Schemes and British National (Overseas) route.

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Impact of UK visa & IHS fee hikes on international students

“A four-year course student will have to budget up to £3,100 for the IHS surcharge alone in the UK – a significant difference from the current £1,880”

The UK has always been a dream leading destination for many students in different parts of the world. Every year, thousands of international students apply to UK institutions, and besides securing admission, they also need to obtain a student visa.

Generally, anyone travelling to reside in the UK for an extended period must pay an immigration health surcharge, an upfront fee paid to access the National Health Service, the government-funded medical and healthcare services for residents in the UK. So, that’s an additional mandatory expense to cover. How much an international student will pay for visa application and IHS surcharge, depend on their study duration.

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From wellbeing to study experience: what do EU/international students think?

“One in five EU/international students have still considered dropping out of university”

The UK Student Wellbeing Survey, an independent large-scale study commissioned by Studiosity, reported its findings in mid-June. This work seeks to add another important platform for students to share their voice, thoughts, feelings and expectations of study and university life.

From the research among 2,050 students, we can now share the findings derived from over 450 EU/international students at universities in the UK.

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Is Britain’s higher education brand at risk?

“Both short and long-term financial planning could bolster Brand Britain’s higher education offering”

Competition is fierce in the global industry built on attracting international students into higher education. And it’s little wonder.

Recent financial forecasts have predicted that the spending associated with international students is set to increase from an estimated US$196 billion in 2019 to $433 billion by 2030.

When universities across the world are still recovering financially from the additional investments they made during the pandemic, the fees income overseas students bring in can provide a much needed buffer against budgetary shortfalls.

With so much at stake, protecting this revenue is a key priority for the sector.

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What makes a great foundation course?

“Courses that recognise the importance of developing learning skills, as well as subject knowledge, may well have the edge”

Foundation courses have been one of the success stories of recent times, with numbers quadrupling over the last five years and more than 55,000 students choosing to study foundation year courses in 2019/20.

“A foundation course should prepare students for university, not just with English language level but also with a mix of academic literacies, study skills, critical thinking and confidence. The aim is to make them feel prepared and ready for the next big step in their academic life,” says Keith Ibsen, deputy academic director, at St Clare’s, Oxford.

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UK to introduce tougher immigration rules for students and dependents?

“The proposed policy seems out of the blue, as it goes against everything the government has said in the past decade”

British home secretary Suella Braverman is drawing up new immigration rules to make it harder for foreign students to come to the UK with their dependents. This proposal has come in light of a five-fold growth in “dependant visas” issued in the last three years.

If approved, it will be added to other post-Brexit measures implemented since the UK left the European Union. But how will a changed immigration system impact student migration and how will education exports economy be impacted?

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