Realising Engagement through Active Culture Transformation: An Introduction to the REACT Programme

Authors

  • Elisabeth Dunne The University of Winchester
  • Tom Lowe The University of Winchester
  • Stuart Sims The University of Winchester
  • Wilko Luebsen London Metropolitan University
  • Chris Guggiari-Peel The University of Exeter

Abstract

The REACT programme was designed to make a significant impact on student engagement and the student experience in the Higher Education (HE) sector in England and Wales over a two-year period, from July 2015 to July 2017. The focus, in particular, was on the engagement of so-called ‘hard to reach’ students, and the programme included: investigation into the term ‘hard to reach’ and a consideration of which students are characterised in this way; a formal research project looking at links between student engagement, retention and attainment; and a development programme as a collaboration between fifteen UK universities. Outcomes from each of these were disseminated at a final conference at the University of Winchester in May 2017, where practice and findings from the programme as a whole were shared. The programme also included the creation of a website of case studies and tools for use by the sector. The programme was funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and was formally evaluated by an external team from GuildHE.

Author Biographies

Elisabeth Dunne, The University of Winchester

Elisabeth Dunne is the Director of the REACT project at the University of Winchester, having previously worked in numerous roles - from Senior Research Fellow to Head of Student Engagement and Skills – during nearly 30 years at the University of Exeter, where she notably founded the sector leading Students as Change Agents initiative. Liz is also Principal Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy (HEA). 

Tom Lowe, The University of Winchester

Tom Lowe is the Centre for Student Engagement Manager at the University of Winchester and a National Committee Member for RAISE. Formally, Tom was the project manager of the HEFCE funded REACT project, where he facilitated collaborative development between 15 UK HE institutions around Student Engagement with Educational Developments. Previously, Tom was Vice President, Education at Winchester Student Union. 

Stuart Sims, The University of Winchester

Stuart Sims is the Head of Student Engagement in Academic Quality and Development at the University of Winchester. He is also the Lead Researcher on the REACT project.

Wilko Luebsen, London Metropolitan University

Wilko Luebsen holds a MA in International Business and currently administers and supports the PASS Scheme at London Metropolitan University. For the past two years he has been involved in the REACT Project as a researcher and development consultant working across the UK Higher Education sector to promote Student Engagement.

Chris Guggiari-Peel, The University of Exeter

Chris Giggiari-Peel is the REACT Researcher at the University of Exeter. Aside from REACT, Chris also combines his academic interest in Natural History with creative media, which has been complementary to working on a project that aims to highlight the importance of a diverse approach to learning and teaching.

References

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Journal of Educational Innovation, Partnership and Change cover

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Published

10/02/2017

How to Cite

Dunne, E., Lowe, T., Sims, S., Luebsen, W., & Guggiari-Peel, C. (2017). Realising Engagement through Active Culture Transformation: An Introduction to the REACT Programme. The Journal of Educational Innovation, Partnership and Change, 3(1), 18–23. Retrieved from https://journals.studentengagement.org.uk/index.php/studentchangeagents/article/view/677

Issue

Vol. 3 No. 1 (2017)

Section

Introductory articles

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Copyright is held by the journal. The author has full permission to publish to their institutional repository. Articles are published under an Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International licence.