Student experience events and conferences in 2020

One aim of the AUA’s Student Experience and Engagement network is to make it easier for those working in this field to seek and share best practice.

To help achieve this, we’ve compiled a list of related events and conferences that are taking place in the next few months.

If you spot any events that you think we’ve missed from this list, please do add details in a comment below.

Enhancing the student experience – Universities UK – 27^th February 2020 – London

This one-day conference hosted by Universities UK will bring together sector leaders to look at how the sector can enhance the student experience in a drastically fast-moving world. The conference is an opportunity for delegates to hear from and engage with experts as well as network with colleagues and speakers. Chaired by Professor Robert Allison, Vice-Chancellor, Loughborough University. You can find more details via the Universities UK website.

Student Access and Experience Network Launch – SRHE – 28^th February 2020 – London

Launching SRHE’s new Student Access and Experience Network, this event highlights how we aim to focus on key issues around the whole student lifecycle. The seminar then extends this conversation, beyond outreach, into issues of student participation and success and the role of higher education institutions within that. Finally, the event provides an opportunity to explore inequalities in graduate outcomes. You can find more details via the SRHE website.

The Secret Life of Students – 19^th March 2020 – London

Wonkhe’s Secret Life of Students is all about doing student experience differently. They bring together the research and intel, and review everything they’ve learned about students in 2019 – asking what that means for government, regulators, universities and their SUs. You can find more details via the Wonkhe website.

Annual Conference and Exhibition 2020 – AUA – 6^th & 7^th April 2020 – Nottingham

Each year, the AUA Annual Conference attracts an unrivalled speaker line-up of established practitioners and thought leaders to deliver sessions that are designed in response to your working needs and challenges. You’ll be empowered with inspiration, fresh ideas and practical tools to apply in your own work the very next day. You can find more details via the AUA website.

Now that the programme for the 2020 conference has been launched, we’ve compiled a list of sessions related to Student Experience and Engagement that you might want to visit when attending the conference.

Change Agents’ Network (CAN) Annual Conference – Jisc – 15^th & 16^th April 2020 – Birmingham

This year’s theme of the Jisc CAN conference is Civic and Cultural Intelligence: Partnerships for Student Success. This provides universities and colleges with an opportunity to change the paradigm. Moving from the goal of making students ‘ready for college’ to one where the institutions reinvent themselves to be ‘ready for their students’ and their communities. You can find more details on the Jisc conference site.

Student Retention and Success Symposium – Advance HE – 21^st April 2020 – York

The theme of this year’s Student Retention and Success Symposium is mental wellbeing in the curriculum and university. We will be considering structures and culture that support wellbeing and the impact that wellbeing can and does have on student retention, transition, and success. You can find more details on the Advance HE website.

Student Experience 2020 – Inside Government – 28^th April 2020 – London

Student Experience 2020 will offer a leading platform to assess sector leading innovations and updates in enhancing the student experience across the higher education sector. Participants will gain vital insights on embedding experience within teaching and learning, improving the impact of student support services and the next steps in supporting student retention and engagement. You can find more details on the Inside Government website. AUA members are also entitled to a 15% discount on tickets to this event, you can find details of this discount within the Student Experience and Engagement forum (AUA login required).

Data Matters conference – Jisc – 5^th May 2020 – London

Data Matters is jointly run by Jisc, HESA and QAA, who are the UK’s higher education digital, data and quality experts. This conference will include a range of keynote sessions and workshops, including sessions on students’ perceptions of their learning experience, enabling student achievement through data tracking and Graduate Outcomes. You can find more details on the Jisc website.

Students’ Union Marketing Conference 2020 – 25 Dots – 10^th & 11^th June 2020 – Manchester

The Union, Manchester Metropolitan University and students’ union marketing agency, 25 Dots, have partnered to run a brand new conference for all those involved in students’ union marketing and communications. It’s an opportunity to make connections, learn, share and be inspired. You can find more details on the event’s Eventbrite page.

Student Communications Conference – CASE – 18^th June 2020 – Manchester

The CASE Europe Student Communications Conference provides an in-depth masterclass in the art of creating effective and engaging student communications. Communications and marketing professionals have the opportunity to hear about innovation and best practice from expert practitioners who offer tools and techniques learned from their own successful campaigns. The focus of the conference will be on engaging current students. You can find more details on the CASE website.

Generation Z in Higher Ed – The Centre for Student Engagement – 1^st July 2020 – Winchester

This conference is for practitioners and students interested in learning all about the new generation of students entering Higher Education. The overarching purpose of the conference will be to contextualise Generation Z students’ educational journeys and synthesise the array of research, practice and considerations about these students so that we may appropriately cater to their needs. You can find more details on the Winchester University website.

SU Forum 2020 (SU2020) – Coventry University Students’ Union – 15^th & 16^th July 2020 – Coventry

An event for all senior managers and sabbatical officers working in students’ unions. More details about this event will be released closer to the time.

RAISE Conference 2020 – RAISE – 2^nd & 3^rd September 2020 – Lincoln

RAISE will showcase student engagement practice and research from across the sector. The conference will be an opportunity to discuss the future of student engagement and pedagogical practice, including a celebration of ten years of Student as Producer. You can find more details on the Lincoln University website.

To stay up-to-date with more news on everything related to Student Experience and Engagement, make sure that you’ve joined the AUA Network and signed up to our Jiscmail list.