Navigating transition across the student lifecycle: A programmatic approach

Going to university marks a period of immense change for students (Holliman et al., 2021, 2022a; Matheson et al., 2018). Many students find it difficult to adjust to university life and to successfully navigate different learning environments and novel assessments. These challenges, if not managed successfully, threaten to negatively impact upon the student experience (e.g. Holliman et al., 2019). Sitting within a broader programmatic approach, my case study focuses on four select initiatives, that are designed to support students to successfully navigate different stages of their journey through university. Specifically, I showcase initiatives implemented at the beginning of the student lifecycle: (1) the Transition Mentoring Scheme; (2) a first-of-its-kind Orientation Event, the middle, and relevant to all levels of study; (3) the Assessment Hub; through to end of the student lifecycle and the final-year (capstone) dissertation module; and (4) the Self-Guiding Navigation Tool for Topic Selection. These transformative university initiatives have gained recognition from my institution and beyond and have resulted in real change for the benefit of students among others.