INVESTIGATING WHAT CONTRIBUTES TOWARDS A HOLISTIC ENGINEERING STUDENT EXPERIENCE FOR INTERNATIONAL AND HOME STUDENTS

Recently there has been a diversification of student profiles across the UK at all taught levels. The student fee freeze for home students, increasing fees for overseas students and other financial considerations have led to many universities announcing that they are considering increasing their student intake, which will undoubtedly impact modes of delivery and our student body representation, which implicates the need for a new approach to instilling a sense of belonging and a review of university provisions and support mechanisms (all of which have been shown to impact student performance). UCL Engineering has seen a sharp increase in student numbers (>40% in 3 years), with a large portion comprising of international students. The sector is often cited as one that actively promotes social mobility, however the Engineering UK briefing Social Mobility in Engineering (2018) argues that there is further work required due to performance outcomes of different student cohorts. This study investigates the contributing factors towards creating a good holistic student experience for both home and international students with the aim of developing and adapting current university provisions. A combination of surveys, focus groups and interviews were used to capture the student voice. The main outcomes of the survey will be presented in this paper. Overall, the results indicate that the extent of university integration is impacted by factors related to living arrangements, student societies and perceptions of the university s efforts to address EDI-related issues.