Student success at college is not just achieving high grades The National Forum for Teaching and Learning defines student success as the process by which students fulfil their potential and flourish at college and in society. This is a broader activity than simply achieving high grades. Psychosocial competencies are core to the definition of student success: these are the ‘soft skills’ or ‘non-cognitive skills’ that enable students to cope well with learning challenges, engage deeply in learning, and develop their identities as learners and as active citizens. Transitions are a key issue within this priority area, with transitions such as the move from school to college presenting both challenges and opportunities for students.
About this initiative
A national understanding of student success is a strategic priority of the National Forum and that of University College Cork. This initiative will seek to uncover the very essence of what success means in UCC, to research the meaning of student success with both staff and students, the wider UCC community, auxiliary services and stakeholders as appropriate in relation to UCC students. The National Forum recognises success as a student fulfilling their potential and contributing to and flourishing in society. The challenges we have faced as a society over the past 12 months have been unprecedented and this initiative will act as a temperature check for the meaning of success within the higher education system and seek to establish cases of good practice for fostering additional successful outcomes for students. This initiative will provide a forum to listen to and decipher the University voice on student success. It would allow for the National Forum’s Framework on student success to be used as a lens to examine institutional definitions of success and will help in communicating and embedding the concept of student success into the University landscape while yielding opportunities for additional successful outcomes for our students. Working with students as partners the Student Success initiative will ensure that the student voice is front and centre in all student success strategies. Key deliverables for this initiative also include the draft student success strategy for the University.
Lead organisations
Affiliated organisations
Linked open educational resources
Initiative details
Funding programmes SATLE
Themes Student Success
Award year
2020Funding amount (€)
36136Contributors
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