Southampton Business School recently hosted the inaugural South West Regional Peer Support Network Student Conference.
Attracting 70 delegates from 11 different institutions, this was a chance for staff and students to explore different types of peer support for transition to Higher Education and student success. The conference themes focused on sharing and developing practice and making connections. The conference included workshops and talks from both staff and students and received excellent feedback from delegates.
Southampton Business School has recently developed a Peer Learning scheme as part of the University’s strategy to improve the student experience. Second and final year students are trained to facilitate fun and active sessions that help first years to adjust to learning at university, meet others on their programme and adapt to university life.
The student-led sessions range from study skills to pastoral support. Attendance and feedback from first years has been positive and the student leaders report employability gains through increased confidence, communication skills and teamwork.
The conference was a great opportunity to reflect on the scheme and exchange ideas for further developments. For more information about Southampton Business School’s Peer Learning scheme please contact: Neil Ford (Senior Teaching Fellow) and Emma Lester (Education and Student Experience Advisor) at: [email protected]
