Student communication: a compassionate approach

A 2023 Transforming Access and Student Outcomes in Higher Education (TASO) and King’s College London’s Policy Institute report found that 16 per cent of students identified as having a mental health challenge – tripling from 6 per cent in 2017. 

Universities are continuing to explore the ways they can support mental health, alongside retention and other well-being initiatives. However, it is an ongoing effort competing against a whole plethora of challenges, from the cost-of-living crisis to regulations and funding concerns. Add this to the continued focus on digital transformation and the government’s ongoing discussion around universities’ duty of care to student welfare, and it is clear something must change. I believe that one of the key parts of this change could lie in the way we communicate with our students. 

A student-centric approach

The first step to developing compassion in student communication is to understand who our students are and the climate in which they are studying. Today’s students are facing a learning landscape that has never been seen before. Many have to balance study, work and caring responsibilities, with increasing financial and welfare pressures. We are also still seeing the effects of the pandemic as students entering higher education now are used to online and hybrid learning. Even those who went to university just a couple of years before them will have very different stories to tell about their time on campus. 

Technology provides us with ways to reach our students, with research finding that 83 per cent of students believe digital makes their learning more convenient. However, it can also act as a barrier to some of the personal interactions that students value. As we see the hybrid model continuing to be a prevalent mode of teaching and learning, both online and in-person activities must focus on fostering a supportive learning environment which increases a sense of student belonging. 

Let’s take the example of Chloe, a first-year student who works every Tuesday, meaning that she is unable to attend her weekly seminar group. She is wondering if the university is right for her as she feels she is not able to give her studies the attention they need and so could be at risk of withdrawal.

A student engagement analytics platform could help us to identify where a student is disengaging with academically purposeful activity. In this case, Chloe’s personal tutor could be notified that Chloe is not engaging in a way that we would expect and that she should be contacted to check everything is OK. This is where compassionate student communication comes into play.

Imagine if the tutor reaches out to Chloe and they say: “Chloe, it looks like you aren’t turning up to classes on a Tuesday. This will really affect your grades if you don’t come to these sessions, and you really need to make sure you are in class. Come and see me next Tuesday to discuss.”

This scenario shows an exaggerated case, but how would Chloe feel if she got that message? She is already struggling to pay her bills, so she must work, and the tone would reinforce her belief that she is not cut out for university. 

Instead, what if the message said something like: “Hi Chloe, this is Bill, your personal tutor. As you know we use learning analytics to help improve your university experience. It looks like you may be struggling to attend classes on a Tuesday, and I wanted to reach out to you to see if there is anything that we could do to support you. My office hours are Monday and Wednesday from 3pm to 4pm, please feel free to drop in during that time to have a chat about how I can help, otherwise I’ll give you a ring next week. In the meantime, please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any concerns.” 

Giving the student context as to why you are getting in touch, and what the next steps are to get help, provides students with the reassurance they need to meet with their tutors and discuss steps forward. The smallest rephrasing of communications, so that they are specific and supportive of the student’s needs, can go a long way in helping encourage a student to respond.

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Transform how you communicate

For universities, having a robust and thoughtful framework in place can be the starting point for developing positive student communication and growing a culture of trust between institutions and students. 

An alerting framework makes it easy to send emails to students based on their engagement behaviours. Notifications can be sent to students and/or staff that support them when they meet specified criteria – for example, if they have not been using the VLE for some time, or if their attendance falls below the agreed threshold. 

Celebrate the wins

While we have mainly discussed compassion through the lens of struggling students, I think it’s also important to acknowledge and celebrate success. Success is as individual as the learner, so let’s think again about Chloe.

It’s now been three weeks since her seminar group has changed, and her engagement has picked up. The university has an alert set up so that when a student has been in a high engagement category for a period, they get a message congratulating them on their hard work. This further reinforces to the student that their effort has not gone unnoticed. It also gives another opportunity to touch base with Chloe, to perhaps remind her to take a break every so often so she doesn’t burn out or to share some resources on campus support services or peer mentorship opportunities. 

Compassion and digital go hand in hand

This isn’t about a big sector change; we know how much universities care about their students. The Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) acknowledges the major part that academic and pastoral support plays in growing excellence in teaching and student outcomes. Rather, the opportunity lies now with how we can utilise the ideas through technology.

Analytical insight into an individual student’s learning journey gives pastoral and support teams the information they need to be able to give personalised, compassionate support. By understanding our students’ lived experiences, we can create a supportive environment in which they can thrive. The resources are available to aid positive learning experiences – all it takes is a little compassion. 

James Gray is the CEO of Kortext. 

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For more resources related to this topic, see the collection Well-being in higher education.