Engaging students in programme development
This project involved detailed and thorough consultation with current and prospective students in line with Competition and Markets Authority guidance.
The change of programme and award title to Creative Performance was identified as beneficial for students through a particularly rigourous process of consultation.
What happened?
We conducted an internal survey with over 100 students, using Survey Monkey, which revealed a number of strong options, including Creative Performance. We then consulted with three of our close feeder colleges, speaking directly with groups of Performing Arts students about their preferences and understandings of various degree title, whereupon it emerged that Creative Performance was the clear favourite and the most broadly attractive. This approach would clearly be applicable to most other disciplines and settings.
What is the impact?
The impact it will have on students is twofold. First, it will simply reduce confusion and mistaken expectations resulting from an inappropriate degree title. Prospective candidates now have a clearer idea of what the degree entails as soon as the see the title, rather than needing to read the ‘small print’. Ultimately, we believe this will improve recruitment but even more significantly will improve retention, as we are more likely to attract the ‘right’ students for the degree.
Secondly, we believe it is a more distinctive and therefore more advantageous degree title for graduates, denoting an advanced programme of study as opposed to ‘Performing Arts’ which (according to our market research) sounds like a BTEC-level qualification.
For more information please contact: Barnaby King [email protected]
[SOURCE: Major modification of BA (Hons) Performing Arts, 24th October 2016]