For universities, the student experience is everything
We can define the ‘student experience’ as the overall standard of someone’s educational and social life while enrolled in higher education, and for universities, it’s a key metric for their reputation.
The sector is becoming more competitive at a time when applications for the 2024-25 academic year is the second highest on record. Couple this with rising budget deficits and an uncertain future for the sector, it’s more important than ever for universities to improve the overall student experience.
In the next five years, 73% of prospective students, when choosing which university to attend, will take into account the availability of new technologies. For that reason alone, it makes the implementation of innovative new systems a matter of great importance for higher education institutions.
Unified communications (UC) presents a perfect opportunity for the higher education sector to work from an easy-to-use platform that brings communication channels together. With such a seamless system to hand, students have an easier way to collaborate with both peers and staff to further their higher education journey.
Deploying a student-centric strategy that’s powered by unified communications, or even one integrated with a Contact Centre as a Service (CCaaS) solution, can satisfy student expectations inside and outside of the lecture halls and give them the experience that they rightly deserve.
Advanced administration
With 35% of employees wanting to reduce the number of tools used to do their jobs, unified communication solutions can be instrumental in finding new ways to manage administrative tasks.
By integrating communication channels, including email and voice calls, into administrative platforms, there’s no need for staff to keep moving around from tool to tool when trying to keep track of everything. A centralised way to manage administrative tasks means there’s a lower likelihood of any messages being missed, or any kind of miscommunication.
When using a Unified Communication as a Service (UCaaS) solution, users can enjoy real-time collaboration that allows them to make decisions 2.6 times faster. When the complexity and time-consuming nature of administrative tasks is reduced, universities can enjoy a more efficient and productive way to work. Simultaneously, the student experience greatly improves.
As already mentioned, students can spend more time learning when the administrative side of higher education has been taken care of.
Levelled-up learning
Online learning is on the rise; across the globe, 49% of students have completed some sort of online learning. The way that people attain education changed drastically during the COVID-19 pandemic, as students had to attend lectures away from traditional settings and instead from the comfort of their own homes.
In the education industry as a whole, online learning is the fastest growing market, having grown by 900% since 2000. Although students during the pandemic were deprived of the in-person experiences that comes from attending university, their education could continue.
When a unified communications platform is deployed, students can benefit from a system that not only gives them access to lectures and seminars, but also access course materials in real-time. It’s a vital component of such as system; 84% of students access course materials through online means, and unified communications can support this growing trend among students.
By having easy access to such resources, students have greater flexibility to fit their studies in with external commitments, including their careers or family. Students can engage with content in their own unique ways and learn on their own terms.
With 9 in 10 students reporting an increase in their cost of living, it’s no surprise to see that 56% of students had paid employment while studying. This makes flexible, fully accessible learning even more of a necessity.
Unified communications also improves accessibility among disabled students, who make up 19% of all home students. When students have diverse needs, they need the right tools in place to make sure the educational opportunity is equal to everyone else’s. It all helps create a better student experience.
Tools such as screen readers and real-time captioning makes it easier for all students to participate fully in their education, and make sure that nobody is left behind. With concerns rising over challenges to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ in education gives further impetus for institutions to adopt a UC solution and improve accessibility.
Regardless of their needs and circumstances, students must have the same educational opportunities. Once universities deploy a unified communications solution, students can learn on their own terms though seamless remote learning, or with tools designed to make education more accessible.
When everyone has an equal opportunity to grow and succeed, it helps to build a more connected campus that’s suitable to everyone.
Connected campus
While studying at university, students require the appropriate amount of personal support to have the best experience possible. This support mainly revolves around access to well-being services, which need to be readily available for all students.
In 2010/2011, under 1% of students disclosed a mental health condition; by 2021/2022, that had risen to 5.7%. Academic stress is the leading cause of poor mental health, with 94% of students citing concerns over their studies having a negative impact on their well-being.
Considering mental health is the primary cause of dropouts (25%), that support is very much needed for improving the student experience.
Unified communications don’t just guarantee seamless communication between students and lecturers; it also opens the chance for students to seek virtual counselling and other kinds of advice that can improve their current experience at university.
When students know that they have support readily available to deal with their more personal challenges, that stress caused by academic pressures can start to be relieved.
Connecting students with the wider campus community is relevant both in and out of the classroom, with some unified communications solutions being able to support the integration of social media channels. This gives students the ability to stay in touch with current campus happenings and partake in the wider campus community as well.
When students develop a sense of belonging and involvement, they can build on those foundations for both academic and personal growth.
Recent studies suggest that, compared to expectations, 48% of students have had an experience that’s better in some ways and worse in others. Everyone navigates through higher education in their own unique way, but universities must be always ready to provide crucial support services to those in need.
When the complexity of communicating is removed through a simplified, integrated platform, those services will always be ready. For the wider student experience, it’s more than something that’s nice to have – it’s a requirement.
Exceeding expectations
As outlined in the annual Advance HE-HEPI Student Academic Experience Survey, it makes sense for 48% of their respondents to say their experience, when compared to expectations, was better in some ways and worse in others.
Going to university is a major event in life, and it’s ‘difficult to fully prepare for and may reasonably lead to satisfaction in some aspects and disappointment in others’. Regardless, universities must do everything in their power to make sure experiences exceed expectations.
Unified communications gives universities that power to transform the student experience by helping to create a campus that’s connected and collaborative. Building a learning environment that’s engaging and supportive means students can enjoy a better experience while studying.
Whether it’s improving the administrative process, facilitating remote learning, or providing streamlined support services, unified communications will be an integral factor in giving students the experience they deserve.
A provider like Gamma has the expertise to guide universities, and organisations across the public sector, to find the right unified communications solution for their specific needs and goals. Indeed, if that solution involves communication synergy between UCaaS and CCaaS, then let that be the next step higher education institutions take on the road to digital transformation and a better student experience.
By finding the right platform and working alongside a provider that understands the specific requirements, universities can meet the evolving needs of students, both academic and personal.