In this post, Dr Claire Haggett emphasises the profound impact of building academic relationships between staff and students. Stressing the requirement for sustained interaction, personal engagements, and proactive outreach, she discusses how these efforts not only aid academic success but significantly enrich the university’s learning environment. Claire teaches at the School of Social and Political Science and serves as the Cohort Lead for Honours Sustainable Development students at The University of Edinburgh. This post belongs to the Oct-Nov Learning & Teaching Enhancement theme: Engaging and Empowering Learning at The University of Edinburgh
If I start off this blog by talking about the theme song to the US sitcom ‘Cheers’, it will likely both age me and baffle some of my students (an issue I am facing with increasing regularity). But the idea that you could be at a place where ‘everybody knows your name’ has always resonated with me when thinking about academic relationships between staff and students. Of course, not everybody can know the name of each student – but I think someone should. There should be an academic who knows you, who is interested in you, and who will always be pleased to see you.
I think building these academic relationships takes three things.
Firstly, they need to be based on more than ‘one-off’ interactions. We know that students value ongoing academic support and advice; and as an internationally renowned academic institution, providing this should be absolutely fundamental to what we do. Course organisers, lecturers, tutors, and supervisors provide specific advice. All of this is important. But it’s the ‘ongoing’ bit that can be so crucial. This means getting to know our students, valuing them as learners, and being able to support them through their academic journey.
Secondly, it means working one-to-one. Building relationships means doing something in addition to the cohort events that are the main way in which academics and students interact in the new Student Support Model. We know that group events are valuable, peer support really matters, and that feeling part of a community is vital; but we also know that turn-out is often very low. Cohort events are important, but are never going to meet the needs of every student, no matter how much work or planning or pizza goes into them. They don’t – and can’t – provide the academic support for students that they deserve.
Thirdly, it means staff providing students with a reason to engage. We know that engagement matters. In my subject, we’ve been analysing some data on this – and in the simplest terms, and probably fairly unsurprisingly, students who engage more do better. If they turn up to classes, they get higher marks. But engagement matters outside the classroom too. If students turn up, we can also take steps to promote their wellbeing, check in with them, and make sure they have the support that they need.
The new Student Support Model doesn’t facilitate this – students now need to recognise that something may be wrong, know who to contact, and be in a position to be able to reach out; and of course, those difficulties themselves may make it extremely difficult to be able to ask for help. Students are no longer mandated to meet even infrequently with an academic – at an academic institution. We only chase the ones in real trouble, and there’s no process to catch those who are starting to struggle with their studying, could do with a boost, or who don’t know where to turn to try and do better.
Building academic relationships
This is why an ongoing academic relationship matters so much. It can provide overarching and continuing and tailored advice. It can provide a reason to engage – having a known contact, a friendly face, a place in which you will be welcome and will be valued.
Building these academic relationships is both simple and difficult. What is needed is very often straightforward – being approachable and willing. Having the resources to deliver this is more challenging. It means providing the time and space to be available. It means creating opportunities to be in contact. It means being proactive and reaching out to students. If we need to get students to engage, then it has to be in a way that they will feel is worthwhile, meaningful, and in which they feel comfortable.
But building academic relationships isn’t just about supporting students in need and trying to reach them before things get really bad; for many staff, it’s the most positive and worthwhile and rewarding part of our jobs. Because we get to talk to students. We get to hear about their ideas, their ambitions, their vision. We get to discuss what they might want to explore in their dissertation, the reading they found really interesting, the course they loved. We can talk about what’s working, what could go better, and try and provide some wisdom (or what we’ve learnt and wish we’d known). And we get to be inspired. My students bring me such hope – their energy, their enthusiasm, their belief that things can and should get better – is so encouraging, invigorating, and humbling. The diversity and depth of experience that students bring means not viewing teaching as a hierarchy but a mutual way to learn. Building an academic relationship means an enriched learning and teaching environment – for everyone.
Claire Haggett
Claire is a Senior Lecturer in Sociology and Sustainability in the School of Social Political Science, and Cohort Lead for Honours Sustainable Development students. She was hugely honoured to win the EUSA Teaching Award for Cohort Lead of the Year in April 2024 (and still feels chuffed to bits).
