STUDENT INSIGHT REPORT: THE WELSH STUDENT EXPERIENCE Introduction In this Student Insight Report we focus on the experience of Welsh students at Bangor University, highlighting successes and best practice as well as opportunities for enhancing the experience of Welsh students. ‘Welsh students’ includes both fluent Welsh speakers and learners, and students studying through the medium of Welsh and English.
Sources of Insight One of the key incentives for undertaking this piece of work was a gap in our knowledge around the Welsh student experience, particularly the non-academic aspects. To gain insight, we conducted a comprehensive Welsh student experience survey, designed in collaboration with Canolfan Bedwyr. This insight forms the core of this report, with additional insight from the Undeb Bangor strategy survey, conducted by Redbrick Research, and our ‘Tell us Tuesday’ campaign, a series of short polls on various topics aimed at capturing a snapshot of student feedback. Full details of the insight can be found in appendix 1.
Themes • • • • • • • •
Why students choose Bangor Teaching and Learning Welsh community on campus Undeb Myfyrwyr Cymraeg Bangor Links between community, UMCB involvement and accommodation A Welsh Campus Environment Experiences of Welsh Learners Why students choose Bangor
Why students choose Bangor Bangor’s excellent teaching quality, unique course offerings and vibrant Welsh culture play a key role in attracting Welsh students. Whilst the primary reason Welsh students choose to study in Bangor is to remain close to home, many students chose Bangor for the quality and breadth of the courses, with several students saying Bangor was the best University for their course, was the only place that offered their chosen course, or mentioning specific aspects of their course such as fieldwork opportunities. Many students were also drawn to Bangor