First-year phone calls help students access support services

Our Library and Student Services team recently called all first-year students, asking how they are settling in to life at university and ensuring they are getting the right access to support services across DMU.

Starting university is an exciting time for most students, but for some there is a great deal of adjustment to be made to ensure the opportunity of higher education is fulfilled. DMU has a number of services in place to ensure students receive the right support, but with the huge amount of new information to take on board, it’s easy to miss out on all that we offer.

That’s why, during their third week, the Library and Student Services team called all first-year students to see how they were settling in. In total, 4,664 calls were made, with our call handlers managing to connect and speak to 2,088 students. Of these, 16% reported issues, enabling the handlers to signpost them to support services offered by DMU.

These figures were positive on two counts; first, it’s reassuring to know that 84% of our first-year students have settled in well, but secondly, it meant that we were able to speak with those who needed extra support and direct them to appropriate services to help them.

The most common referral was to faculty student advice centres. These are the first point of contact for students, providing professional support and guidance to students on all aspects of university regulations and protocol. Student finance and welfare was also important, with just over 100 referrals to this service, while advice on careers was also high on students’ priorities.

One of our call handlers, Sam Quazi, graduated from DMU in 2024 and so knows all about the pressures of university life. Sam said: “Speaking to the students has been really interesting. They’ve left their families and it’s the first time anyone has asked if they’re ok. They often say “yes” at first, but then soon open up. We tell them what services and support are on offer and it assures them and calms them down. We tell them they’re not alone and that, if they’re feeling something, then others are too. They just need that reassurance.”

Susan Orr, Pro Vice-Chancellor Education and Equalities, went along to see the call handlers in action and was hugely impressed with the service provided. She said: ““Speaking directly to our first-year students this early gives us a helicopter view of their first year experiences at DMU so far and challenges some of them may be facing and the support we can provide. It helps us address any issues before they become too big. It also sends an important message to them that we care and are invested in their learning and wellbeing. We can signpost them to the various avenues of help and support to help them on their way, but, to me, true success will be when I see these students at Curve in three years’ time at graduation.”

If you need help and support then please go online to My Gateway or visit the Student Gateway reception on the ground floor at Gateway House.