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The De Montfort University Student Futures Manifesto

shushma-patel“De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) is proud to be supporting the UPP Foundation Student Futures Commission in its ambition to improve students’ post-pandemic university experience and prepare young people for successful futures.

Co-created with De Montfort’s Student Union (DSU), we have developed a powerful manifesto for DMU, based around our commitments to improving the student journey across five themed areas – from pre-arrival, through to graduation and beyond.

We have started by focusing on a number of immediate, impactful improvements. Supported by the principles of our Empowering University Strategy, we will continue to work with you, our students, the Students’ Union and staff, to strive to make the DMU experience the best it can be.

A big part of this is listening to the student voice – so please look out for opportunities to share your ideas and feedback.”

Shushma Patel, Pro Vice-Chancellor Student Experience

Our Manifesto

We are committed to…

 

1. Providing comprehensive pre-arrival support to all students who have accepted a place at DMU, helping you to hit the ground running when you arrive at university. How?


2. Offering a comprehensive induction to university life; not just at the start, but via in-year refreshes and re-induction at each new level of study. This will prepare you for the teaching you will receive, and how this will be delivered. How?

  • Welcome Week – a festival-style week of in-person introductions, events, networking and support, to help you settle on your first few days at DMU.
  • International Welcome Week – as above but bespoke to students arriving from abroad (plus airport pick-ups and additional orientation events for latecomers!)
  • In-depth Programme and Faculty inductions (with in-year refreshes). You will be able to access campus Wi-Fi and the MyDMU app, a personalised portal and mobile app, giving quick access to services such as the VLE and your timetable.
  • Induction to the Library and the millions of resources, books, films and journals available, as well as staff, to support your study.
  • Continued access to DMU BaseCamp. As the virtual home of induction, re-induction and refreshes, this is an essential tool that will support your extended induction and transition between levels of study.


3. Ensuring that support for mental health and wellbeing is available to all students, via a range of services, allowing you to engage with this in the best way for you. How?

  • The Healthy DMU Hub has been developed as a one-stop shop for all things to do with health and wellbeing at DMU, with access to activities, tips for staying well and bookable 121 appointments with expert staff.
  • DMU recently participated in an Office for Students mental health study, ‘Bridges to Wellbeing’. By listening to DMU students, who told us they would like to access more informal and peer-to-peer mental health support, we were able to introduce a calendar of drop-in sessions and informal wellbeing sessions. These allow students to engage with specialist staff, share tips and network with their peers.


4. Delivering co-curricular activities and opportunities that are an integral part of the wider university curriculum, and accessible to all – we believe there should be something for everyone at DMU. How?

  • Between DMU and DSU you will be able to choose from a broad range of activities, opportunities and societies, to support the development of new networks and communities, whilst also building key skills. Faculty-based events and socials will be key to this, so you can develop strong bonds with your course mates and tutors.
  • As part of your extended induction at DMU, Leicester campus students will be signposted to the thriving arts, heritage and culture scene in the city – right on your doorstep – with special welcome events to help our international students settle into a new environment and community.
  • Our DMU Global programme offers life-changing international experiences, whether these are overseas, virtual, or on-campus; as part of your academic curriculum, or outside of this - with financial and practical support to improve accessibility.
  • As part of DMUsport, you will have access to the DMUactive timetable which offers an array of free recreational activities every week. Sessions cater to individuals who wish to maintain their fitness, indulge in sports, experiment with new activities, and uphold their well-being. Friendly and supportive student leaders, known as "Activators", lead the sessions, which are suitable for individuals of all fitness and experience levels. There are also weekly internal leagues in several sports plus competitive teams who represent DMU.


5. Helping you to understand the employability skills you will gain as part of your course and take advantage of the additional careers’ opportunities at the university, preparing you for life as a DMU graduate. How?

  • We understand that university is your new beginning, with your degree a stepping stone, and our award-winning Careers Team is here to open doors for you and help you to find your dream career; providing support and access to work experience, industry placements, employability mentoring and digital tools for interview and assessment practice.
  • To ensure you really understand the employability skills you will gain as part of your course and wider activities, we have created a Graduate Success Guide. This guide provides a list of extracurricular and career-related opportunities available to you during your time at DMU. These are mapped to the DMU Graduate Attributes, a set of distinctive qualities, knowledge and skills that we aim to cultivate in our students as they progress through their academic journey. The Graduate Success Guide will help you recognise the specific graduate skills you will develop by engaging with each activity. These cover a combination of academic, personal, and professional competencies that are highly relevant in today's ever-changing world.