ID251 Understanding University (or Academic) Culture

The Idea

My idea is a Library and Faculty programme or project or initiative that develops a university-wide framework aimed at helping students immerse themselves in what can be described as "Academic Culture"; that set of behaviours, activities, working methods that can be described as a healthy way of working for students in university life. 

Why This Idea Should Be Considered

There are potentially many overlapping themes involved here that the University has strategies to address - but perhaps this needs to be part of a wider, central, agreed framework that covers all those aspects of bringing students into our educational culture that fosters building your own understanding, literacy and encouraging reading, writing and thinking critically. Many of these strands are often differentiated currently into resources that are tailored for specific times in the academic year, or in the academic journey. Perhaps Keele needs an institution wide resource / statement / framework on developing this, and to create a touchstone as to what our culture is and helping students understand it from the get-go. 

How We Would Implement This Idea

Some sort of cross Faculty and Library / PS working group. 

The Framework would be guiding principles on how we want to live our lives in the learning environment (physical and virtual) at Keele and would be something that we are inviting new students to become a part of as members of our community. 

It could serve as a re-statement of Keele’s educational ethos and values. Themes could consider inclusivity, collaborative, promoting enquiry, respect, openness, non-sectarian, tolerance. 

What Success Would Look Like

A cultural vision statement - what we're about. Plus, a high quality and accessible resource covering all of the educational cultural themes that we want students to become familiar with. Something that is agreed by all Faculties - something that PS teams can point to, something that can create a shared understanding. 

The Keele Academic Culture Framework could have a number of pillars or principles that embody what we want to create as a whole-institution learning environment, physical and virtual. 

A group could consider the pillars of the Framework – Faculties can help develop one that is not tied to any one discipline. These are broad values and principles we would be considering. 

Once agreed, each pillar (and there need not be many) could have a champion that fronts it – say in the form of a statement to endorse it 

Champions from different University centres / stakeholders 

The framework could then reference further material or guidance that already exists (e.g. academic integrity) but then students would see the whole picture and how this aligns with the University’s ethos and values.