Our progress
International Student Experience Strategy timeline
February / March 2024: Consultation with our international communities.
March 2024: Draft strategy and recommendations.
April 2024: Draft Strategy considered by the University’s Executive Board.
May 2024: Draft Strategy considered by University Council and Senate.
June 2024: Launch three-year strategy delivery plan.
Steps we are taking
February / March 2024:
Consultation with our international communities.
March 2024:
Draft strategy and recommendations.
April 2024:
Draft Strategy considered by the University’s Executive Board.
May 2024:
Draft Strategy considered by University Council and Senate.
June 2024:
Launch three-year strategy delivery plan.
June 2025:
Update.
Keeping you updated
We’ve been working with your Students’ Guild, Students’ Union and our University communities to deliver on our recommendations.
Here are some of the areas we have made progress on in the last year, as we work to ensure ours is an environment where all our students can discover, grow and thrive.
Equality and diversity
Weekly Intercultural cafés in Exeter and Cornwall.
3,085 international students took part in Guild events, activities and opportunities helping more students find their people, build networks and feel a sense of belonging beyond the classroom.
New Cross-Cultural Awareness training for student-facing colleagues.
Exeter Cultural Festival
Cornwall Cultural Festival
Enhanced communication and support networks.
- Bringing our teams closer together to help students find the most appropriate type of support.
- International Student Ambassadors providing peer-to-peer support at all our International Student Experience events across all campuses.
- International student inductions and other campus events are helping make students aware of important services. Offering more opportunities for students to ask questions and get practical advice.
For example:
writing cafés.
one-to-one assignment tutorials.
short one-to-one sessions to help with a language query.
students supported by the English Language Skills team.
Enhanced communication and support networks.
- Bringing our teams closer together to help students find the most appropriate type of support.
- International Student Ambassadors providing peer-to-peer support at all our International Student Experience events across all campuses.
- International student inductions and other campus events are helping make students aware of important services. Offering more opportunities for students to ask questions and get practical advice. For example:
writing cafés.
one-to-one assignment tutorials.
short one-to-one sessions to help with a language query.
students supported by the English Language Skills team.
Open Feedback
Penryn, St Luke’s, Streatham
Our pop up stands at Penryn, St Luke’s and Streatham campuses invited our students to tell us about their experiences, along with their views on what we’re doing well, and where we could improve.
519 survey responses
Our online survey was open for three weeks, and explored students’ experiences and views around the five strategic themes.
129 attended workshops
In person and online
We delved deeper into the issues at informal workshops, with students and staff, both in-person at Streatham Campus and online.
Student voice
Induction of 272 international Academic Representatives, shaping what education looks like at the University of Exeter.
19 international students hired into student staff roles, making sure our services reflect diverse experiences whilst providing paid employment.
New International Students Society – for international students to find their community, celebrate culture, and make Exeter feel like home.
International student reps spoke at an All-Party Parliamentary Group, to help push for real policy changes that could benefit thousands of future international students across the UK.
The Students’ Guild helped students publish articles in Wonkhe and RGSU, putting their perspectives at the centre of national conversations and influencing decision-makers across the sector, from recent graduate visa changes to housing rights.
Exeter students shaped the questions behind major research from Russell Group SUs and UKCISA – and contributed directly to it through the national survey. Their voices now feature in the final report used to drive policy improvements at universities and in government.
Our Employability team has been consulting international students to enhance their career support.
International Student Advisory Board - Run by the Guild (Devon) and introduced this year by the SU (Cornwall), bringing students and staff together to co-create solutions that improve and enrich the international student experience.
For example:
- We extended our induction programme and made sessions available on-demand – supporting students across time zones and commitments.
- Ran live pre-arrival Q&As and improved arrival information to make joining Exeter smoother and less stressful.
- Made career support easier to find and understand.
- Rebranded “Global Chums” to “International Peer Mentors” to better reflect the supportive, equal community students wanted.
- Introduced clearer takeaways from sessions and new workshops focused on applying for University internships – helping students feel more confident navigating UK systems.
- Published a student-led report to shape future housing plans.
- Trialled a new platform to help students connect with flatmates before arriving – reducing pre-arrival anxiety and making settling in easier.
- Began early work to improve housing storage options and start sharing helpful information earlier in the year.
Sustainability
The Student Sustainability Fund, a partnership between the University and the UPP Foundation was introduced for students to bid for funding for small-scale sustainability projects. Nine projects were funded this year.
Introduction of the Swap Shop at Penryn Campus and Gift it Reuse it in Exeter, where students can give or receive used household items and clothing - especially useful for international students.
The Sustainability team regularly promotes other recycling initiatives and energy conservation measures.
Student services
Work is underway to enhance service accessibility by establishing a single route for all student enquiries.
We have launched an International Student Community and Support team, bringing together the services that provide specialist support to international students.
Data shows international students are making use of wellbeing services, previously felt to have been underused. Work in this area is ongoing.
Targeted support
We have created clearer pre-arrival information and made improvements to our series of pre-departure briefings.
We are extending the length of our international welcome programme and work is ongoing to optimise arrivals and develop a consistent and thorough orientation process.
Our new rent guarantor service through Housing Hand helps international students whose landlord requires a UK guarantor.
To build community and belonging, weekly Intercultural Cafés now take place at our campuses in Devon and Cornwall. We offer a programme of activities for students staying on campus during holiday periods and our pre-departure briefings provide an opportunity for students to connect with other students before coming to the UK.
We provide more information about the costs of living and studying at Exeter, including advice on managing your money at university, tips on how to save money, and where to get support with money worries.
We have created clearer pre-arrival information and made improvements to our series of pre-departure briefings.
We are extending the length of our international welcome programme and work is ongoing to optimise arrivals and develop a consistent and thorough orientation process.
Our new rent guarantor service through Housing Hand helps international students whose landlord requires a UK guarantor.
To build community and belonging, weekly Intercultural Cafés now take place at our campuses in Devon and Cornwall. We offer a programme of activities for students staying on campus during holiday periods and our pre-departure briefings provide an opportunity for students to connect with other students before coming to the UK.
We provide more information about the costs of living and studying at Exeter, including advice on managing your money at university, tips on how to save money, and where to get support with money worries.