BSC Learning and Teaching Network free online seminar

BSC Learning and Teaching Network free online seminar: Creating Student Communities in Criminology.

Hear about innovative ways in which a sense of community has been fostered amongst criminology students in this free online seminar.

The BSC Learning and Teaching Network is delighted to host this free online seminar, that explores a series of innovations in the development of student communities in criminology.

The 90-minute seminar comprises two 30-minute presentations, followed by 30 minutes for questions and networking.

An overview of each presentation is provided below:

What Works for ‘Authentic Belonging’ Enhancement in Criminology?

Christine Haddow and Jackie Brodie (Edinburgh Napier University)

Enhancing belonging and community is an area of strategic priority in research, within institutions and across the HE sector (Campbell, 2019; Robertson et al., 2019). The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown into sharp focus the need to galvanise student communities and enhance belonging to support student attainment and engagement, and as a buffer to mental health challenges (Blignaut et al., 2021; Gopalan et al., 2021). Yet as a concept, belonging remains contested and complex, and insights into its practical enhancement to support the development of communities as we move forward, are limited. In Criminology, a very small body of research has explored belonging or the various communities our students may feel part of (Dabney, Green and Volkan, 2006; Maunder, 2018; van Herpen et al. 2020). In seeking to address this gap, we propose the concept of ‘authentic belonging’, which emerged through the qualitative evaluation of a suite of belonging focused mini-projects conducted at Edinburgh Napier University. This presentation will explore and unpack the meaning of community and belonging in Criminology and provide practical recommendations for their enhancement within the discipline. In doing so, the paper provides a blueprint for criminologists seeking to strengthen the bonds of community for their learner cohorts.

Partners in Crime: Inclusion and Belonging on a Criminology Programme

Suzanne Young (University of Leeds)

This presentation will discuss the Partners in Crime initiative introduced into BA Criminology and Criminal Justice programme in the School of Law at the University of Leeds. Criminology courses are not always diverse, meaning that students can feel marginalized if they don’t see themselves as belonging to the cohort, which can result in feelings of isolation and disengagement. This initiative grew from students wanting a greater sense of course identity and belonging within the School of Law, and a desire to meet other students on the programme. The student led peer support initiative gave new 1st year students the opportunity to meet others in their cohort and in other year groups, whereby they were paired together during induction week. A background to the initiative, how it operated both on campus and online, and the student feedback will be presented while discussing the benefits of peer support to enhance a sense of belonging.

Should you have any queries about this event, please contact Sean Butcher (s.b.butcher@leeds.ac.uk).