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while two per cent think that it is easier to create this strength of feeling when students are joining classes or other activities online and a further two per cent are unsure. When asked for ways in which their business schools currently seek to instil a sense of community, leaders listed many strategies, including organising events that promote a sense of belonging, for instance ‘memory maker events’; in-class group work with groups changing and students rotating between groups; team-building events, such as introductory weekends before a programme starts; career days and events organised with the alumni association; and recruiting a dedicated community manager. Fostering inclusivity When asked about their business schools’ e orts to nurture inclusive environments, 70 per cent of respondents expressed their belief that inclusivity is easier to achieve when students are on campus than when they are online. Conversely, 15 per cent think that it is easier to create these environments when students are attending business school in a hybrid mode and three per cent think it’s easier when students are online. A further nine per cent don’t think that the study format makes a di erence, while three per cent of business school leaders are unsure. Respondents gave examples of tools and strategies used to promote inclusive environments. These demonstrate a wide array of di erent approaches, including the following: formal policies for inclusion and non-discrimination; scholarships for women, those with financial needs and those from under-represented backgrounds; committees on inclusivity that convene students, sta and faculty; provision of inclusive and user-friendly learning technology to aid learning; and using team-based approaches to case study work, where all members are encouraged to participate through shared roles and online presentation.
he proliferation of hybrid learning options and new technology now available hasn’t just a ected how programmes are delivered. A changed landscape has also made a deep impression on student expectations and motivations, meaning that the way learners interact with their
institutions and each other has been transformed. With innovations for a new era bursting on to the scene so rapidly, it’s critical that business schools are pushing in the right direction when it comes to engaging students in their programmes and fulfilling their duty of care towards them. Connected: student engagement and community building at business schools is a new report from AMBA & BGA in association with Cengage and stems from the results of a survey of 155 business school leaders based across the world. The report is designed to illustrate best practices and challenges as business education continues to adapt to evolving circumstances. For schools seeking to straddle the divide between di erent learning formats, it also identifies areas where there is clear room for improvement and o ers insights into the changing role of the physical campus. Creating a sense of community Among responding business school leaders, 23 per cent rate the strength of their business school’s community for students as ‘very strong’, while 46 per cent rate it as ‘strong’. Only seven per cent rate their current sense of community as ‘weak’ or ‘very weak’. However, the vast majority (83 per cent) believe it is easier to create a sense of community when students are on campus. Some 14 per cent say it doesn’t make a di erence if students are online or on campus when building a sense of community,
What types of activities and teaching methods are most e ective in promoting
student interaction and participation?
Wellbeing initiatives
22 | Ambition SEPTEMBER 2023
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