Student support leads to national award nomination

The Whatuni? Student Awards nomination marks the fourth year in a row for UCEN Manchester.

UCEN Manchester has been shortlisted for a prestigious Whatuni? Student Choice Award for its fantastic work in supporting students during the coronavirus pandemic. 

UCEN Manchester is in the running to win either a Gold, Silver or Bronze badge in the Student Support category, which recognises an institution that has developed comprehensive support programmes for its students during the Covid-19 pandemic. The overall category winner, due to be announced on Tuesday 22 June will be awarded £10,000 of student bursaries.

UCEN Manchester was nominated for developing a series of bold initiatives to help students to flourish during the 2020/21 academic year. This included curriculum and mental health support, practical support for students needing IT assistance or additional financial help, the creation of an online Summer School, and a Covid-safe celebration event for graduates to ensure they still felt recognised.

This cross-departmental activity aimed to minimise disruption to studies, focus on student wellbeing and mental health, and ensure students did not lose out on their learning experience.

The Whatuni Student Choice Awards (WUSCAs) is the largest student-led alternative to traditional university rankings. This is the eighth year the awards have celebrated institutions that go above and beyond in support of their students.

Michael Walsh, Dean of UCEN Manchester, said: “We are delighted that the award’s student judging panel have nominated us for supporting our students during what has been a very challenging year for all.

“In these unprecedented times it was clear to us that our students needed an unprecedented response to ensure that they could not only continue accessing their courses but also to ensure that they had a comprehensive and extensive range of support in place to be able to deal with the pressures and challenges that the pandemic placed upon them.

As an institution we passionately believe in “different” - whether that is providing a different offer for students or making a difference to students lives in a positive way.   

“The WUSCAS are the Oscars of the Higher Education sector and mean so much due to recognition by students of our tireless work to provide a personal and supportive learning environment for all.” 

The winning institutions will be revealed on Tuesday 22 June during an online award ceremony.