What is 'the student experience'?

Abstract

The phrase 'the student experience' is increasingly used by governments, universities, and 5researchers. Despite this, there is little consensus about what should be included in 'the student experience' and what constitutes a good experience. This introductory chapter to the Research Handbook on the Student Experience in Higher Education discusses how 'the student experience' is defined and understood by researchers and stakeholders. The chapter emphasises there is no singular or universal student experience at university - students themselves are increasingly diverse as are the institutional contexts within which they are studying. We argue that the most critical elements of the student exp..