The survey ecosystem and student engagement: Lessons from UK universities for a changing world
By Dr Helena Lim, Academic Lead, evasys UK
At the evasys DACH Conference in Germany, I was invited, alongside my colleague Bruce Johnson, to provide a UK perspective to an international audience about the lessons learned from UK universities as they adapt to a rapidly shifting higher education landscape.
I began the keynote with a short reference to Who Moved My Cheese? – that well-known, simple story about change – because in many ways, the “cheese” of student engagement has, indeed, moved.
Dr Helena Lim
Across UK higher education, the traditional pillars that underpin student success, namely academic support, wellbeing, belonging and opportunity, are being reshaped by economic pressure, social change and technology. The question for universities now is not whether change is coming, but how prepared they are to navigate it.
A perfect storm of challenges
Our research across a wide range of UK universities uncovered what I call a ‘perfect storm’ of challenges affecting student engagement.
Financial pressures are at the forefront. For institutions, years of frozen tuition fees have eroded the real value of funding, while declining international enrolment has tightened budgets further.
For students, the cost-of-living crisis is affecting every aspect of their experience. Many are working long hours to afford rent and food, leaving little time or energy for study. Engagement data may flag them as “at risk”, but often the real issue lies far beyond the classroom.
Alongside this are mental health and wellbeing concerns. Staff report higher levels of anxiety, isolation and lack of confidence among students, particularly those entering university after the pandemic years. A sense of belonging, once taken for granted, can no longer be assumed.
And then there is technological disruption. The explosion of generative AI tools has challenged traditional ideas of learning and assessment, while also opening new possibilities for personalised feedback and support. Institutions are still finding their footing; balancing innovation with integrity and personal connection.
Rethinking engagement
These pressures are changing how both staff and students define engagement. For many academics, the concept has expanded well beyond attendance or participation. Engagement now encompasses belonging, wellbeing and partnership. Students, in turn, are asking for more meaningful interaction – with each other, with their lecturers and with the institution itself.
One of the strongest themes to emerge from our research was the desire for agency. Students want their voices to matter. They want to see tangible outcomes from the feedback they give – proof that their experiences are shaping real change. When this happens, their sense of ownership and connection to the university grows significantly.
Moving the cheese: Three priorities for the future
To future-proof engagement, universities need to act decisively in three areas:
- 1
Active partnership: Move from consultation to collaboration and co-creation. Engage students as partners in designing learning, policies and experiences.
- 2
Belonging and holistic support: Create spaces, both physical and virtual, where students feel seen, supported and connected.
- 3
Leveraging student voice: Build strong feedback mechanisms and, crucially, close the loop. Communicate back what has changed as a result of student feedback.
These principles are not quick fixes; they represent a cultural shift. But they are the foundation of a resilient and future-ready learning environment.
evasys offers institutions an active tool for supporting development in the above priority areas. Some examples are:
- 1
For active partnership, evasys supports co-creation by facilitating feedback and dialogue, empowering students to have a central role in the feedback process and generating actionable insights to use in enhancing teaching and learning.
- 2
For belonging and holistic support, evasys offers a digital space to gather data on student experience, hearing their voices and facilitating a range of wellbeing surveys such as pre-arrival, student pulse and belonging. Data gathered can then be used to identify risk and offer support and pathways.
- 3
For leveraging student voice, evasys has an in-built closing the loop feature, facilitating quick response to students to demonstrate that their voices have been heard. Additionally, evasys partners with Student Voice AI to provide categorisation and analysis of free-text comments, providing themes and sentiment from students that institutions can act upon.
Conclusion: Learning to move forward
Just as in Who Moved My Cheese?, we can’t wait for the old “cheese” to return. The conditions that once defined engagement have shifted permanently. But within that change lies opportunity – the chance to reimagine what engagement means and to rebuild it on stronger, more student-centred foundations.
At evasys UK, we’re proud to see how many universities are embracing this challenge – listening more deeply, responding more intelligently and strengthening the feedback loop that underpins meaningful engagement.