Social capital is an important element of going to university, and students can build and gain social capital during their studies. For students, this means building their network and understanding how those connections can help them, academically, professionally and personally.
Students with strong networks experience academic success, access to employment opportunities, receive wellbeing support from their peers, an increased sense of belonging and overcome structural disadvantages.
KCL Social Mobility & Student Success Blog: The Importance of Social Capital
This article provides a clear summary of what social capital is and what it means to students. It also provides suggestions as to how universities can help students translate their social capital into university success.
This academic article looks at how social capital and support networks influence success at university. The review identifies key factors that contribute to academic achievement, key ones being institutional networks and peer relationships. This is something we can take on board at UoP and help to foster.
Inclusive environments help to:
- Ensure equitable access;
- Reduce barriers;
- Promote belonging and engagement;
- Facilitate supportive peer and institutional relationships;
- Enhance academic achievement and
- Support student retention.
UoP Research Outputs: Networking behaviour, graduate employability: a social capital perspective.
University staff can contribute and support students in their endeavours to build their social capital whilst at UoP, which increases their sense of belonging, improves their potential for good graduate outcomes, benefiting the student and the University.
AdvanceHE: The role of social capital in the success of Black, Asian and minority ethnic students.
This is a video of an interactive workshop from 2021, led by Dr Dom Jackson. The workshop covers what social capital is and how it translates to students of colour. Do we actively equip students of colour with role models, facilitators and sponsors? The second half of the video is a discussion on this topic with a panel and participants.
