This blog post is adapted from a feature by Marketing Manchester from an interview with Dr Josephine Gabi, Reader (Associate Professor) in Education at Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) and a Lead Education Innovation Scholar. Many of you will know that Josie leads the UKAT Special Interest Group for Equity and Inclusion and was instrumental in bringing the 2026 UKAT Conference to MMU. If you are curious about hosting the UKAT conference and are keen to gain an insight into the impact and wider success that it can have on your institution and on your own professional development, please read on.
Enhancing Student Success: What We’re Learning About Effective Advising Models
The cross-institutional project on student advising highlights a sector-wide shift in UK higher education, where advising is becoming central to student success rather than a peripheral support function, driven by regulatory pressures, financial constraints and evolving student expectations. Effective models increasingly emphasise proactive, data-informed outreach—intervening early based on engagement patterns—while recognising that data is only valuable when combined with clear institutional purpose, staff capacity and a coherent advising philosophy. The findings also stress the importance of clarity, consistency and defined baseline provision, particularly in complex or devolved institutions, alongside a growing expectation that advising must demonstrate measurable impact through ongoing evaluation. Despite this move towards systems, metrics and professionalisation, the project underscores that advising remains fundamentally relational, relying on trust, emotional engagement and meaningful staff–student interactions as the foundation for successful outcomes.