Sharing information with students

What is it?

Keeping students informed about opportunities, events, and key updates ensures they can make the most of their university experience. From academic support to extracurricular activities and wellbeing services, it’s essential that students are aware of what’s available to them throughout their time at university.

This encompasses the Encounter and Inform parts of the framework- for more information on student roles, engagement tools and anticipated effect check it out.

Why and when to use

Share relevant information with students regularly through appropriate channels, such as;

• in-person sessions
• emails
• learning platforms
• social media

Timely updates at key points in the academic calendar are useful, or when new opportunities arise. Consider where/when they are most likely to see and need the information to maximise its impact.

Remember students are receiving a lot of communication- consider if there is an existing channel you can leverage.

Dos and don'ts

Clear, timely and relevant communication helps students stay informed, engaged, and supported throughout their university experience. By using appropriate channels, a friendly tone, and accessible formats, you can ensure students receive the information they need without overload. This section offers practical dos and don’ts to help you communicate in ways that are inclusive and effective.

What comes after

• Keep the dialogue going- ask students how they feel about your comms- what is/isn't working
• Measure engagement- pay attention to open rates, click rates and include feedback forms to understand which content is most (and least) performing
• Amplify important messages- either across your channels, or through central channels if they are relevant to large groups of students. See more below
• Get your students involved! Consider a student ‘takeover’ of your newsletter or Instagram stories on a relevant topic

Frequently asked questions

Communicating effectively with students can be challenging, especially when engagement is low or time is limited. This FAQ section addresses common questions you may have, from choosing the right channels and timing to using student-led content and encouraging participation. It offers practical tips to help you connect with students in ways that are clear, inclusive, and impactful.

Links and resources

• Azorus CRM email platform– email us if you are interested in receiving training on Azorus
• Brand Portal– ensuring your content is on-brand (login using your @live.warwick.ac.uk address)
• Asset Bank– campus photography (login using your @live.warwick.ac.uk address)
• Content planning template for the academic year
• CanvaLink opens in a new window– useful and easy design tool
• Compassionate communications- review of formal communication and language used

Departmental newsletters

As a department, you will know your students best. Your students are also more likely to engage with your communications than wider university communications, because it's coming from someone they know and trust. Ensure your messaging is personal, and the content is relevant to your cohort of students. Consider filtering your messaging by level of study, where possible – a first-year student may be looking for different information than a final-year student. If you are looking for support with your departmental newsletters, please contact the Student Communications team.

Central student newsletters and channels

The Student Communications team manage a number of channels:

• Newsletters (term-time for UG/PGT, year-round for PGR)
• MyWarwick website (news and key information about student life)
• MyWarwick app (news and alerts)
• Digital screens (most screens across campus)

To submit your content to any of these channels, please see our content submission form (newsletter/MyWarwick) and digital screens form.

Amplifying your messages through central channels

• Together at Warwick – promote your events in the central events calendar
• Submit your content for consideration in the central student newsletter or on MyWarwick (app and/or website)
• Digital screens across campus
• Social media team
• Press team
• Internal (staff) comms
• Doctoral College for PGR comms

Sports clubs and societies

You may wish to share information with particular sports clubs and societies if the information is relevant to those groups. We have over 300 sports clubs and societies at Warwick, with many societies for specific subject areas (e.g., Warwick Physics Society). Many have their own newsletters and other comms channels, and may be open to including relevant messages.

You can search for societies here and contact the society Exec teams. You can also search for sports teamsLink opens in a new window here and contact their Exec!

Digital screens

Digital screens across campus are a visually appealing way to raise awareness of information or opportunities open to all or most students. You can design and submit your screens to be shown as part of the playlists on most digital screens across campus, the Oculus video wall, and the Piazza big screen. For key university events being held on central campus, you can also request a Piazza big screen takeover for a short period of time. Find out more about digital screens.

Social media

Social media helps us to connect, collaborate, and communicate with people from around the world. The social media hub can help you to find information on how the University can support your work on social media and how we use these channels to engage with our community. If you run a University social media account, get in touch with the Digital Engagement team to join the Social Media Community and receive updates from the team.

Course Handbooks

If you’re part of an academic department, one of the main ways to communicate with students is through the course handbook. Shared at the start of the academic year (typically in first year, but useful throughout), it provides key information, policies, expectations, and can signpost support and resources.

You can see the universities Good Practice Guide here, which covers how to structure and present course-specific content so that it's clear and accessible. For any questions, please contact !