S03E02: The changing role of parents in Higher Education

Accommodation Matters brings sector experts together to discuss the Higher Education sector’s key issues through the lens of student accommodation.

This month, we’re taking a deep dive into parents and their role within Higher Education, covering how parents engage in their child’s university experience, what this means for students, and the impact on student accommodation.

Jenny Shaw – our Higher Education External Engagement Director - steps in as host for this episode, and is joined by an expert sector panel made up of:

• Dr Dominique Thompson, GP, author and student mental health expert
• Vicki Johnson, Associate Director of Campus and Residential Services at Leeds Beckett University
• Louise Bena, Chief Marketing Officer at Student Crowd
• Vicki Simmons, Area Manager for Birmingham at Unite Students

You can read more about our Empty Nest Syndrome survey findings on the Unite Students website, as well as Dr Thompson’s parents’ guide to empty nesting.

Student Crowd’s data on the influence of parents can be found here.

Unite Students is the UK’s largest provider of PBSA, housing around 74,000 students in our 173 properties, which are based in 25 leading university towns and cities.

Accommodation Matters was recorded on 15^th November 2021 and produced by Ed Palmer.