Best practice guide for subject presentations at Open/Offer-Holder Open Days

(a) give a deeper insight into what it is like to study the subject at the University of Exeter by including a broader range of activities than the traditional subject presentation – eg, demonstrations, tours and sample lectures;

(b) have enthusiastic, well briefed and knowledgeable presenters who communicate what is distinctive about their subject at the University of Exeter and who can speak authoritatively and enthusiastically about the programme and answer students’ questions. Students will interpret the presentation content and style as an indicator of the quality of teaching they would receive if they choose Exeter;

(c) include high quality visual aids. Please also ensure that you’re familiar with how the equipment in the lecture theatre works. Equipment failures/problems and dated/poor quality presentation materials send negative signals regarding both the quality of facilities and how up-to-date the department is in its teaching and research;

(d) provide more detailed information rather than simply repeating what is in the prospectus and subject brochure. Graduate employment information is also important in the current challenging graduate job market.

(e) focus on ‘benefits not features’. Do not spend too much time on why students should study the subject in general since in a subject-specific presentation this is largely ‘preaching to the converted’. Rather focus on how studying the subject at the University of Exeter will be different from other institutions: what is your particular ‘take’ on your subject in terms of teaching methods, subject focus, specialist options linked to research specialisms, etc? what tangible benefits will they gain from studying in a research-intensive department? However, please don’t disparage our competitors when outlining the benefits of studying at Exeter as this just demonstrates weakness and insecurity.

(f) include student speakers to talk about student life in the department (as opposed to at University more generally). A dynamic and enthusiastic student speaker will create a more memorable presentation, reinforce your key messages with factual examples and give a deeper insight into student life in the department, all of which can help differentiate you from competitors;

(g) provide copies of presentation slides and ensure subject brochures are available in presentations as well as the information stand. As well as enabling the visitors to concentrate more fully on your presentation, this is an opportunity to remind visitors about the key differentiating features of your programme after the event. Brochures should be available for visitors to collect at the end of presentations, not just on the information stand, since some visitors will not have time to attend the information fair as well as all the talks and tours they wish to fit into the day;

(h) offer alternative ways for visitors to ask questions. Not everyone will have the confidence to ask a question in a large lecture theatre (and some visitors will need to leave promptly to attend another presentation) so make sure you include an email address for further queries as the last slide of your presentation. Some prospective students and parents will value the opportunity to ask questions one-to-one afterwards or at your subject information stand. Staying around to talk individually to visitors adds an important ‘personal touch’ and shows commitment, enthusiasm and a caring approach. For this reason, academic staff should also be available at your subject information stand throughout the day. Although parents may take the lead in asking questions, addressing your replies to the student as well as the parent(s) will make a more positive and personalised impression (students do still have some say in where they choose to study!);

(i) acknowledge diversity. Older visitors may be prospective mature students so pitch your presentation accordingly - don’t assume they are somebody’s parent!

Presentation slides

All presentations should use the University’s PowerPoint slide template.

You shouldn’t be tempted to write everything that you are going to say on the slides as your audience will just focus on reading what the slide says rather than listening to you. Instead, use short bullets as reminders/jump off points on what you are going to say.

It is invaluable to rehearse your presentation ahead of the open day to ensure the length is right. You should also ensure that you’re speaking informally rather than reading from a pre-prepared script as this will help to engage your audience much more.

All presentations should touch on some of the key University selling points that are provided in the powerpoint slide template at the beginning to set the context of the University. However please don’t  say that you’ve been told to say this to get an easy laugh as it will start the presentation on a negative and cynical note – be upbeat and deliver it with the same enthusiasm as the rest of your talk.

Accessibility - Please ensure that your slides are easy to read, particularly in large lecture theatres (eg, avoid large amounts of text on each slide).

If you are showing webpages as part of your presentation, please do so sparingly since these are extremely hard, if not impossible to read for those at the back of large lecture theatres – webpages can be used to illustrate teaching methods/materials and other features of the programme but are NOT a substitute for presentation slides.

Topic guide

Whilst the detailed format and content will need to be tailored to departments’ individual audiences and markets, below is a general guide to the key topic areas that will be of most interest to prospective students and parents.

• Distinctive features of your course (include NSS/RAE/league table rankings); the general University key selling points in the presentation slides template will also be useful here.
• Course structure and content
• Course choice and flexibility (opportunities to specialise or tailor the course to their interests)
• Distinctive/new final year options
• Opportunities to take modules outside their immediate subject area
• Teaching and assessment methods
• No. of hours of lectures/contact time per week
• Size of lectures, seminars
• Personal tutor system and academic support (eg, ‘office hours’ system for personal queries; mentoring or ‘buddy’ system)
• Study facilities (library, computers, labs, etc. plus any special research resources)
• Study abroad opportunities
• How employability is integrated into the programme - general references to how the course develops ‘transferable and key skills’ are less compelling and tangible than distinctive elements such as work placements/projects, guest speakers, field trips, etc. Refer also to the wide range of opportunities organised by the University such as business placements, management training, student activities and volunteering, etc What types of jobs/careers students go into (How many students stay on for Postgraduate study?)
• Student life within the department (subject specific student societies, socials, fieldtrips, etc.). Would be great to have a current student present this section
• Entry requirements including what A level subjects are required/preferred. Be aware that students may also be studying other qualifications such as the IB and that you may be asked about alternative entry requirements. Please ensure you know exactly what the requirements are before going into any detail.

(a) In selective subjects, it is important to strike the right balance between positioning the programme as a high quality course with demanding entry requirements and deterring good students from applying who may at this stage be not be confident of the grades they are likely to achieve.

(b) If the presenter is not an Admissions tutor they should be well briefed on the standard entry requirements. Detailed questions regarding entry requirements and admissions policy issues should be referred to the Admissions Office staff at the stand in the information fair. Hesitant or vague answers will give a bad impression.

(c) If, in responding to detailed questions on the admissions process, you need to refer to the system of centralised admissions, it is important to clarify that the University departments are still responsible for deciding the criteria. The Admissions Office is responsible for the processes and applies the criteria as supplied by the department in order to ensure that each application is considered on its individual merits according to those criteria.

It is important that Exeter subject presentations reinforce the message that Cornwall is an integral part of the University’s activities not an ‘add on’ or the campus students should apply to if they are expecting lower grades. Whilst the vast majority of visitors to the Exeter campuses will have come to hear about the programmes offered in Exeter, the presentation does offer an opportunity to highlight the fact that your subject is also offered in Cornwall but with a distinctive flavour.

Departments offering programmes in Cornwall should ensure that presentations include some general information about these, although, clearly, there will not be time to cover Cornwall programmes in depth; nor would this be appropriate when the majority of visitors will have come to hear about what is offered in Exeter. One or two slides prepared in consultation with Cornwall lead academics should suffice. Refer those seeking more information on Cornwall to the Cornwall Campus stand in the Information Fair and the Cornwall-specific presentation that is being given as part of the Exeter Open Day. Reference can also be made to separate Open Days on the Cornwall Campus.