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    Student Mindset Conference: Spring Edition agenda

    Clarity wins: What course language really signals to students

    Thursday 30 April 2026 | DoubleTree by Hilton, Cheltenham

    Pastries and coffee from 09:30
    Conference 10.00 – 13:00
    Lunch from 13.00

     

    09:30 – 10:00 | Arrival and breakfast

    Coffee, pastries, and conversation.

    10:00 – 10:10 | Welcome and why this matters now 
    David Penney, Chief Communications and Marketing Officer, UCAS

    • The scale of choice students now face.
    • The importance of clarity in a crowded marketplace.
    • Why course descriptions are back in focus.
    • What you will gain from the morning.

    10:10 – 11:00 | Course is king: How language shapes student choice
    Jo Richards, Senior Insight Lead, UCAS
    Penny Eccles, CEO and Founder, Marketing Partnership

    With over 32,000 Undergraduate courses available through UCAS Search and 6.7 million annual users navigating them, course descriptions play a pivotal role in student decision-making. But what actually resonates when students land on a course page, and what quietly pushes them away?

    In this fast-paced session, Jo will share findings from UCAS’ latest research exploring how students interpret course language, what they prioritise, and where common terminology creates friction.

    You will discover:

    • what students say is missing from many course descriptions
    • which key terms students understand and which cause confusion
    • the types of language that consistently increase appeal
    • the phrases that reduce trust or feel overly promotional
    • what employability genuinely signals to prospective applicants 

    Penny Eccles will translate the insight into practical implications for providers, exploring what this means for your content strategy, governance, and academic engagement.

    You will leave with:

    • a clearer understanding of how students process course information
    • a practical checklist to audit your own course descriptions
    • tangible actions you can take immediately 

    11:15 – 12.05 | Training your academics to create kick-ass course descriptions
    Tracy Playle, CEO and Chief Content Strategist, Pickle Jar Communications

    Many institutions rely heavily on content produced by course directors. Yet academics are not marketers, nor should they be, and the content they create does not always resonate with prospective students.

    In this session, Tracy will explore how to better support your academic colleagues in writing outstanding course content and reduce the demands on your time for copyediting.

    Tracy will explore:

    • why academic course copy often misses the mark
    • how to create shared standards without stifling subject expertise
    • how to move from vague claims to credible, student-centred language
    • practical frameworks you can implement immediately 

    12:05 – 12:25 | Table challenge: Rewrite with clarity 
    Tracy Playle, CEO and Chief Content Strategist, Pickle Jar Communications

    Working in small groups, you will apply the research to a typical course description and reshape it using three key questions:

    • What is real here?
    • Who is this really for?
    • What might need explaining? 

    A fast, practical exercise designed to help you translate insight into action.

    12:25 – 12:50 | Ask them anything

    An open, candid Q&A with Jo Richards, Penny Eccles, and Tracy Playle, focused on:

    • engaging academic colleagues
    • reducing copyediting bottlenecks
    • governance and standards
    • driving culture change in course content 

    12:50 – 13:00 | Final reflections and close
    Angelina Bingley, Director, UCAS Media

    • What this means for the sector.
    • What UCAS is doing next.
    • How we will continue supporting providers.
    • Three actions to take away.

    13:00 – 14:00 | Lunch and networking

    Served outside the conference suite.