In this episode, I’m joined by Emma Kelly, Communications and Marketing Officer in The University of Manchester's accommodation, to talk about she used Discord to rethink student induction.

Faced with low engagement on Facebook, rising comms fatigue, and inboxes receiving more than 400 emails a day, they trialled a new approach built around real-time, two-way communication.

We explore how the server was set up, how students actually used it, and what happened when thousands joined and started asking questions, sharing information, and supporting each other.

Emma also reflects on what worked, what didn’t, and what they’re changing for the next intake.

We cover:

• Why previous induction comms weren’t working
• Moving from one-way channels to two-way conversation
• Launching and managing a Discord server at scale
• The impact on student experience and staff workload
• Challenges around moderation, volume, and out-of-hours demand
• What’s next for 2026