Responding to Student Needs was one of the first Enhancement Themes and ran during 2003-04 alongside the Theme on Assessment. It was comprised of two projects.

The first, Student Needs in the First Year of Study, was launched to examine four priority areas identified by focus groups: induction, personal tutor systems, approaches to integrating student support, and the first year learning experience. Small development teams were established to consider each of these areas. The second project, Student Feedback and Evaluation, involved a group of project officers who collected examples of good practice and innovative approaches from the sector. 

The Theme resulted in two reports - an overview report and an outcome report - both of which include findings from both projects. While these findings and outcomes are not necessarily current, this Theme helped to lay the groundwork for subsequent Themes, most notably The First Year (2005-08) and Student Transitions (2014-2017). The issues explored remain current today, with personal tutoring in particular still an area of developing interest for many institutions.