So far as the diversity of the student body is concerned, for many institutions the 'norm' is no longer the full time undergraduate student aged between 18 and 22. Rather, higher education is characterised by huge diversity of learners, many of whom are mature and studying part time. The profile of each institution is different. The position nationally is described in Patterns of Higher Education Institutions in the UK: 10th Report, published by Universities UK. Paper copies can be obtained from UUK. There will also be copies in your institution.
How an institution regards students is intangible but important. It is possible for an institution to see students as full participants in a collegial learning process or as fee-paying customers of educational services. Either approach is possible (and many institutions may have both in different departments), but they have different implications for how an institution sees and relates to its students.
See also Chapter 3 of Getting to Grips with Academic Standards, Quality and the Student Experience