The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) have today published Performance Indicators for Higher Education in the UK which focus on student access, non-continuation rates and disability.
These indicators, dated from the academic year 2012-13, aim to provide consistent and reliable measures of performance which are updated annually to identify how individual universities perform against standard national and location-adjusted benchmarks.
Indicators for research and employment indicators are due to be updated in July 2014.
The overall performance of the University of Southampton is mixed, with some areas of improvement during the past year.
Amongst the key findings are:
- The proportions of full-time young first degree entrants from state schools have risen in the last year and remain significantly above the location adjusted benchmark (6.4 per cent above benchmark)
- The proportion of full-time first degree entrants from low participation neighbourhoods (both young and mature) decreased in 2012/13 however this figure is still well above the location adjusted benchmark compared to previous years (1.7 per cent)
- Non-continuation rates stayed the same for full-time young first degree entrants who started in 2011/12; however benchmarks slightly increased.
- Non-continuation rates for full-time young first degree entrants from low participation neighbourhoods are higher than those from other neighbourhoods. The University of Southampton is slightly below the sector benchmark in this indicator (-0.4 per cent).
- The proportion of full-time first degree students forecast to achieve a degree slightly decreased in 2011/12 (decrease of 0.5 per cent) but the proportion forecast to leave with no award or transfer continued to fall.
- The proportion of entrants in receipt of Disabled Students Allowance slightly increased in 2012/13. However; the proportion of full-time students in receipt of DSA decreased, whilst part-time students in receipt of DSA increased at a higher rate than previous years.
Further information on all of the HESA Performance Indicators for Higher Education in the UK is available at/from http://www.hesa.ac.uk/content/view/2072/141/