The results of this year’s National Student Survey (NSS) published today, 9 August, show a welcome improvement in the University’s Assessment and Feedback score.
Our score for Assessment and Feedback has risen by 2.5 points to 71 per cent – a notable increase ahead of the whole sector (+0.4) and the Russell Group (+1.3). Overall satisfaction for the University is 83 per cent.
Amongst subject results, the University is first for overall satisfaction in Archaeology, Biology, Maritime Technology, Molecular Biology, Biophysics and Biochemistry, Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmacy.
This year has seen substantial changes to the NSS, including the addition of three new sections that focus on the Student Voice, Learning Community and Learning Opportunities. Student response to the new survey nationally has seen average scores across the entire higher education sector decline slightly in all areas, which makes meaningful year-on-year comparison of data difficult.
Comparisons within the Russell Group will also be difficult if not impossible this year, as eight member universities do not appear in the institutional level dataset, due to the impact of the NUS-led boycott of the survey.
Professor Alex Neill, the University’s Vice President (Education), said:
“I am very grateful to all of our staff and final-year undergraduate students for supporting the 2017 NSS. This year’s results offer some encouraging signs of improvement in areas where we have focused our attentions, particularly Assessment and Feedback, and there are some excellent results across a range of specific subject areas.
“It is clear, though, that we have a great deal more work to do in a number of areas. At our best, we offer a truly excellent experience to our students, and we need to ensure that this is true across the University.”
Find out the full results of the 2017 NSS, published on the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE).
