The University has received a Silver rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023, awarded by the Office for Students (OfS). This rating recognises our very high quality provision across all student groups, with some outstanding features.
The award comes after a two-part submission from the University and SUSU in February, and follows a previous Silver award in 2018. The TEF panel consider 13 areas in their evaluation, covering a wide range of aspects of Student Experience and Student Outcomes.
Across these 13 areas we were found to be delivering very high quality provision, with some areas considered to show evidence of outstanding provision, including our learning environment and academic support, our support for staff professional development and academic practice and our approaches to supporting student success.
Deborah Gill, Vice-President Education and Student Experience, said:
“I’m delighted we have been awarded a Silver TEF award, and would like to thank everyone who worked so hard to compile the TEF documents.
The feedback on our submission shows that we are delivering great quality teaching and student experience, and is something we should be very proud of as we continue to build upon what we have achieved in these areas and deliver a world class student experience.”
Initiatives that were singled out for praise by the TEF panel include:
- An emphasis on experience-led education that includes field trips and industry visits
- Visiting professor schemes where external experts work with Southampton students
- Partnerships with industry that enhance educational programmes
- Consultation Weeks, when students can receive fresh feedback on any piece of work submitted throughout their degree
- Tailored support for students, including personalised learning plans for disabled students, mentorships and transition support for care experienced students
- A 24/7 Student Hub as a first point of contact for support
You can read more on the TEF website.
The Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) is a national exercise that all higher education institutions take part in every four years to showcase excellence in teaching, learning and student outcomes.