Universities UK has responded to the results of the 2017 National
Student Survey (NSS) which show high levels of student
satisfaction and engagement.
The NSS is an annual survey of final-year undergraduates studying
for higher education qualifications at higher education
institutions. Over 300,000 final year students took part in the
survey, which gives fresh insights into student engagement. 84
per cent of respondents said they were satisfied overall with
their course.
Responding to the results, Alistair Jarvis, Chief
Executive of Universities UK, said:
“Student satisfaction remains very high at universities across
the UK. Students rightly expect universities to provide a very
high-quality education. Universities continue to listen to
feedback from students and are striving to further improve and
personalise the learning experience they offer.
“Universities in the UK have a well-deserved international
reputation for high quality teaching and learning. They are all
required to make sure that their provision meets high levels of
academic standards and quality as set out in the Quality Code. In
recent years, universities have increased their focus on the
quality of teaching and invested in learning support. The new
data also allows us to see that there are high levels of
satisfaction across the sector with learning opportunities (84%),
the learning community (77%) and the opportunities for students
to participate in their university (student voice - 73%).
“The new questions in this year’s survey and the boycott of the
NSS in some universities makes a year-on-year comparisons
difficult. For this reason we would urge students and those who
advise them on application decisions to take into account a range
of information about institutions and courses. Ultimately there
is no substitute for speaking to admissions officers, lecturers
and current students to get a feel for the university and
course.”
ENDS
Notes
- The NSS covers
nearly all final-year undergraduates studying for higher
education qualifications at higher education institutions (HEIs),
further education colleges (FECs) and alternative providers in
England and Wales, and HEIs in Northern Ireland and Scotland. The
survey is funded by the four UK higher education funding bodies
(the Higher Education Funding Council for England, the Scottish
Funding Council, the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales
and the Department for the Economy, Northern Ireland), the
National College of Teaching and Leadership and Health Education
England. HEIs in Scotland, Wales and participating alternative
providers fund their own participation in the survey. The
threshold for publication at each institution is that at least 10
students must have responded, and that these should represent at
least half the students eligible to participate.
- Following
consultation and extensive testing, the National Student Survey
2017 includes 10 new questions on ‘teaching on my course’,
‘learning opportunities’, and ‘learning community ’and ‘student
voice’. It also revises the wording of nine further questions on
‘learning resources’, ‘organisation and management’, ‘academic
support’ and ‘assessment and feedback’.
- As a result of
these changes, it is not valid to compare question-level
responses from 2017 with those from 2016 or previous years and
such comparisons should not be undertaken. Further details are
available at www.hefce.ac.uk/lt/nss/
