University news

The University of Glasgow has continued its recent strong showing in the National Student Survey.

According to figures published today, 90 per cent of final year students at the University are satisfied with their course. This puts the University 6th in the UK, with the national average score at 82 per cent.

The result maintains the high score from last year, and sees an improvement in the number of students completing the survey - up four points to 75 per cent.

A total of 10 University of Glasgow subject areas topped their discipline in the UK.

The results were welcomed by Professor Anton Muscatelli, Principal of the University of Glasgow.

He said: “I am delighted at the University’s results in the National Student Survey. The feedback from our students is incredibly important to us and this is a great vote of confidence in the first-class staff we have at the University.

“The University of Glasgow has a reputation for providing a terrific student experience and these results show that the teaching and learning element of that experience is recognised by our students.

“It is pleasing to see that our performance in the survey has been so consistent in recent years, confirming the University of Glasgow as a destination of choice for undergraduate students.

“It is of particular note that this year in 10 out of our 43 subject areas we are top in the UK, and in more than 25 subject areas we have achieved a satisfaction rate of over 90 per cent.

“It is also heartening, and a vote of confidence, to see so many Scottish Universities represented in the top 20. Scotland has some of the very best Universities in the world. This is a major source of national pride, and it is important to see this asset maintained into the future.

 “I would like to thank our staff for their commitment to students and also our students for taking the time to take part in the National Student Survey. As in previous years, we are committed to using these results to make future improvements in the student experience at Glasgow.”

Tommy Gore, President of the University's Students' Representative Council said: 'It's great to see the results from the NSS vindicate what we Glasgow students have known all along - that Glasgow is a great place to study.

“This University continues to give an education which is amongst the best in the world, with staff who are passionate about providing the best learning environment for their students. We at the SRC look forward to continuing to work with the University in the forthcoming academic year to improve this even further.'

The NSS is a national initiative, conducted annually since 2005. The survey runs across all publicly funded Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and participating HEIs in Scotland. Additionally, since 2008, Further Education Colleges (FECs) with directly funded higher education students in England have been eligible to participate.

The survey asks final year undergraduates and students in their final year of a course leading to undergraduate credits or qualifications to provide feedback on their courses in a nationally recognised format. There are 22 questions, relating to the following aspects of the student learning experience:

    * Teaching on My Course

    * Assessment and Feedback

    * Academic Support

    * Organisation and Management

    * Learning Resources

    * Personal Development

    * Overall Satisfaction

Students are also given the opportunity to write comments on their student learning experience as a whole at their university.

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First published: 18 August 2010