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Institutional Audit / SWS 2008
In November 2007 UBSU collected data from some 2100 students who answered the call to provide information about their experience of being a student at the
We asked for this as part of a wider audit process being undertaken by the Quality Assurance Agency which looks at how the University is managed, academic standards maintained, that students are given the opportunity to succeed in the classroom, through their research and while on placement and the experience and opportunities offered during your time here at the University of Brighton.
Essentially we addressed these areas to help us answer the 4 key questions the audit team want to know about. Also, by UBSU better understanding the student experience we, as your
How accurate is the information the University publishes about itself?
UBSU has no reason to believe, nor state, that the University publishes inaccurate information about itself.
What is the student experience as a learner like?
The student experience as a learner is generally positive. However, there are areas that could benefit from review and improvement.
Support from staff is healthy, large thanks must be attributed to the Personal Tutoring Policy, but there is definite room for improvement where placements are concerned.
We have no doubt that the University’s learning resources will be continually improving and pushing up student satisfaction rates with more money being received and spent every year and the commitment already made to this area has had a positive impact.
The satisfaction of students with the knowledge and expertise of their teaching staff is a tribute to University staff, though there may be an issue to address where the cancellation of scheduled teaching time is concerned.
This should not detract from the fact that the general experience of students as learners is a positive one.
Do students know what is expected of them to be successful?
UBSU believes that, while some Schools may feel the need to reflect on current practises, students are generally provided with good quality information about what is expected of them. This is broadly coupled with appropriate levels of support and guidance that allow students to be successful in their studies.
Do students have a voice in the institution and is it listened to?
We feel that we can state that at Institutional level students do have a voice and it is listened to and acted upon. However, at a course level we note those areas where there has been a positive response but overall we must say that the way in which students views are acted upon can clearly be improved. Finally, in those areas where individual students are in most need of articulating their views, in matters of mitigation, appeal or complaint much work needs to be done before we can honestly say students feel able to express their views in a meaningful way. UBSU intends to use our voice at the institutional level to effect those developments that are clearly needed.
While the overall picture for the
While we don’t have answers for these questions at the moment they are likely to form the basis of the work UBSU undertakes over the coming year in seeking to understand and enhance the student experience here at
Likewise, while there are pockets of absolute excellence within the University, we seek to understand why and where these occur and hopefully use this understanding to drive improvements in those areas that require improvement.
There are 2 areas where UBSU and the University has taken immediate action. Both of these areas fall under the question regarding “student voice”.
First of all, we have overhauled the information we provide on University rules and regulations. It seems that far too many students do not understand how to lodge an appeal should they need to. It seems that students don’t know what might constitute mitigating circumstances nor do they know how to raise a complaint, should this be necessary. UBSU has provided all School offices,
Secondly, we are particularly disturbed that students and student reps don’t feel confident in raising issues of concern at the appropriate levels, nor in many cases do students feel that issues raised are actually listened to. While we don’t have a silver bullet answer for this, Officers of UBSU and the Pro Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs) are trying to tackle this in a way that ensures all students are able to say what they think, without fear of recrimination, in a way that can lead to change where it is needed.
We encourage all students to log on to the Union website and read the Students Written Submission, or at least the summary. We encourage all student reps to make use of the information it contains to seek improvements where necessary at the summer school boards and rep meetings. We also encourage all members of the University community to use this submission as the starting point of a debate about what it is to be a student in the 21st century and how the needs of students should be met today and in the future.
If you would like to comment on any aspect of the submission or would like to contribute to the improvements that need to be made in the course representative system, please contact Sam Forster, Vice President Education and Equalities on s.u.v.p.education@brighton.ac.uk
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