How to work with student reps to promote the National Student Survey
27 Feb 2014
The National Student Survey is now open for most final year undergraduates across the University, and colleagues in Schools and Faculties play a major part in encouraging responses from our students.
In this article, Ed Yates from the Students’ Union gives his tips on working with student reps.
Course Reps are a very useful resource for helping to promote the NSS within Schools and Departments. From our experience of working with Course Reps in the Students’ Union we’ve found that there are a few ways in which Reps can help with promotion and be rewarded accordingly for their help.
- Ask Course Reps to change their email signature to promote the NSS
- Ask Course Reps to do lecture and tutorial shout-outs (if they’re feeling confident!)
- Course Reps can let other students know what positive changes have come about from NSS results in earlier years – provide them with a list if you have one!
- Social media promotion (in their own words, avoiding technical language) to promote the survey itself and promote what their school is doing to encourage survey completion.
It is important to remind Course Reps that the NSS is a great way for students to express their views on their university experience and in no way should Reps seek to influence the responses students give.
It is also important to remember that Reps are doing all of this voluntarily and should not be expected to do an excessive amount of promotion. In order to encourage Reps rewards could be offered, even if it is a something as little as food or a letter of recommendation from a staff member.
Even if you don’t work in an academic School, you can still play your part. Encourage eligible students that you meet to complete the survey at:
You can find more information about the National Student Survey at: