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Encourage your students to complete the NSS 2017

02 Feb 2017

The University’s activity to encourage students to complete the National Student Survey (NSS) 2017 has now launched

students

The survey, which is open to the majority of final year undergraduates, is one of the most important ways we gather feedback from students about their experience of studying and living in Manchester, and respond to any concerns and comments.

The online survey asks about satisfaction with the teaching and learning experience.  Students are also given the opportunity to give positive and/or negative comments on their student experience as a whole, which are extremely valuable.

All students who are eligible to take part in the NSS have received an email from Ipsos MORI, which is running the survey on behalf of HEFCE.

It is important that as many students as possible provide their feedback to ensure that the survey generates reliable information, and we would really like to improve on last year’s response rate of 72%. Results are used to inform improvements to the student experience, compile University league tables and to inform future students' choice of university/course through:

Please encourage eligible students to complete the survey before Sunday, 30 April at:

We know that students often respond better to messages from people they know - so if you tutor, lecture or support students then your help really is important to increase response rates.

Information, advice and promotional materials for School use can be found on:

Here are some of the key messages to share with your students:

  • The NSS provides an anonymised opportunity for students to give feedback, generating an overall picture of the student experience at Manchester as a whole and by programme.
  • The University values the NSS feedback as it enables us to reflect on our strengths and weaknesses and take positive action.
  • Senior leaders use the NSS data to take positive action at all levels of the University. The President and other senior staff use it in Annual Performance Reviews as a Key Performance Indicator for School performance. Vice–Presidents for Teaching, Learning and Students rely on it to continuously monitor the quality of the student experience.
  • NSS data are used to hold key University colleagues accountable for their work to improve the student experience.
  • Our NSS data are publicly available, via UNISTATS and allows prospective students to make informed choices, comparing student satisfaction between their top choices of university.
  • If we don't meet the thresholds for response rates the data will not be publicly available. This means prospective students will not benefit from our current students’ views and opinions.
  • In 2016, 7 out of 10 students filled in the NSS, nationally. There is no other way that students, as a collective voice can influence the current delivery and future of UKHE.
  • As this is a key institutional survey – please try to avoid other surveying with final years during this period.

This year, to encourage students to complete the survey, the University is offering two incentives to students completing the NSS 2017: a prize draw for Amazon vouchers and for each response completed the University will make a £1 donation to charity.