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National Student Survey opens on 7 February

01 Feb 2022

A message from Professor April McMahon, Vice-President for Teaching, Learning and Students

National Student Survey

The University’s campaign to encourage students to complete the National Student Survey (NSS) 2022 launches next week (Monday, 7 February) and your support, where you are able, would be greatly appreciated in making sure that we increase our response rates and hear from as many of our students as possible.

Continuing arrangements from last year to reduce burden, we are not required to promote the survey, and IPSOS Mori will implement a booster strategy for any providers at risk of falling below the publication threshold (50% across subjects and as a whole provider) from mid-March.

Whilst we have decided therefore to make local promotion optional, we would please ask for you to encourage students where you can to complete the survey and have their voices heard. We know that students respond particularly well to messages from people they know and communicate with on a regular basis. So, if you tutor, lecture, or support students you really can help improve our response rates.

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.

All students who are eligible to take part in the NSS will receive an email from Ipsos MORI, who are running the survey on behalf of the Office for Students (OfS). However, students do not have to wait for the email as they can complete it anytime by visiting National Student Survey 2022.

The results are used internally to inform improvements to the student experience and externally to compile University league tables and inform future students' choice of university/course through the Discover Uni website. NSS will also be a key metric in the future TEF.

How you can help to promote the NSS to students

Information, advice and promotional materials for school use can be found on the Student Experience Survey on StaffNet.

Here, you will also find clear guidance about how to avoid inappropriate influence.

Key messages to share with students about NSS:

  • 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 areas for improvement, and take positive action where required.
  • Senior leaders use the NSS data to take positive action at all levels of the University. The President and Vice-Chancellor and other senior staff use it in Annual Performance Reviews as a Key Performance Indicator for School performance; and it is reported to Senate and the Board of Governors. Vice–Deans 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 Discover Uni and allow 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.
  • There is no other way that students, as a collective voice, can influence the current delivery and future of UK higher education.

University incentives

This year, the University is delighted to be doubling its commitment to donating to charitable causes as an incentive to students to complete the NSS. The charities have been chosen by our final year students who voted in January 2022 choosing to donate to the following charities/worthy causes.

For each response submitted our University will make a £2 donation to charity. This will be done automatically, and the amount will be split equally between these good causes:

If you have any questions about our University’s surveys, please initially speak with your School survey contact or contact teachingandlearningsurveys@manchester.ac.uk.

Thank you again for your support in ensuring our students’ voices are heard.

April McMahon

Vice-President for Teaching, Learning and Students