Undergraduate students
2009-2010 National Student Survey (NSS) and Student Satisfaction Survey (SSS) Results
Summary Report
Survey results for 2009-2010 indicated that students across all courses continue to be very satisfied with the teaching and training they are receiving. SSS scores (first and second year students) for teaching quality and personal development were 10% above the University average. The School was pleased to note that NSS scores (final year students) for assessment and feedback and academic support (issues in the previous year’s surveys) showed increased satisfaction levels in response to measures taken to address the issues.
Particular good practice commented on by students included the range and quality of industry professionals brought in to work with students on productions and practical projects, the commitment and dedication shown by teaching staff towards their students and the fostering of a strong and supportive atmosphere amongst year group ensembles and in the School as a whole.
Issues in the 2009-2010 surveys were located in two main areas: Organisation and Management and Learning Resources.
A number of issues were related to the provision of central services: the state of the much-loved but high maintenance Hatfields site on the Loughton campus, the general inadequacy of social space and catering facilities, also at Loughton, the lack of parity between the provision of Library services at Loughton and Southend compared to the Colchester campus, the inadequate IT resources and IT support at Loughton compared to the resources available to students at the Colchester and Southend campuses. The School gratefully acknowledges the financial investment the University has made and continues to make in refurbishments to the Loughton campus and the provision of the equally much-loved Clifftown Studios in Southend but there is still significant student dissatisfaction with a number of central services. The School will continue to be pro-active in working with University central services to address the central resource issues raised in the SSS/NSS surveys.
A number of issues, however, relate to internal management issues such as frustration caused by a small minority of staff and students using rooms they have not been allocated or have not booked, notice of course materials not being issued sufficiently far in advance and day-to-day inadequacies in staff-student communications. These issues have been carefully discussed with Student Representatives at Undergraduate Course Monitoring meetings in Loughton and Southend in Term One and by Heads of Course/Skills at the Staff Planning Day held on 15 December 2010. A number of actions have been agreed to address the issues. Heads of Course/Skills and staff have been asked to ensure that they and their teams stick to the published timetable except in unavoidable circumstances. The School will make better use of Student Representatives to circulate day-to-day information about class, timetable and rooms to relevant year groups. Notification of kit lists, essential reading lists and CRB requirements will be brought forward to give students sufficient time to prepare for the start of year. Progress towards addressing these issues will be reviewed at Course Monitoring meetings in June 2011.
Leon Rubin
Director
East 15 Acting School
January 2011
