Key messages for NSS 2015
- The College’s Overall Satisfaction increases to 88% (+1% from 2014). This is 2% above the sector average.
- The College ranks 46th in the sector for Overall Satisfaction out of 157 Higher Education Institutions. (Ranking excludes Further Education Colleges and Alternative Providers)
- Percentage satisfaction increases for seven of the eight NSS Question Categories compared to 2014, particularly in Organisation and Management (+3% to 84%) and the Students' Union (+3% tp 78%).
- Percentage satisfaction remains flat in Learning Resources (95%).
- The College increases its Overall Satisfaction in nine NSS subjects from 2014, the greatest increases being in Mechanical Engineering (+8% to 96%) and Biochemistry (+8% to 85%).
- The College had a higher level of Overall Satisfaction than the sector average in 11 NSS subjects.
- The overall College response rate was 77% (-7% from 2014) with 1,655 respondents.
Institutional level results
The College improved its results in all NSS question categories in NSS 2015 except Learning Resources, which remained flat. Since 2011, the College has seen a general upward trend in the percentage satisfaction in all NSS Question Categories.
This graph shows shows the trend in the College's NSS 2015 Percentage Agree results for the years 2011-2015, in each of the NSS Question Categories. The Students' Union was a new Question Category for 2012.
This graph shows the College's NSS 2015 results for each NSS question category, broken down by the five possible responses to questions (Definitely Agree, Mostly Agree, Neither Agree nor Disagree, Mostly Disagree, Definitely Disagree). The Percentage Agree score is the proportion of respondents answering Definitely or Mostly Agree to a question.
The table below shows the 2015 results for the College for each NSS question, with the change in percentage satisfaction from the previous two surveys. In 2015 the College had a higher percentange satisfaction than 2014 for 10 out of 23 questions. Percentage satisfaction for the Overall Satisfaction increased by +1% in 2015, to 88%.
| NSS Question | % Agree in 2015 | Change since 2014 | Change since 2013 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teaching | 89 | +1 | +1 |
| Staff are good at explaining things | 90 | -1 | +0 |
| Staff have made the subject interesting | 83 | +0 | +1 |
| Staff are enthusiastic about what they are teaching | 90 | +2 | +2 |
| The course is intellectually stimulating | 93 | +1 | +2 |
| Assessment and Feedback | 68 | +1 | +2 |
| The criteria used in marking have been clear in advance | 75 | -2 | +0 |
| Assessment arrangements and marking have been fair | 79 | +1 | +2 |
| Feedback on my work has been prompt | 63 | +2 | -1 |
| I have received detailed comments on my work | 61 | +4 | +4 |
| Feedback on my work has helped me clarify things I did not understand |
62 | +2 | +5 |
| Academic support | 83 | +1 | +4 |
| I have received sufficient advice and support with my studies | 78 | +0 | +4 |
| I have been able to contact staff when I needed to | 91 | +1 | +3 |
| Good advice was available when I needed to make study choices | 78 | +1 | +1 |
| Organisation and management | 84 | +3 | +1 |
| The timetable works efficiently as far as my activities are concerned | 84 | +2 | +1 |
| Any changes in the course or teaching have been communicated effectively | 85 | +3 | +0 |
| The course is well organised and is running smoothly | 84 | +3 | +0 |
| Learning resources | 95 | +0 | +0 |
| The library resources and services are good enough for my needs | 96 | + 0 | +0 |
| I have been able to access general IT resources when I needed to | 96 | +0 | -1 |
| I have been able to access specialised equipment, facilities or rooms when I needed to | 92 | +1 | -1 |
| Personal development | 85 | +1 | +1 |
| The course has helped me to present myself with confidence | 81 | -2 | +0 |
| My communication skills have improved | 84 | -1 | +0 |
| As a result of the course, I feel confident in tackling unfamiliar problems | 88 | +2 | +1 |
| Overall Satisfaction | 88 | +1 | +1 |
| Overall, I am satisfied with the quality of the course. | 88 | +1 | +1 |
| Students' Union | 78 | +3 | +1 |
| I am satisfied with the Students' Union at my institution | 78 | +3 | +1 |
| Response rate | 77 | -7 | -4 |
This graph shows the NSS 2015 results for the College and key group averages, by NSS question category.
This graph shows a breakdown of the NSS 2015 responses for Overall Satisfaction for the College and key group averages. Results broken down by the five possible responses to questions (Definitely Agree, Mostly Agree, Neither Agree nor Disagree, Mostly Disagree, Definitely Disagree). The Percentage Agree score is the proportion of respondents answering Definitely or Mostly Agree to a question.
Comments
The National Student Survey (NSS) provides space for students to provide overall positive and overall negative comments about their experience. Details of the comments College students made will be available in due course.
Subject level results
Select the link below to view the NSS 2015 results for that subject by Question Category, with comparison with previous years and the sector.
Faculty of Engineering
- Aeronautics
- Bioengineering
- Chemical Engineering
- Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Computing
- Earth Science and Engineering
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering
- Materials
- Mechanical Engineering
Faculty of Natural Sciences
Faculty of Medicine
Action plans
The College's action plans based on the results of NSS 2014 are available here: NSS 2014 action plans (internal only pdf).