Responding to student feedback

The Registry’s surveys team have compiled the following list of practices and suggestions from around the College and elsewhere to help departments with closing their student feedback loop.

Please also see our “Using surveys to enhance the student experience” and “Improving participation rates” pages for further survey advice.

When new surveys open: When asking your students to complete a new survey always mention how the previous survey results have been used and how and when you will consider the current results – see “Improving Participation Rates” for more details

When a surveys close: Send a “thank you email” with headline results, and initial response and details of what will happen with the results next

Handbooks – The registry surveys team can supply a template

Module descriptions – Refer to results and changes made in module descriptions

Hold meetings and announcements - to raise the profile of the surveys, stress their importance and explain what has happened and what will happen. Try doing this at:

• Inductions
• Town Hall meetings
• In lectures

Discuss results with students -

• Staff-Student Committees
• Town Hall meetings
• In lectures
• Focus groups

Develop an action plan with your students and report on progress

Publicise your results and say what will or won’t happen and why

• Via email
• Via your intranet
• On your website
• Try using a “You Said, We Did Style” campaign

The Registry’s survey team would really welcome hearing from you. If you have something which works for your department, please let us know so we can share your good practice across the College.

The Quality Assurance Agency (QAA), working with partners across the higher education sector, has published guidance on how institutions should respond to student feedback (August 2013).

QAA Publication: Responding to Feedback from Students: Guidance on providing information for students (pdf)