National Student Survey

UWS has participated in the National Student Survey (NSS) since 2011. The survey seeks feedback on participants’ courses and learning experiences in a nationally recognised format. NSS results are used by the University to enhance the student experience. They are also published on the Unistats website and used nationally to compile university league tables.

Students to be included in the NSS are selected by the Higher Education Statistics Authority (HESA) through an automated process which identifies final year undergraduates. It may include part-time students who are not exiting from their course.

It generally excludes the following groups of students:

• those studying at postgraduate or further education level
• those included in the NSS in the previous year, whether or not they responded
• incoming or exchange students
• those studying wholly overseas
• those whose expected completion is not in the survey year
• those on a short course, or whose HE experience is less than one year

Eligible students are contacted through their student email address therefore it is important that students check this email account regularly or set up a rule to forward emails on to their own personal email account. Emails will be sent from Ipsos MORI in January.

Students are able to opt out of the survey if they desire but there are many benefits to having your say and helping to shape the education of others.

Participants and their answers remain anonymous at all times and contact details are only used for the purpose of the survey.

The NSS runs from January to April each year.

The survey takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. If you are selected to participate, there are 23 core questions to the online survey. These relate to the following 8 aspects of the student learning experience:

• teaching on my course
• assessment and feedback
• academic support
• organisation and management
• learning resources
• personal development
• overall satisfaction
• students' association

You will also be given the opportunity to provide positive and/or negative comments on your student learning experience as a whole at UWS. These comments are used, together with the results of the survey, to help us identify how we can make improvements.

If you are an eligible student, all you need to do to take part is visit the National Student Survey website, log in and complete the short survey. Go on, have your say!

Your username is your Banner ID and your password is your date of birth in six number format without spaces or punctuation ddmmyy (eg 091284 if you were born on 9 December 1984).

Results from all HEIs are made available by Unistats and form the basis Key Information Sets which are used to promote undergraduate courses across the UK.

A summary of results can also be viewed on the NSS Results page.

In the past, UWS has been voted top in Scotland for student satisfaction, for a number of areas including:

• Broadcast Production
• Chemical Engineering
• Civil Engineering
• Education
• Forensic Science
• Journalism
• Marketing
• Midwifery