National Student Survey: 90% of students are happy with their overall experience at Newcastle University

21-8-2013 — /EuropaWire/ — Newcastle students enjoy their time here so much they have voted the University one of the best in the country for student experience.

The latest results from the National Student Survey (NSS), show that 90% of students are happy with their overall experience at Newcastle University. This places Newcastle in the top 10 for full service universities and the increase of one per cent from last year is substantially above the average of 86% for the university sector.According to over 3,000 students who completed the survey this year, standards of teaching were rated very highly by students, with at least 9 out of 10 saying staff were good at explaining things and that teachers were enthusiastic about their teaching.

In addition, students highlighted learning resources (91% satisfaction), including the library (93% satisfaction) and access to IT resources (92%) as some of the best aspects of their experience. Contact with academic staff was also much appreciated, with a score of 91%.

The Students’ Union also did very well, coming in with a satisfaction rate of 78%, compared with the national average of 68%.

At subject level, 30 of the University’s 48 subject areas scored more than 90%, with three scoring 100% and nine others achieving 95% or better.

Professor Suzanne Cholerton, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Learning and Teaching at Newcastle University, said: “It is great to see that our students are so enthusiastic about their time at Newcastle University and that our Students’ Union continues to be highly valued by our students. We aim to deliver education for life, and every aspect of the student experience makes an important contribution to that aspiration.

“We are committed to investing in our facilities, our teaching expertise and our learning resources to ensure that our students have the best possible opportunities to achieve their full potential whilst enjoying a fully-rounded, enjoyable and formative student experience. Today’s scores confirm the encouraging results we achieved in a recent International Student Survey, showing that we provide an excellent experience for all of our students.”

Key Facts:

• Newcastle University is a Russell Group University
• We rank in the top 20 of UK universities in The Sunday Times 2013 University Guide
• Amongst our peers Newcastle is:
  • 5th in the UK for graduates into jobs (HESA 2011-12)
  • 10th in the UK for student satisfaction
  • Ranked 8th in the UK for Medical research power
  • In the UK’s top 12 for research power in Science and Engineering
• 95% of our students are in a job or further training within six months ofgraduating
• We have a world-class reputation for research excellence and are spearheading three major societal challenges that have a significant impact on global society. These themes are: Ageing and Health, Sustainability, and Social Renewal
• Newcastle University is the first UK university to establish a fully owned international branch campus for medicine at its NUMed Campus in Malaysiawhich opened in 2011
• Our International students put Newcastle University in world’s top 12 (ISB 2011)

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