In a recent eNews we gave an update on the work our Schools and Faculty have been doing to improve student experiences as part of the Faculty’s local National Student Survey (NSS) action plan, which is based on the University’s 15-point plan.

The action plan focuses on two NSS themes which need particular improvement – ‘assessment and feedback’ and ‘student voice’. Academic and professional services colleagues across the Faculty have been making good progress in implementing the changes needed to address the issues identified, working closely with Students’ Union (SU) representatives.

School student community pages on SharePoint have been expanded and improved to better promote SU School and department academic reps and explain how they can help our students and raise issues to drive positive change. Information and resources to support students before and during the upcoming exam period are also available on the pages.

Mid-semester surveys of our students have led to changes including the introduction of additional academic drop-in sessions, better explanation of programme content and the restructuring of longer teaching sessions to allow more shorter breaks.

Student newsletters have given more opportunities to highlight the improvements being made in response to student comments and surveys, while also providing information on areas including understanding academic feedback so they can make the most of their assessments.

Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG) teams have organised student focus groups, encouraging feedback on areas including student communications, Welcome 2024 and student voice in general, and Schools have supported SU reps’ feedback sessions with students.

The Semester 1 Faculty Forum took place on 27 November, with Fiona Smyth, our Vice Dean for Teaching, Learning and Students, attending. Key discussions included strategies for improving NSS outcomes, enhancing communication between Schools and students, and addressing consistent themes such as timely feedback, assessment clarity, and student engagement. Action points from the forum are being reviewed and shared with Schools for action in Semester 2.

There are many more examples of the excellent work taking place in our Faculty to support our students and enhance their experience at Manchester, and the University Senior Leadership Team continues to monitor progress on our action plan.