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Student surveys

The University undertakes the following surveys to provide students with an opportunity to have their say about life at Oxford. Students' views are used by colleges, departments, faculties and the central University services to identify strengths and weaknesses and to put in place changes to help improve your experience of Oxford.

Student Barometer

The Barometer surveys full time undergraduate, postgraduate taught and postgraduate research students. Final year undergraduates are excluded as they are surveyed in the National Student Survey (NSS). The survey is administered by an external company, i-graduate, and enables us to benchmark Oxford student responses against those of 120 other universities. It is a key tool by which the University and colleges receive feedback on the student experience from application to graduation.

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What is Oxford doing in response to recent student feedback?

Technology

You said you wanted more WiFi access, not only in public areas but also in colleges.

  • IT Services have now put in wireless access points across the University, including within NHS premises. They continue to work closely with IT staff in colleges to improve coverage throughout.

You asked that IT skills training be available out of office hours and when you need it.

  • The IT Services teaching team are working to make more of their training materials available online. They also work closely with other training providers in Divisions to ensure that you can find the training (and the information about training) you need.

You told us that WebLearn is used inconsistently across the University and that you would like more study materials to be available online.

  • IT Services is running training sessions and working closely with departments to improve the use of WebLearn and your experience of it as learners. University collections of online lecture recordings, podcasts and videos continue to grow. Oxford University's presence on iTunesU has increased to nearly 2,000 hours of unique material recorded at lectures and events.

You told us that you were using more and more mobile devices and wanted to take advantage of new technology and platforms.

  • IT Services continue to develop the award-winning Mobile Oxford service for all smartphones. Bodleian Libraries have piloted the use of iPads on loan and developed apps to accompany their collections and exhibitions.

Welfare

You told us you wanted more equal access to sporting facilities

Provision has been made to ensure disabled students can access sporting opportunities not currently available in Oxford due either to low levels of participation or lack of available facilities at a time convenient to students. This has led to students being able to participate in wheelchair basketball and football both in and beyond Oxford. We are working to remove barriers and ensure full participation in university life.

Students with specific learning difficulties (SpLD) told us that they wanted a more co-ordinated and consistent service.

Following a special review of arrangements for students with SpLD, the following have been agreed:

  • A standard allowance of 25% additional time in timed examinations;
  • The University will accept diagnostic assessments conducted by specialist teachers’ provided they are no more than 3 years old (UGs) or 5 years old (PGs). This drops the previous requirement that these students be reassessed by a member of the Proctors Panel of educational psychologists.
  • An increase to the staffing at the Disability Advisory Service to employ a SpLD advisor to provide coordinated support for students with SpLD (including study skills) and undertake diagnostic assessments.

Environment

You also told us that we could do more to be eco-friendly.

  • Oxford has set a target to reduce carbon emissions to 33% below 2005/6 levels by 2020-21.
  • In 2011 the Sustainability Team developed an Energy Toolkit to help staff and students meet the University's carbon reduction targets by reducing energy consumption in college and departmental buildings.
  • A new water management strategy sets out a water reduction target of 11% below 2009-10 levels by 2014-15. A waste management strategy will soon be in place to help reduce waste at source and increase recycling rates.
  • IT Services has developed a system to allow machines to be turned off at night and woken up remotely to save energy, and is promoting the use of video-conferencing to save travel budgets.

Academic

Postgraduate taught students said they wanted more feedback.

  • The University and OUSU is exploring through discussion groups this term how students would like to receive feedback.

Research

Research students said they wanted more opportunities to teach, and an easier way to find out about such opportunities.

  • The Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education), departments and colleges are exploring way to co-ordinate and expand the provision of opportunities to teach.

International

Students told us that it is difficult to open a bank account at Oxford.

  • All the five main banks will attend orientation events at the start of Michaelmas term, open late in the first few days, and ensure more staff are available on tills/customer service to open accounts.

Careers

Employers and students told us that their No. 1 priority is work experience/internships:

  • We continue to expand the Oxford University International Internship Programme to over 300 opportunities in 2012, plus many hundreds more that are advertised directly by employers on CareerConnect - the dedicated and exclusive vacancy system for Oxford students and alumni.

The No. 2 priority is gaining business and customer awareness:

  • We continue to expand The Student Consultancy that runs every term with up to 100 students (undergraduate, postgraduate and DPhil) working on projects in small teams with local organisations.

Surveyed students also said they would like more interview experience:

  • So we launched the Recruiter in Residence programme where students can get that practice, and also encourage employers to review CVs and talk about interviews at every one of the ten major Careers Fairs we run each year.

We noticed that female undergraduate leavers were earning less than their male colleagues:

  • So we designed, developed and now run a dedicated Springboard for Undergraduates programme, for 100 students/year to help female students in all walks of life, not just careers but academic and social too.
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National Student Survey

A survey of all undergraduates in the final year of their course. Survey results are made available through the Unistats website for those courses that achieved a response rate of more than 50%.

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Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education

The Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE) survey asks what leavers were doing six months after they qualified from their course to provide detailed analysis of career paths. Reports on the finding are available below:

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Students with disabilities

In Michaelmas term 2010, the University surveyed students with disabilities, long-term health conditions and specific learning difficulties. Students with disabilities 2010 (49kb). Students with any of these impairments were surveyed if:

  • They were undergraduates and in their second year or beyond
  • They were postgraduate taught students on a one year course in the previous academic year, or postgraduate taught students in the second year of a two year course
  • They were postgraduate research students
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Other surveys and feedback

Departments and faculties carry out surveys on individual courses and use lecture questionnaires to gain feedback on the quality of lectures. The views of students are also represented by undergraduate and postgraduate Joint Consultative Committees (JCC).

Colleges collect feedback from students through tutorial evaluation questionnaires, college questionnaires, students and Tutors/College Advisers meetings, and annual meetings between students and their Senior Tutor and/or Head of House.

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Student Self Service

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