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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.

What is Oxford doing in response to recent student feedback?

Technology

You said you wanted more WiFi access. First year students said they wanted to be able to set up you email and connect to the internet more quickly when they arrived at Oxford.

  • Computing Services have now put wireless access points in across the University, including within NHS premises.
  • The Computing Services launched its new email and calendaring service 'Nexus' to all students offering 2GB of space for free.

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

  • The Computing Services developed and launched the award-winning Mobile Oxford service for all smartphones.
  • Oxford University's presence on iTunesU has increased to nearly 2,000 hours of unique material recorded at lectures and events.
  • The blanket ban on peer-to-peer software was lifted and tools such as Spotify are now being used.

Welfare

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 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.
  • The Computing 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

Some students told us that it can be difficult to meet us in normal opening hours, or find the Careers Service too far away.

  • The Careers service changed its opening hours to open late on Thursday evenings to accommodate scientists, and adjusted the opening times of relevant careers fairs eg the Science & Engineering fair stays open until 7pm.
  • The service has  introduced more outreach in departments and colleges: started running sessions at the Exam Schools, fairs in departments, 1:1 meetings in Law Faculty, and a wide range of meetings in colleges.

Often students just want a quick CV review.

  • The Careers service introduced 10 minute CV review sessions and employer-led CV review sessions at most Careers Fairs.

Many students, especially postgrads, are interested in international opportunities.

  • The Careers service introduced an International Careers Day - over 1,500 students attended who were interested in international and development opportunities.
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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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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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