Student satisfaction with university education on rise

http://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/jul/03/students-happy-university-education

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Students are more satisfied with their university education despite the imposition of £9,000 in annual tuition fees – although some disabled and ethnic minority students are less happy than their peers, according to a new report.

The study by the Higher Education Funding Council for England used nine years of data collected from the national student survey of final year undergraduates, covering two million students.

"Overall student satisfaction has increased, but there is considerable variation between subjects of study, and between different student characteristics such as ethnicity," a spokesman for Hefce said.

Since 2005, the largest differences in satisfaction scores has been between subjects. While art and design students have been less satisfied over time, mathematical sciences students have been most satisfied.

Hefce said that when other student characteristics are taken into account, black African ethnic students are happier with their student experience compared with white students, while black Caribbean students are less satisfied. Students with a disability were also less satisfied than those with no disability.

Professor Madeleine Atkins, the chief executive of Hefce, said data from the survey was invaluable for universities and colleges. "It drives curriculum improvement, and enhances the quality of the learning experience for millions of students. It also plays a key role in helping to inform the choices of prospective students," she said.

Sally Hunt, general secretary of the University and College Union, said that over the same period, staff pay had been kept down and resources had been stretched.

"Despite unpopular and chaotic university funding changes from governments in the past nine years, students remain satisfied with their degrees and it is the staff in our universities who deserve enormous credit for that," Hunt said.

"The government and universities cannot continue to simply expect more for less. We need proper investment and commitment to higher education if we are to continue to satisfy students in our universities and be a key player on the world stage."