What do students really want? Manchester SU reveals the truth about the academic experience here
University of Manchester Students' Union
Your student life, amplified.
Last academic year (2023/24) we launched our EducateMCR campaign engaging over 2000 students about their academic experience and what changes they want to see.?
Students from all faculties responded to our survey, with 811 students from the Faculty of Humanities, 608 students from the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health and 446 students from the Faculty of Science and Engineering.?
This gave us a clear picture across the entire institution and will feed into our 2027 Teaching Excellence (TEF) student submission, the national scheme which encourages higher education institutions to evaluate their progress against student feedback.?
As the Students’ Union (SU) represents students’ academic interests, we use data and insights from our research to inform what we say on behalf of all University of Manchester students on a local, national and even international level.?
So, what did we find??
The good news?
Over 80% of students said they were satisfied with their overall university experience. Satisfaction with the university experience is a combination of satisfaction in multiple areas, such as teaching and learning, social life and accommodation life. ?
87% of students think what they're learning in their courses will benefit them in the future, suggesting that the teaching content is relevant and well-planned.?
There's still work to do…?
However, there's still progress to be made.?EducateMCR helps us collect data to pinpoint what we should focus on for the upcoming year. There were four main themes that stood out in the last cycle...
Varied and practical teaching methods with real-world applications?
Students want teaching methods that replicate what they'd do in the real world, so that they feel prepared for working life after graduation.?
How you can help:?
The Exec Officers want to make information on industrial placements more accessible so students can access a wider range of placements to aid them in their professional journey.??
They are also working with the University’s Careers team to ensure all students are aware of the services on offer and increase the available support for PGR students.?
Tailored academic support?
?Students want personalised learning tailored to their needs. They want in-person options and increased access to academic staff.?
How you can help:?
The Exec Officers want to bridge the gap between students and graduate teaching assistants so that students receive more personalised support. If you have information that you think will help them achieve this, get in touch.?
Better feedback on assessments?
Only 60% of respondents were satisfied with the timeliness of feedback on their work.?
How you can help:?
There are three key solutions the Students’ Union Exec Officers are lobbying for:?
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If you have some examples of good practice in this area, please share these with the Students’ Union.?
Student voice that's listened to and acted on?
?Whilst 50% of respondents felt they could change their course, only 30% agreed this was true at the university level.?
?Students are keen to make university level changes, such as decolonising the curriculum, and Exec Officers Katie and Aisha are working hard to help students influence the curriculum across the university. The SU has hired a Decolonisation Strategy Assistant and they’re in the process of developing the strategy.??
How can you help??
Making change at University level is more complex, but the SU can help. We want more students to submit academic policies through our democratic forum – the Union Assembly.??
?Encourage your students to work with the Students’ Union when they want to make change.
Improved support for mental health?
Only 30% of students surveyed rated their mental health as good or very good. This is a result of a combination of factors, among them the cost-of-living crisis, accommodation issues or balancing part-time work with academics.?
Students also often feel isolated due to an increase in online teaching which removes opportunities for socialising. Students expressed that increased in-person learning would improve their university experience.?
How you can help:?
What's next for Manchester SU??
This year’s EducateMCR 2024 opens 6th of November until 29th of January. Students can complete the survey here.?
Students can tell us their ideas for a better university experience to be in with a chance of winning an iPad, vouchers and gig tickets.?
We’ll be sharing a report with the key takeaways and directional insights from this survey, as well as a dashboard for colleagues to access the data they are most interested in.?
If you’d like to help promote the survey, get in touch at [email protected] .?
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Key takeaways:??
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Any questions? Get in touch with Anna Melenikiotou at [email protected] ?