Introduction from leeds University Union
LUU welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the Institutional Audit. In writing our submission we have sought to keep student views at the centre of the process, through consulting national and institution-wide surveys and seeking the views of student representatives and feedback from the general student body through an online consultation process.
The submission aims to answer the following 4 key questions posed by the QAA:
Each of these questions is addressed by a section of the submission. The findings from each section are then compared with those of the 2004 Student Written Submission in Section 6. The key points to emerge from our research are summarized, and subsequent recommendations are presented in Section 7.
The submission makes use of data from student surveys, which are described in detail in the Methodology section. Data from the survey questions most relevant to each particular section is presented and discussed. This is supplemented by the inclusion of case studies which illustrate how some of the issues raised affect individual students, as well as an overview of issues arising from LUU’s Student Advice Centre casework. Views from the Union’s Education Officer and student representatives are quoted where appropriate.
Throughout the submission the Learning and Teaching Partnership Agreement is referred to as a means of measuring whether the University is fulfilling the standards set by this document. The relevant parts of the agreement are highlighted at the start of each section. The Conclusions and Recommendations also consider the extent to which the University is fulfilling the vision set out in its Strategy Map.
All of the surveys and documents referred to in the submission are included as appendices; as are some of the larger tables of relevant survey results.
We hope to present the QAA with an overview of the student experience at Leeds which comes directly as possible from students themselves, as well as demonstrating to students the importance of taking part in surveys and engaging with opportunities to feed back.
Alex Randall
Academic Procedures Specialist
LUU Student Advice Centre
Since starting office in July I have been actively involved in the student written submission process. Being involved in the QAA has given me a great opportunity to reflect on what the student experience is like at Leeds University and in what ways it can improve.
Overall, the student experience at Leeds is positive, most students really enjoy their time here and get a lot from both the academic experience and the range of activities on offer. Leeds University Union plays an integral part in student life, and we work closely with the University to continue to try and improve the Leeds experience. Our representative structure is well regarded and assists me in being able to ensure policy is being communicated at various levels.
Whilst the general student experience at Leeds is good there are still areas for improvement. The student written submission highlights some areas for immediate improvement in particular around academic feedback, the personal tutoring system and a more accessible rules and procedures system. One area we focus on is the taught postgraduate experience and the support these students are entitled to during their short stay at this institution. In our submission we have tried to ensure the views and specific needs of PGR and part time students are also adequately reflected.
Our conclusions point to the variability some students experience in one department compared to another. Whilst we understand there is inevitably going to be some disciplinary differences we have seen some schools consistently underperforming in survey results, and believe that some departments could do more to demonstrate the application of the Partnership Agreement.
This is an important document and a useful process to be involved in. I would personally like to thank Alex Randall from the LUU Student Advice Centre for her dedication and hard work pulling this Student Written Submission together. Leeds University Union welcomes the chance to be involved in an important quality assurance process and looks forward to reading the full outcomes of the Institutional Audit report.
Many Thanks
Susan Nash
Education Officer
2007-08
LUU welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the Institutional Audit. In writing our submission we have sought to keep student views at the centre of the process, through consulting national and institution-wide surveys and seeking the views of student representatives and feedback from the general student body through an online consultation process.
The submission aims to answer the following 4 key questions posed by the QAA:
- How accurate is the information the University publishes about itself, such as prospectuses, programme descriptors and advertisements?
- Do students know what is expected of them in order to be successful?
- What is the student experience as a learner like, including teaching and learning opportunities, support received and access to learning facilities?
- Do students have a voice in the institution, and is it listened to?
Each of these questions is addressed by a section of the submission. The findings from each section are then compared with those of the 2004 Student Written Submission in Section 6. The key points to emerge from our research are summarized, and subsequent recommendations are presented in Section 7.
The submission makes use of data from student surveys, which are described in detail in the Methodology section. Data from the survey questions most relevant to each particular section is presented and discussed. This is supplemented by the inclusion of case studies which illustrate how some of the issues raised affect individual students, as well as an overview of issues arising from LUU’s Student Advice Centre casework. Views from the Union’s Education Officer and student representatives are quoted where appropriate.
Throughout the submission the Learning and Teaching Partnership Agreement is referred to as a means of measuring whether the University is fulfilling the standards set by this document. The relevant parts of the agreement are highlighted at the start of each section. The Conclusions and Recommendations also consider the extent to which the University is fulfilling the vision set out in its Strategy Map.
All of the surveys and documents referred to in the submission are included as appendices; as are some of the larger tables of relevant survey results.
We hope to present the QAA with an overview of the student experience at Leeds which comes directly as possible from students themselves, as well as demonstrating to students the importance of taking part in surveys and engaging with opportunities to feed back.
Alex Randall
Academic Procedures Specialist
LUU Student Advice Centre
Since starting office in July I have been actively involved in the student written submission process. Being involved in the QAA has given me a great opportunity to reflect on what the student experience is like at Leeds University and in what ways it can improve.Overall, the student experience at Leeds is positive, most students really enjoy their time here and get a lot from both the academic experience and the range of activities on offer. Leeds University Union plays an integral part in student life, and we work closely with the University to continue to try and improve the Leeds experience. Our representative structure is well regarded and assists me in being able to ensure policy is being communicated at various levels.
Whilst the general student experience at Leeds is good there are still areas for improvement. The student written submission highlights some areas for immediate improvement in particular around academic feedback, the personal tutoring system and a more accessible rules and procedures system. One area we focus on is the taught postgraduate experience and the support these students are entitled to during their short stay at this institution. In our submission we have tried to ensure the views and specific needs of PGR and part time students are also adequately reflected.
Our conclusions point to the variability some students experience in one department compared to another. Whilst we understand there is inevitably going to be some disciplinary differences we have seen some schools consistently underperforming in survey results, and believe that some departments could do more to demonstrate the application of the Partnership Agreement.
This is an important document and a useful process to be involved in. I would personally like to thank Alex Randall from the LUU Student Advice Centre for her dedication and hard work pulling this Student Written Submission together. Leeds University Union welcomes the chance to be involved in an important quality assurance process and looks forward to reading the full outcomes of the Institutional Audit report.
Many Thanks
Susan Nash
Education Officer
2007-08
