6.1 Information published by the University/University communications
LUU’s 2004 student written submission designed and employed its own questionnaire and series of focus groups. In 2007, it was decided that this was not necessary as data from several existing student surveys is now available to LUU. Table I shows the various surveys consulted.

There was a concern that part-time students in particular were under-represented in the existing data. The University’s Lifelong Learning Centre (LLC) ran its own part-time students Programme Evaluation in 2006, which provides some useful data but from a small number of respondents. To supplement this, LUU worked with the LLC to design a brief questionnaire which was sent with welcome packs to new and returning part-time students; however response rates were so low that results have not been included in the report.

The 2004 submission states that “evidence suggests that the effectiveness of the academic appeals and complaints procedure is undermined by widespread ignorance amongst students of how to access them…both the Focus Groups and the Academic Procedures Specialist Casework point to the format and language of the regulations as a clear barrier to awareness of important systems” (p. 20). While this submission did not explore this point in focus groups, Academic Procedural casework would suggest this is still very much the case and examples are described in Section 4 of this submission.

It is encouraging that steps have been taken to make this type of information more accessible, for example through the online Taught Student Guide, and that awareness of the PGR Code of Practice has increased significantly since 2004. In addition to concerns raised by the previous survey, however, it is important to note that the format and language of University procedures may not only prevent students from accessing complaints and appeals information, but compromise their ability to understand and consequently explain their circumstances sufficiently when subject to academic and disciplinary procedures.

Learning resources were identified in the 2004 submission as an area in which students were dissatisfied, particularly in relation to IT resources and libraries. This is in contrast with the 2006/7 survey data, in which learning resources come out as the area in which students are most satisfied. Libraries and IT resources both scored well in undergraduate and part-time student surveys and part-time students in particular commented on the excellent standard of libraries. Among part-time students, a recurring issue was the accessibility of these facilities and difficulties with existing book loan periods, however, this appears to be in area in which improvement have been made in recent years.

Like the previous submission, the views from UARs collated for this report suggest that the extent and effectiveness of student involvement and representation varies across Schools.