Learning and Teaching Committee

Subject: NSS 2010

Origin: Programme Quality and Teaching Partnerships Office

The 6^th annual National Student Survey is underway. For Loughborough, it started in the week beginning Monday 1 February. All departments were alerted by email during the week prior, and two pairs of PowerPoint slides from Ipsos Mori were issued to help raise awareness of the survey, one auto-looped pair for plasma screens and another pair, for manual rotation, for staff to use in teaching sessions with finalists. Posters and flyers were also issued for display from the start of the survey.

Just under 3300 Loughborough students will be surveyed this year. The target group is essentially undergraduate finalists. An update on response rates, by subject area and department, will be passed onto departments on a weekly basis from mid-February onwards.

A timeline of promotional and other NSS-related activities is attached.

NSS 2010 - timeline of promotional activities

Week 1 (w/c 1 February) [week 15 of Semester 1]

Launch of NSS at Loughborough: students receive email from Ipsos with direct personal link
email from VC and Students’ Union President to finalists towards end of the week
Notices from PVC(T) and LSU VP(E) appear on student and staff electronic notice-boards
Mini banner on Students’ and Learn homepages for duration of Survey, with links to LU webpage
Registry webpage includes actions taken in response to earlier student feedback, and summary of previous results
Departments, Library and other support services, LSU and imago outlets display posters
Departments asked to use PowerPoint slides (provided by Registry) in teaching sessions; LSU, Library, imago and other support services (and relevant departments) also asked to use them on any plasma screens (e.g. WavyTop, C&BE, T, S & W foyers)
HoDs may wish to email their finalists towards the end of the week or beginning of next week

Week 2 (w/c 8 February) [week 1 of Semester 2]

Ipsos sends reminder to students who have not responded to email
Flyers available for picking up – Library, departments, imago outlets
letter/ article in Students’ Union Label magazine (TBC)
Students’ Union TV features interview between President and VC regarding importance of NSS (TBC)
Continuing: mini banners on Students’ & Learn homepages, Registry webpage, posters, plasma screens

Week 3 (w/c 15 February) [week 2 of Semester 2]

Students who have not yet responded receive text message, including URL to respond online, from Ipsos
Continuing: mini banners, webpage, posters, plasma screens, HoDs’ discretion about contacting students

Week 4 (w/c 22 February) [week 3 of Semester 2]

Students who have not responded receive a postal questionnaire from Ipsos (students are still able to respond online)
Continuing: mini banner, webpage, posters, plasma screens, HoDs’ discretion about contacting students

Week 5 (w/c 1 March) [week 4 of Semester 2]

Possible lecture shout-outs (TBC)
Students’ Union emails finalists(TBC)
Second article/letter for Label magazine (TBC)
Continuing: mini banner, webpage, posters, plasma screens, HoDs’ discretion about contacting students

Week 6 (w/c 8 March) [week 5 of Semester 2]

Ipsos begins telephoning students who have still not responded (students still able to respond online, or by post)
Continuing: mini banner, webpage, posters, plasma screens, HoDs’ discretion about contacting students

Week 7 (w/c 15 March) [week 6 of Semester 2]

Ipsos continues telephoning
Continuing: mini banner, webpage, posters, plasma screens, HoDs’ discretion about contacting students

Week 8 (w/c 22 March) [week 7 of Semester 2]

Ipsos telephoning, concentrating on subject areas with low responses (unlikely at Lboro)
Continuing: mini banner, webpage, posters, plasma screens, HoDs’ discretion about contacting students

Week 9 (w/c 29 March) [Easter vacation]

Ipsos telephoning, concentrating on subject areas with low responses (unlikely at Lboro)
Continuing: mini banner, webpage, posters, plasma screens, HoDs’ discretion about contacting students

End of April: survey finishes

Summer vacation (July/August)

University receives its own results, including placement questions, ahead of Unistats publication
EMG receives summary analysis (no national comparisons possible because data for other HEIs not available at this point); press release on summary results
All HEI & FEC results published on Unistats website, where possible at level 3 of 107 subject areas. Minimum publication thresholds are 50% of respondents and 23 respondents in a subject area
University conducts further analyses, including national comparisons; further press release
National newspapers begin to include results in league tables; Loughborough’s positions used in marketing

Autumn

Students’ open comments, and breakdowns of data by ethnicity, gender, age etc available to University for internal QE use only

Marie Kennedy

January 2010