News

Student satisfaction ratings soar

Essex has climbed into the top 25 universities for overall student satisfaction with the quality of their courses.

The National Student Satisfaction (NSS) survey results for Essex show a significant jump in the overall satisfaction rating to 88% from 83% last year. In addition, the University’s average scores for the other 21 questions that make up the NSS have shown modest improvements.

Alongside the NSS, the University’s own Student Satisfaction Survey (SSS) results of taught students show a similar pattern to previous years, although there is a slight overall reduction in satisfaction ratings. Essex’s Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES) results show students are most positive about the intellectual climate and less satisfied with infrastructure.

Across the surveys, students were most positive about the quality of teaching/supervision. Taught students were most dissatisfied with feedback and assessment, whilst research students were unhappy with the infrastructure available.

This full NSS for final year undergraduates was run for the third time in the spring term of 2008, with results for all institutions published last month. The University’s SSS of other taught students ran concurrently with the NSS for the third time, while Essex took part in the PRES for the first time in March and April 2008.

Full results will be released in the autumn term. Departments are required to consider and respond to the NSS and SSS results as part of the annual review of courses. Departments will then look at the PRES as part of the annual review of research programmes in the spring. Results are also formally received and discussed by the Quality Assurance Committee and the Equality and Diversity Committee.

Further details of the surveys, including copies of the questionnaires, are at: www2/academic/offices/smo/survey.htm

 

Ruth wins solo endurance event

Cyclist Ruth Owen-Evans has triumphed in the toughest challenge she has tackled, a 12 hour solo endurance race.

During the summer, Ruth competed in Bontrager Twentyfour12, a mountain bike race from midday to midnight around an entirely off-road course. Before the event, the University's Sports Development Officer prepared herself mentally and physically with weekly 10 mile time trials, a 28 mile time trial, and a six-hour 95 mile ride, the longest distance she had covered in a day.

The race took place in Plympton, near Plymouth, a course Ruth previously rode in a 50km enduro event. She got quickly into a rhythm and continued strongly for the first four hours. Ruth said: 'I was enjoying the course, my main problem was blisters on the palms of my hands and my back started aching after the first couple of laps.'

She remained focused, with encouraging news halfway through that she was in first place. Though at times exhausted, Ruth continued as daylight turned to darkness and maintained her lead by about ten to 20 minutes.

Despite the bulb in her lights blowing ten minutes before the finish, and the frustration of having to rely on the dim light of her head torch down a steep descent, Ruth battled through to win by around ten minutes. She crossed the line just before 1am after riding 110 miles and 14 laps.

Picture courtesy of Rob Crayton

 

Essex goes stateside

Around 50 alumni attended a reception hosted by the Vice-Chancellor in July at the Cornell Club in New York City.

This marked the launch of the American Friends of the University of Essex, an association to enable the many hundreds of alumni who work in the States an opportunity to network both professionally and socially. The Association will also act as a way by which US residents, corporations and trusts, and foundations can give tax-effectively towards Essex.

The evening was a great success, with alumni of all ages in attendance. Dominic Boyd, Head of Development and Alumni Relations, said, ‘Over the course of two days, the Vice-Chancellor and members of the Development team met scores of alumni who all shared an enthusiasm and respect for the University, with many pledging a donation. I hope the creation of the Association will signal a new era in the University’s overseas alumni relations programme resulting in the development of closer links with those living in the US.’

For additional information, visit: www.essex.ac.uk/alumni. Here there is also a link to the new AFUE Facebook site.

The Vice-Chancellor at t he launch of the American Friends of the University of Essex

Also in the printed October edition of Wyvern:

• University supports football stars of the future
• Unique course rolled out to Southend