16.09.08
NSS 2008: 1994 Group universities keep students satisfied
The 1994 Group has for the fourth year emerged as the leading group of universities in the National Student Survey.
Some 88% of students in the Group’s 18 member universities say they are satisfied with the student experience compared to a national average of 83%.
1994 Group member universities are rated above average in each of the six categories surveyed. This includes Teaching, where they received 88% positive responses (sector average 83%) and Organisation and Management 81% (sector average 73%). The average for 1994 Group member universities for all six categories is 80% (sector average 76%).
Professor Steve Smith, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Exeter and Chair of the 1994 Group, said: ‘The Group's continued success in the National Student Survey is clear evidence of our shared commitment to high quality teaching and an outstanding student experience: we are proud of our achievement. Our members remain determined to do their best to enhance the student experience through investment in members of faculty and in facilities for all of our students.’
The 1994 Group's member universities have improved on their 2007 performance in every category, with Overall Satisfaction increasing by 1.7% and the category average increasing by 2%. The Group achieved the highest rise in positive responses in the categories Assessment & Feedback and Organisation & Management, both of which rose by 2.5%
The Survey is the most reliable guide to the quality of the student experience in UK universities
Notes to Editors
The 1994 Group was established in 1994 to promote excellence in research and teaching. It brings together eighteen internationally renowned, research-intensive universities.
The Group's members are medium-sized institutions, and are generally campus-based. They operate on a human and personal scale, maximising student-staff contact and ensuring an adaptable and inter-disciplinary approach to both research and teaching. Research-led teaching is key to the 1994 Group's mission, and a large majority of the top academics who achieved the Group's outstanding results in the 2001 Research Assessment Exercise teach students.
Member universities are: University of Bath, Birkbeck University of London, Durham University, University of East Anglia, University of Essex, University of Exeter, Goldsmiths University of London, Royal Holloway University of London, Lancaster University, University of Leicester, Loughborough University, Queen Mary University of London, University of Reading, University of St Andrews, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of Surrey, University of Sussex and University of York.
Press enquiries: Tom Norton, Director of Internal Policy Development, 1994 Group. Email: enquiry@1994group.co.uk ; Tel: 0207 164 2094