Your feedback is changing UCL

Thanks to your feedback via surveys, focus groups, committees and project teams, we have been able to implement a number of positive changes at UCL with

ucl.ac.uk/you-shape-ucl/changes-ucl" target="_self">even more on the horizon. In this special student feedback edition of myUCL we reflect on five of the highlights of the last 12 months and why your feedback is so important.

1. Your health and wellbeing

Some UCL students told us they were struggling with levels of stress and anxiety. So we've recently extended our support services to include a 24-hour advice line service open 365 days a year, evening face-to-face appointments, an online course for managing stress and anxiety and we're working with local NHS services to provide workshops on coping with stress.

2. Accommodation improvements

We have lowered and frozen rents, in the lower price range, on over 30% of our accommodation and 27% of our accommodation is now below £150 per week for the 2016/17 academic year.

The standard letting period has been reduced from 40 to 39 weeks in the next academic year, a real annual saving of 2.5% for every student in halls. Customer service training for all UCL Accommodation staff has been rolled out across the teams and is almost complete and our maintenance and cleaning regimes have been improved and increased.

3. Changes to the UCL Careers Service

Following your feedback we made a number of improvements to the UCL Careers Service, including extending the length of one-to-one careers service appointments, increasing the number of career themed weeks and providing intensive coaching and advice to recent graduates in need of special support.

4. Feedback on your work

The results of student satisfaction surveys, such as the NSS and PTES, tell us that feedback and assessment of your work needs improving. We're currently trialling 'MyFeedback', an online tool so you can see all your feedback easily in one place on Moodle.

We've held a number of feedback and assessment workshops and advice sessions for staff to support them in their roles and all departments are now required to start developing a consistent feedback template, telling you how you can improve your work in the future.

5. Graduation ticket fees

You told us you were unhappy with paying for your ticket when you graduated so we scrapped your ticket fees this year.

Why give your feedback?

As a student you are asked for your feedback throughout your time at UCL, from taking module evaluation questionnaires to participating in national surveys such as the NSS and PTES.  Every response and comment you leave in a national survey is read by your head of department and Professor Anthony Smith, Vice-Provost Education and Student Affairs.  Your feedback is then discussed and used to identify our annual priorities at the Student Experience Committee, as well as being used by your department to make improvements through the Annual Student Experience Review (ASER) .

There are opportunities if you want to take a leading role in making a change too. More than 1,200 of you were Student Academic Representatives (StARs) in 2015/16, ensuring students are effectively represented, and almost 200 students initiated a project to enhance education through the UCL ChangeMakers scheme, which supports and funds students and staff to collaborate on projects.

Professor Anthony Smith, who oversees the student experience at UCL in his role as Vice-Provost Education and Student Affairs said, "We are committed to students being full partners in their education and the future of UCL and we want to encourage students to collaborate with staff and take an active role in our community. 

"We are fortunate to have access to a creative and talented student body and so listening to your views and ideas makes perfect sense. Whether you choose to take a survey or take a more active role in shaping UCL, your voice will be heard and your input is crucial and much appreciated."

We will be keeping you updated with details of any new changes at UCL along with opportunities to give your feedback at the You Shape UCL website.

Sally Mackenzie, Head of Student Engagement, Office of the Vice-Provost (Education and Student Affairs)