You and your department can benefit from NSS 2019

Final-year undergraduates have a great opportunity to provide feedback on UCL and their course via the National Student Survey (NSS), which you can complete at www.thestudentsurvey.com.

How do students benefit from the NSS?

The questionnaire only takes around 10 minutes to complete, and includes opportunities to provide written as well as multiple-choice feedback. Ideas from the NSS are considered in the Annual Student Experience Reviews (ASER), and have already been influential in driving improvements at UCL. You can see examples of changes made in response to surveys including the NSS here.   

As well as offering the chance to shape education at UCL, students also benefit from the awards worth between £250 and £1,500 that are granted to departments achieving an NSS response rate of 70% or greater. 

The funds allocated to departments meeting the 70% threshold are transferred quickly so that departments can reinvest the money in ways that benefit final-year students.

Students are given a say in how the money is spent in their department, meaning the funds have been spent in a diverse range of ways.  

How can the money be used?

Many departments use the award funds to help students celebrate the end of their final term as undergraduates. For instance, the School of Pharmacy discounted ticket fees for their graduation ball after receiving their money in 2018.

The Chemical Engineering department also spent their allocation on events, setting up a project end party and a research project submission party for the students. The parties were popular with students, and some staff even joined the celebrations. 

Students in other departments that received the award decided to spend it on memorabilia to mark their time at UCL. The department of Statistical Science, for example, ordered branded UCL Stats 2018 t-shirts for the students graduating that year. Students in departments elsewhere chose to purchase other memorabilia items, including mugs and hoodies.

How can I help? 

You can share your views and push your department toward the 70% threshold for the award by completing your survey today.