Every year the secretariat carries out an anonymous survey of the experiences and views of its award holders in the UK. The survey covers all aspects of experience in the UK. Award holders are asked, for example, to rate facilities and teaching at their institutions and give their views on their course of study and overall academic experience. They are also asked about non-academic aspects, such as orientation, welfare advice and social activities along with their experience of the administration of their award. Finally they are invited to comment on their overall experience of living and studying in the UK and what the award has meant to them. Each year an increasing proportion of students respond to the survey.
Results of the survey are presented to the Commission and are also referred to in the Annual Report. A brief account of some of the highlights of the latest year's survey follows:
The table below shows some of the ratings over the years in terms of the percentage of respondents rating each aspect as 'excellent' or 'good' (the remaining options being 'satisfactory', 'poor' or 'very poor').
2000-2007 Surveys: combined ratings for excellent and good (%)
| |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
2005 |
2006 |
2007 |
Selection and placement procedures |
88 |
86 |
84 |
88 |
89 |
96 |
93 |
92 |
The ACU's administration overall |
96 |
95 |
93 |
92 |
93 |
96 |
94 |
95 |
Standard of supervision/teaching |
87 |
85 |
83 |
81 |
87 |
84 |
88 |
85 |
Access to library |
86 |
84 |
86 |
87 |
89 |
91 |
92 |
91 |
Access to computing facilities |
79 |
83 |
88 |
88 |
87 |
88 |
89 |
90 |
Access to laboratories |
87 |
89 |
90 |
89 |
91 |
91 |
92 |
88 |
Academic facilities overall |
91 |
86 |
87 |
88 |
88 |
92 |
93 |
92 |
Course of study overall |
- |
85 |
84 |
81 |
85 |
85 |
87 |
86 |
Academic experience overall |
89 |
90 |
90 |
90 |
91 |
93 |
91 |
93 |
Institution's provision of advice |
57 |
65 |
67 |
66 |
66 |
69 |
70 |
69 |
Overall experience of living in the UK |
84 |
87 |
89 |
88 |
88 |
90 |
92 |
91 |
Distance Learning Scholars and Professional Fellows have distinct surveys, looking at issues specific to their programmes.
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