You learn a lot at university - not just in an academic sense - and we’ve always prided ourselves on the experience we give our students, both inside and outside the lecture theatre.
The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) has commended the student learning opportunities at ÃÛÌÒAV, making us the first British university to meet this high standard, but what does ‘student learning opportunities’ mean in practice?
Broadly, this covers the quality of the teaching, the resources available to students and the overall academic support.
We aim to challenge and stimulate our students on every step of their journey, whether they’re entering higher education for the first time on an undergraduate course or are furthering their studies with a postgraduate qualification.
Many of our staff still work in their industry and, where relevant, conduct research, ensuring they can provide our students with a valuable insight into professional practice, as well as share their expertise on a given subject.
Students are encouraged to undertake placements during their time at university and this is an opportunity that’s open to every undergraduate and postgraduate. We have an extensive team working in our Careers & Employablility Service who support students in not only finding relevant work experience, but also in furthering their careers by providing individual employment advice – something identified as a feature of good practice by the QAA.
Another area highlighted as an example of good practice by the QAA was our communication and interaction with students. We are always looking for ways to improve the student experience and we listen to feedback from the Students’ Union, as well as individuals, to help us develop our academic strategy and policy.
Using student evaluations to help formulate policies means we are constantly evolving and provide a student experience that meets, or exceeds, expectations and that’s relevant in today’s world. As well as applying to the way we teach courses, it also relates to the facilities that support them, with significant investment going into maintaining and updating the resources available for students.