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Student Experience Report for the College of Science and Technology (semester 2)
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1
UNIVERSITY OF SALFORD STUDENTS’ UNION
STUDENT EXPERIENCE REPORT FOR THE
COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND
TECHNOLOGY
SEMESTER TWO 2011/12
www.salfordstudents.com
2
Contents
What is this report and why have we written it? .................................................................................. 3
The Student Representation System .................................................................................................. 4
Information sessions for staff .......................................................................................................... 4
Students‟ Union Sabbatical Officers ................................................................................................ 4
Student Rep Training and the new Rep Academy .......................................................................... 4
Rep Conference .............................................................................................................................. 5
The Quality Assurance Agency and Institutional Review ................................................................... 5
Rep academy levels by School ....................................................................................................... 6
What do your students say? ............................................................................................................... 7
College concerns ................................................................................................................................ 8
Module composition and assessment ............................................................................................. 8
Staff availability ............................................................................................................................... 8
I.T. issues ........................................................................................................................................ 8
Student involvement in Union democracy .......................................................................................... 9
Students‟ Union Teaching Awards ..................................................................................................... 9
I.T. Issues ......................................................................................................................................... 10
Social Networking ............................................................................................................................. 10
Students‟ Union Annual Awards ....................................................................................................... 11
Transformation and Academic Realignment..................................................................................... 12
Academic good practice : Research ................................................................................................. 12
Research into Welcome week and induction .................................................................................... 13
Students‟ Union Advice Centre ......................................................................................................... 14
Summary of Key Findings ............................................................................................................. 14
Client Group Characteristics ......................................................................................................... 14
College of Science and Technology .............................................................................................. 15
Advice sought by students ............................................................................................................ 16
Postgraduate Research students ..................................................................................................... 17
Vice President‟s roundup.................................................................................................................. 18
Contact us… ..................................................................................................................................... 19
3
What is this report and why have we written it?
Welcome to the second Student Experience Report!
This report is designed to give an overview of the experiences of students within the College of Science and
Technology during semester two 2011/12. Student Experience Reports have been written for each of the
University‟s Colleges, and make use of the following sources of data:
Student Rep statistics Syndicated Induction Research
Student Rep reflective reports (semester two) Students‟ Union survey results
Advice Centre statistics Sabbatical Officer reflections
Advice Centre trends reports (semester two)
As part of our work on Student Engagement, we wanted to ensure that feedback gathered by Reps was
relayed to University staff at programme and school level as regularly as possible. The Students‟ Union‟s
campaign publication „The Salford Bill of Students‟ Rights‟ outlines the key priority areas identified by
students as vital for improving their academic experience. It is with these priority areas in mind that the
Student Experience Reports have been written.
Our mission as a Students‟ Union is „Enhancing Students’ Lives’, and we can only do this by working together
with academic staff to ensure that students‟ views and opinions are taken into account at all stages of
decision making. Our Student Reps give us fantastic positive and negative feedback about their student
experience, and it is essential that this rich information is shared and used to both rectify problems and
champion excellence within Schools.
We were delighted with the warm reception the first edition of this report received, and hope they become an
established method of sharing student opinion between the Students‟ Union and University. It has been a
difficult semester for a variety of reasons, and we believe that effective engagement and communication with
students has never been more important. As always, we welcome feedback on these reports.
Caroline Dangerfield Tom Doyle
President Vice President Science and Technology
4
The Student Representation System
The Student Representation system is a scheme run in partnership with the University but administered by the Students‟ Union. There are currently over 700 Student Representatives at course level. A decision to re-introduce Reps at School level has now been taken, and students for these roles have started to be recruited. School level Reps were originally removed from our structures due to changes in University governance. The need for a Rep at a higher level than programme is of clear benefit, and we
have reintroduced them for the academic year 12/13. Although there are no longer any formal meetings or committees for School Reps to attend, we urge all schools to use them and invite them to relevant meetings at school level. Further information and names of the Reps will be available over the summer.
Information sessions for staff
In order to fully engage with staff who deal with Student Reps on a regular basis, and to update any new programme leaders on the Rep system, we contacted Learning and Teaching managers in each College to ask about delivering a short session to staff. Sessions have been held in the other two Colleges, and are designed to outline the role Representation plays in quality assurance, particularly important given the impending QAA Institutional Review, and ways that staff and Reps can work together effectively. We have yet been unable to gain an opportunity to run these sessions in Science and Technology and hope to meet more staff over the summer months. We urge the College and its schools to seriously consider the value placed on the Student Representation system – we need your help to ensure its continued development and effectiveness.
Students’ Union Sabbatical Officers
Sabbatical Officers are the head of our Student Representation system, in that they use information and feedback from the Student Reps to campaign or lobby for changes on a wider scale. The President and Vice Presidents have regular meetings with the Vice Chancellor and Pro Vice Chancellors and sit on committees at all levels of the University‟s governance structures. The three Vice Presidents are each assigned a College, and regularly communicate with Reps to help with issues or direct and signpost when required. Reps meet their Vice President at the introductory training session. The current Vice President for the College of Science and Technology is Tom Doyle. Information about our annual elections can be found on page 7.
Student Rep Training and the new Rep Academy
As outlined in the last report, a programme of extended skills training was introduced this year – the Rep Academy. We have been delighted by the interest from Reps, and were proud to award 62 with Level 3 certificates at our Teaching Awards in May. A further 243 received training via the Academy and plans for next year‟s sessions are in full swing. Feedback from Reps has been used to make some changes, particularly in the way that the levels are reached, and we hope that an amended system will allow for more flexibility in terms of time and commitment. As Reps are trained to take part in University committees among other tasks, it would be fantastic to receive some feedback from programme leaders and other staff. In a recent survey, only 7 members of staff from the College, and none from CSE responded and gave feedback on the system. We received feedback from other schools and Colleges and will be using it to plan for next year‟s Rep training.
5
As the end of the semester looms, we need staff to be thinking about and planning their Rep recruitment early. As outlined in the last report, we need help with the following: 1. Reps need to be recruited early in the term and their names passed to us for training before they are
expected to attend meetings. The deadline for entering Rep details to the system is the same each year – the first Friday in October (different deadlines exist for January and March intakes). A considerable amount of time is spent chasing schools who have not updated their Rep records, showing a disregard for the importance of the system.
2. Reps should be encouraged to attend training. Reps who attend training will be more prepared to deal with issues raised by their course mates, will have a better understanding of the University‟s processes, and will ultimately be able to participate more fully in SSCMs.
3. Staff Student Committee Meetings should be arranged after training has taken place, and should not clash with student timetables. Reps should not have to choose between a lecture and a SSCM.
4. Minutes from SSCMs should be shared with all Reps in good time following the meeting, and a copy emailed to the Vice President. As well as tracking trends, we need to keep a record of the meetings and other work the Reps are undertaking.
Rep Conference
Two Rep Conferences are held each year; one in November and one the following March. These dates are circulated to all Student Reps, programme leaders and support staff at the start of the academic year.
In March 2012, over 100 Reps attended the conference and took part in a question and answer session with Professor Huw Morris. Information was also gathered from Reps about the changes to the academic handbook, and there were updates about work being carried out by the Students‟ Union and the National Union of Students. The event was a great success and we are already planning next semester‟s programme.
The Quality Assurance Agency and Institutional Review
As most staff are likely aware, the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) will be conducting an Institutional
Review of the University of Salford in the 2012/13 academic year. The review process has a variety of
stages and there are numerous documents and pieces of research that will be submitted by the University.
The QAA considers student input of key importance to its reviews, and QAA staff will be meeting with
Sabbatical officers and other Student Reps during the review process. The Students‟ Union will also be
submitting a „student written submission‟, documenting student opinions on specific issues. In light of this,
the points made above with reference to academic staff „buy-in‟ of the Rep system are even more vital. A
partnership approach to student involvement in quality mechanisms is essential, and schools where there are
gaps in training or recruitment should engage with us about ways to improve this.
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Rep academy levels by School
The figures for this College are varied and while it is pleasing that 65% of the Reps in ELS received training
this year, the percentages for the other two schools are concerning. The figures are worrying because they
indicate that the majority are acting as Reps without undertaking the relevant training and development. This
will seriously impact on their ability to carry out their role, and causes concern for the way the school listens
to the student voice. We urge schools within this College to re-address how Reps are encouraged to attend
training, and to liaise with us about timing and location if these prove problematic.
Rep training this year was carried out at a time and location chosen by each school so there should be no
timetable issues. While we recognise that it is unlikely 100% of students will wish to undertake training for
their role, we expect a figure closer to 60% overall.
Number of Reps by School
Total Reps 2011/12
New Reps 2011/12
% New Reps
trained in 2011/2012
Level 1 (to date)
Level 2 (to date)
Level 3 (to date)
Art and Design 67 47 40% 18 4 5
Humanities, Languages and Social Sciences
74 69 59% 26 6 12
Media, Music and Performance
104 72 35% 21 8 7
Salford Business School
94 81 52% 19 15 15
Salford Law School 12 9 67% 4 2 2
Health Sciences 70 38 20% 12 1 1
Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work
123 68 42% 35 6 11
Computing, Science and Engineering
78 58 42% 21 7 5
Environment and Life Sciences
40 38 65% 16 6 4
Built Environment 42 27 38% 14 2 0
7
What do your students say?
Here is a sample of the comments Reps from the College of Science and Technology made in their end of
semester reports:
“It has been a great experience being able
to speak to other student and carry
forward their worries to the student-staff
meeting. It has been a fulfilling
responsibility.”
Pharmaceutical Science Rep
“More work than was originally advertised,
but still fun, rewarding and installs a good
sense of responsibility.”
Aeronautical Engineering Rep
“Without student reps
changes aren't made to
benefit the students, without
a voice for the students, it is
not possible for it to be
known what changes can be
made”
Quantity Surveying Rep
“The student-staff meetings were very professionally
handled and made us feel listened to and considered
thoroughly. I was very happy by outcomes produced
in them and so were the students I represented.”
Wildlife Conservation with Zoo Biology Rep
“It's good to feel involved with the
organisation of your course. It has also
contributed to me developing a very good
working relationship with the staff in the
department.”
Pure and Applied Physics Rep
“My student rep experience has been
great so far. I have enjoyed speaking to
my peers about academic issues and
meeting other student reps during training
and other interactive sessions.”
Biomedical Science Rep
“It‟s been very good, I have learned how
communication between the student,
teaching staff and the university can be
better enhanced.”
Gas Engineering and Management Rep
“It was a great experience as I have
received responses from students and
they wanted me to help make their
experience better.”
Civil Engineering Rep
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College concerns Student Reps are trained and supported to negotiate changes on behalf of their peers, as well as relay positive
and negative feedback. There are many issues raised by Reps and we acknowledge that the majority of them
are localised, and are resolved promptly. There are other occasions however, when concerns are ongoing
and there is no obvious move towards resolution.
An analysis of the comments and reports submitted by Reps in this College highlighted the following key
concerns. Please note that these issues are listed in order to assist staff in addressing student concerns.
Module composition and assessment
A number of Reps commented on the structure and assessment of modules, particularly where changes have
been made that result in shorter classes/tutorials, or the perception that students are ill prepared for the
assessments. Clashes in submission dates were mentioned, along with uneven weighting of assessment
components e.g. 80% examination where students would prefer a split closer to 50/50 with coursework. There
were also concerns voiced about the merging of some lectures, so that instead of having dedicated classes,
students from a number of programmes would share lectures.
A certain amount of student unrest is to be expected when changes are made to programmes and modules,
and staff should work to reassure students about the reasons and rationale for any changes.
Staff availability
The availability of staff to see students, and time taken to respond to email enquiries was also noted as a
concern among students. Teaching staff often have a variety of other commitments on their time, and we
recognise that students may have unreasonable expectations of the level of support available. It is therefore
vital that staff outline their availability to students, and make a concerted effort to respond to emails and other
contacts in a timely manner. Dissertation and other project supervisors should ensure students are aware of
the level of support they can provide, and offer regular feedback on work.
I.T. issues
This area will be covered later in the report, but it is important to note that comments from Reps in this College
were particularly vocal about the I.T. problems that occurred this year, and linked this to their disappointment
with some of the equipment, particularly in terms of the need for software updates.
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Student involvement in Union democracy Getting involved in the Students‟ Union‟s political processes is a fantastic way for students to direct lobbying
and other campaigning activity, and we need our political representatives to reflect the diverse nature of our
student population. We were delighted that a number of students from this College took part in the annual
elections, eleven of whom are now members of the Students‟ Union Council, helping to make key policy and
campaigning decisions for the organisation.
The Students‟ Union annual elections took place in February and March, with over 2700 students casting their
votes online. A collaboration with the unions at the University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan
University was trialled this year, and elections at
all three unions ran simultaneously, sharing
publicity and promotional material. The
collaboration was a success and focused on the
fact that approximately one hundred thousand
students in the Manchester area were eligible to
vote in their elections.
As well as students for our Trustee Board and
Student Council, four new Sabbatical Officers
were elected.
Students’ Union Teaching Awards The winners of the first ever Students' Union Teaching
Awards were announced at a ceremony held in the
International Life Centre on 9 May. Recommended by the
Higher Education Academy (HEA), the awards were created
to recognise and celebrate excellence in teaching,
supervision and support at the University, with all nominations
coming from students.
The day was also an opportunity to recognise the Student
Reps who had achieved level three in their training, the
highest level.
The College of Science and Technology did incredibly well at the
awards winning in the Best Supervisor and Best Teacher categories, as well as receiving a large volume of
nominations for staff across the College. The Students' Union would again like to congratulate all those
nominated and shortlisted and say a big well done to our winners who are listed below:
Best Teacher: Paul Tracey, School of the Built Environment
Best Personal Tutor: Neil Withnell, School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work
Best Supervisor: Song Wu, School of the Built Environment
Best Student Rep: Elaine Norton, Third Year Diagnostic Radiography, School of Health Sciences
Paul Tracey accepting the Best Teacher award
From left to right: Mishal Saeed (VP CHSC), Christina Kennedy (President), Tom Doyle (VP CST) and Eli
Prodromova (VP CASS)
10
I.T. Issues
If there was one issue which generated the most student feedback and comment this semester, it was I.T.
problems. Student comments and concerns about computer and other I.T. facilities are commonly raised with
the Students‟ Union, either directly or through the Rep system. These issues are often localised and can be
resolved at school level.
Between December and March however, the number of comments from students and Student Reps about I.T.
issues increased considerably. The complaints appeared to be common regardless of school or programme,
and focused on specific issues.
Following a request from the Pro Vice Chancellor Academic to provide some evidence of the impact of current
I.T. problems, a short report was produced and sent to the University‟s senior management. The report was
based on a survey and other verbatim comments from students and highlighted issues in the following areas:
Log on times
Lecture disruption (due to staff being unable to get equipment to work)
Printing
The report was accepted by the University, and many of the issues have now been resolved or alleviated,
although no formal apology has been issued. The Students‟ Union is still concerned about the poor
communication to both staff and students about the I.T. issues, and urges all parties to ensure this doesn‟t
happen again.
Social Networking
As well as assisting individual students with problems and issues, the Advice Centre staff at the Students‟
Union regularly meet with staff and Sabbatical Officers to discuss trends or areas of concern that have been
highlighted by their work. Identifying issues in need of addressing is a vital part of our work, and it is through
this mechanism that the topic of „social networking‟ was raised.
The Advice Centre noticed an increase in the number of students facing disciplinary proceedings due to
comments made on social networks including facebook, twitter and youtube. These cases highlighted the lack
of explicit regulations about the use of such digital tools, and the potential „gap‟ in induction information
provided to students.
Students of professional courses are regularly reminded about the consequences of inappropriate use of
social networks, and yet students on other courses receive no such instruction. While cases can (and should)
be dealt with via the University‟s code of conduct for students, or the acceptable use of I.T. policy, it is
apparent that instruction in this area is limited.
As a result, the Advice Centre are in the process of producing a student-friendly document outlining the dos
and don‟ts of social networking. The Sabbatical Officers are also working with GSU on ways to make the
consequences of inappropriate comments more explicit in the regulations. Staff in schools should be
reminding students that their profiles online, however „private‟ they believe them to be, may leave them open
to disciplinary consequences.
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Students’ Union Annual Awards
The Annual Awards are an opportunity for students
involved in Activity Groups (SAGs), Sports Groups
(SSGs) and Student Media to celebrate the years‟
achievements and present awards in a range of
categories.
Involvement in extra-curricular activities serves not
only to make student life more enjoyable but has been
linked to retention and attainment1. The Students‟
Union‟s activities development unit assists students in
over 80 groups, ensuring they make the most of their
time at Salford and develop identifiable skills along the
way.
Students involved in activity or sports groups can expect to gain experience of running a group, organising
events, handling a budget, fundraising, managing people, engaging members, campaigning, influencing and
lobbying. Students can also improve their skills in leadership, communications, finance, management, dealing
with a diverse range of stakeholders, cultural awareness, project management and delivery.
The winners of the 2012 annual awards were as follows:
New Student of the Year: Amy Hughes
(School of Media, Music and Performance)
Student Journalist of the Year: Amanda Mace
(School of Media, Music and Performance)
Student Activity Group Personality of the Year: Helen Lloyd (Equestrian Team)
(School of Humanities, Languages and Social Sciences)
Sports Personality of the Year: Adam Hughes (Hockey)
(School of Computing, Science and Engineering)
Students' Union Personality of the Year: Joe Kirwin
(School of Humanities, Languages and Social Sciences)
Student Activity Group of the Year: Engineering
Sports Group of the Year: Men’s football (pictured)
1 CBI / NUS (2011)
12
Transformation and Academic Realignment
The University‟s plans to restructure and make cuts in both academic
and professional staff have caused significant upset and unrest
among students this semester. The poor communication of plans,
along with low staff morale meant students found themselves
completely in the dark over many of the proposals. Following our
intervention, meetings between senior management and students in
some of the affected schools have now taken place, and we
anticipate a much more honest and transparent process for the
following difficult months. A copy of a survey undertaken by the
Union can be downloaded via the website
(www.salfordstudents.com), and following discussions at Student
Council, the following statement has been made:
The University of Salford Students’ Union fundamentally believes that this latest round of redundancies at the
University of Salford will significantly affect students. It is naïve to assume otherwise. Indeed, even before
being officially imposed, the redundancy proposals have already begun to negatively impact upon the student
experience. The speed and severity of the proposed cuts has only served to breed staff disillusionment,
something which can only impact upon the service these staff provide to students. The lack of communication
and consultation with students on the part of the University with regard to the cuts has lead to a culture of
misinformation. Students do not know what is happening to their courses, to their lecturers, or even, in the
case of Italian, to their programme of study. The information provided by the University has been
uncoordinated, inaccessible, and generally insufficient to assuage the ever-changing and often inaccurate
gossip circulating around the University and on social media.
The Union acknowledges the University’s dire financial situation, but believes that while equally swift and
equally deep government changes to the landscape of higher education have certainly had a significant
impact, the blame cannot be pinned upon the government alone. Further, these issues do not diminish the
University’s responsibility to full consultation and communication with students in large scale decisions and
changes that have a substantial effect on the student experience.
The Union fully supports the UCU in their campaign to save staff at the University. For the Union however, the
fight goes beyond saving the jobs of individual staff members. We want to ensure that students are at the very
heart of strategic decision making in the University. Students should have a say in the direction their University
is taking – and since they will have to pay triple for a University education from September, this has never
been more important.
Academic good practice : Research
Since November 2011, as part of its work on social policy issues, the Union‟s Advice Centre has been
coordinating a small research project examining students‟ understanding of academic good practice and how
well they are being trained to avoid misconduct. The research project involved nearly 300 students, as well as
statistics and data drawn from other sources. The completed report will be published in mid June, and schools
are urged to consider its findings and recommendations.
13
Research into Welcome week and induction
For the past two years, the Students‟ Union has taken part in syndicated research carried out by a market research company on behalf of a number of students‟ unions. As well as Salford, this year‟s syndicate included Manchester Metropolitan Union, Staffordshire University Students Union and University Campus Suffolk Students‟ Union. In November, first year students from each university were surveyed and asked about their experiences of induction, and the results compared against those in the syndicate. Here is a summary of the findings: At registration:
Four out of five (79%) Salford students (n=614) viewed the enrolment and registration process as „good‟ or „very good‟ overall. However, Salford‟s average score was the lowest of the four universities within the syndicate.
Correlation analysis revealed that the most influential factors on students‟ overall perceptions of the enrolment and registration process were having clear instructions on how to go through the process and getting the student ID card quickly and easily. Areas that were not „top of mind‟ but still found to be subconsciously impacting on overall perceptions of enrolment and registration were speed, efficiency and ease of going through the process.
Induction
Almost a third (30%) of students felt much more prepared for University life after the induction / orientation period, a significantly higher proportion than in 2010 (20%).
Salford students placed the highest importance on having access to a full timetable of where and when classes are held and compared to other universities within the syndicate, students at Salford placed greater importance on having practical information about the city and having detailed information about the campus.
Experiences of first lecture / class
Overall 82% of Salford students provided a „good‟ or „very good‟ rating for the first lecture / class. The average score was in line with the syndicate average. Students within the College of Health and Social Care provided a higher than average rating overall.
Correlation analysis revealed that the key motivators for providing a positive overall rating for the first lecture / class were ensuring that it was interesting and informative, the teaching experience was of a high quality and that students know what is expected of them by lecturers and tutors.
Overall opinions of University life
The vast majority (84%) of students at the University of Salford would recommend the University to their
friends or family members who were considering applying to the University.
Correlation analysis demonstrated the relationship between each of the issues rated throughout the survey and likelihood to recommend. This analysis highlighted that the key influencing factors on likelihood to recommend (and therefore the primary areas for focus) are:
Demonstrating that the University of Salford offers the best Higher Education experience (Feeling that you were receiving a high quality teaching experience; Making you feel confident about your academic future; First lecture motivating and inspiring you; Being made to feel confident that you had made the right choice or University and course).
Clarity of what course entails and expectations (Knowing what your course will actually entail for the whole period of study; The lecture being interesting and informative; Getting information on where and when you would be doing your placements or practices; Being informed of rules and regulations; Providing access to support and guidance; Being made aware of how the course representative system works).
14
Students’ Union Advice Centre The Students‟ Union Advice Centre offers independent advice to students
on academic-related matters. This report seeks to make a comparison
with the previous academic period, 01/01/11 – 30/04/11 in order to identify
trends, highlight specific issues and provide general information for use by
the Students‟ Union and University.
Summary of Key Findings
Advice relating to academic appeals, PMC forms and academic work
continue to occupy a large part of the advisers time. Whereas there were increases in the recorded cases of
PMCs, academic appeals and complaints, there were decreases in the areas of academic work, tuition fees.
Unfair means/unfair means appeals recorded no change in the percentage of cases.
The above picture does not however hold true for individual Schools. Cases involving complaints have
increased in the Schools of Media, Music and Performance (up by 23.5%), Business (8%), Environment and
Life Sciences (20%) and Health Sciences (15%). There was a reduction of 26% in the number of students
approaching the service for complaints advice from Humanities, Languages and Social Sciences. Unfair
means cases have increased for the School of Business (25%) whilst the Schools of Environment and Life
Sciences and Nursing, Midwifery & Social Work have recorded decreases of 25% and 8.5% respectively in
students seeking advice about this issue.
Client Group Characteristics
In this quarter, seventy four percent (74%) of students seen were undergraduates and 26% were
postgraduates. As in the previous quarter (1st January - 30th April 2011) sixty one percent (61%) were mature
students (21+ on entry) with approximately 22% being home/EU undergraduate students. The number of
“standard” (<21 yrs) students remained the same. The number of international postgraduate mature students
seeking our support fell from 17% to 7%. Basic demographics are represented below:
Category
2011 (%) 2012 (%) % Change
Undergraduate 70% 74% +4%
Postgraduate 29.6% 25.8% -3.8%
Mature (21+ on entry) 61.3% 61.2% No change
Standard age on entry 38.7% 38.8% No change
International fees 24% 17.7% -6.3%
Home & EU fees 75.6% 82.3% +6.7%
International Postgraduate Mature 17.4% 6.8% -10.6%
International Undergraduate Mature 3% 1.4% -1.6%
15
College of Science and Technology
School of Computing, Science &
Engineering:
Both the number of students seen
and as a percentage of overall
number of students (for the quarter),
decreased by 15 and 2%
respectively. Advice was sought
primarily around completing PMC
forms (up by 3%), academic work (down by 5%) and academic appeals (down by 4%). The number of cases
brought by postgraduates increased by 10% but of this figure the number brought by international students
fell by 15%.
School of Built Environment:
Although there was a fall in the
number of students accessing the
service, when viewed as a
percentage of the overall number of
students seen this quarter, there was
a 1% rise in the number of students
seen from this School. Of this
number 44% were postgraduates, a
6% increase compared to the similar period in 2011. The number of international students within this group
fell by 3.5%. The number of students seeking advice about PMCs increased by 17% as opposed to
academic appeals which fell by 14%.
School of Environment & Life Sciences:
The number of students seeking
advice fell but as a percentage of the
over number of students seen for the
two quarters, there was no change.
Students primarily sought advice
around completing PMC forms (up by
25%) and complaints (up 20%)
compared to the last quarter where
issues were also around unfair means (down 25%) and academic work (down 5%). The ratio of
undergraduates to postgraduates remained 3:2 in both quarters.
16
Advice sought by students
In both quarters, students sought advice on a variety of issues but primarily on academic appeals, completing
PMC forms, academic work, complaints and tuition fees. Although the percentage of cases relating to unfair
means/unfair means appeals remained the same over both periods, it was evident that the largest
percentage of cases in 2012 came from the School of Business.
Academic appeals: In this quarter the percentage of cases rose by 6%. The School of Nursing, Midwifery
and Social Work account for 58% of the recorded cases. This is to be expected as the completion year for the
March intake does occur during this period. In contrast there was a 14% fall in the number of cases of this
type from the School of Built Environment.
PMCs: The percentage of cases of this type rose by 9% for this quarter. The Schools of Nursing, Midwifery
and Social Work, Humanities, Languages and Social Sciences, Health Sciences, Computing, Science and
Engineering accounted for 53% of these cases. In contrast in 2011, the School of Computing, Science and
Engineering and the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work accounted for 39% of the recorded cases.
Academic work: The proportion of cases fell by 8%. Whereas the Schools of Computing, Science and
Engineering and Nursing, Midwifery & Social Work accounted for 30.5% of this type of enquiry in 2011, this
trend was not repeated in 2012.
Tuition fees: There was a 3% fall in this type of enquiry for 2012. The Schools of Built Environment and
Business were responsible for 61% of these cases in 2011. In 2012, no School stood out on this issue.
Complaints: The percentage of cases rose by 4% in this quarter. The School of Humanities, Languages and
Social Sciences accounted for a third (33%) of these cases in 2011.
Unfair means/unfair means appeals: As a percentage of cases, the figure remains the same for both
quarters. However, the School of Business recorded the highest number of these cases (64%) in 2012. This
is particularly worrying as the number of international students as a percentage of recorded cases for this
School is relatively high (62.5%).
17
Postgraduate Research students
As a Students‟ Union, we are always striving to represent our full membership, and have strategies in place
for engaging with students considered „non traditional‟ or „hard to reach‟. One key group of students whose
needs differ greatly from that of the „traditional‟ undergraduate is the cohort of Postgraduate Research
students at the University.
Through the Postgraduate College Rep structure, we have been able to determine the issues and concerns
affecting this group of students, and will be further investigating ways of assisting the University to meet the
needs of this group. The following concerns have been drawn from College Rep comments as well as the
experiences of the Sabbatical officers when speaking with PGR students.
GTA status – staff or student?
PGRs who also work as Graduate Teaching Assistants tread a blurred line between staff and student,
enjoying the experience of teaching, while concerned about workload and impact on their own study.
Clarity of expectations, along with specific guidelines to assist GTAs with time management would be
welcome.
Study environment
There appears to be large inconsistencies in the resources and space available for PGR students.
Reports suggest these can vary from having access to a desk, lockable filing cabinet, telephone etc to
having nothing at all and being directed to a computer suite (and in one case, a computer in the back of a
dance studio!). An audit of current provision and determining what PGR students need could result in a
guaranteed minimum level of resource which would help address this issue.
The University community
It is concerning that many PGR students do not feel part of the University community and feel that much
of the extra or co-curricular activity on offer is aimed at undergraduates only. As a Students‟ Union, we
are working on strategies to combat this perception, and to improve our offering to PGRs, but it is
essential that schools also play their role. PGRs who do not teach should still be invited to school or
College events for students, and care should be taken to ensure they are treated as students first and
foremost.
Personal tutors and Supervisors
It is worrying that some PGR students do not have a designated Personal tutor, something that is
guaranteed to them on admission. Personal tutors should be entirely separate from the supervisory team
to avoid conflicts of interest, and a consistent approach to this would be hugely beneficial.
It is also important to note some positive developments this year as a result of student-led activity. These
include
The Postgraduate Society – a student-run society for PG students to socialise and network
Postgraduate evenings – two „cheese, wine and juice‟ evenings have been held in University House
this year, both extremely well attended.
Postgraduate Reps – the College Reps have attended University Committees to ensure the PGR
student voice is being heard.
Student Council – a designated postgraduate place on the Union‟s Student Council ensures that
postgraduate issues are being addressed by the Union as well as the University.
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Vice President’s roundup
Initially I‟d like to focus on issues which have been evident across the University. IT and redundancy issues
have been clearly the large contentious points of the course for many students, and in Science and
Technology that‟s no different. While these issues are largely out of the control of staff at School and College
level, it is still worth commenting on the student feeling and concern.
IT issues have been covered elsewhere in this report, but it should be noted that this has had a hugely
negative effect on student experiences this year.
Redundancies have been the other University-wide issue which has affected the College. Whilst the effects
are not as extensive as within CASS, this does not negate the experiences of individual students. A host of
specific issues related to the restructure have been identified by students and relayed to the Vice Chancellor
via our report.
Something I think is worth focussing on is the Multi Disciplinary Project within SoBE. It is a module which
really allows students to combine skills from across the School to create a work-like atmosphere which
should benefit students when moving in to „the real world‟. Although some students have complained about
the nature of assessing group work (i.e. the perception that some students do not fully participate), a peer-
marking or reviewing model would address this. At a time where employability is at the forefront of student
and graduate minds, modules which truly engage the workplace as well as creating links with local
businesses are excellent and I think this is a great example of how employability can not only be a ticked box
but can actually be built into the curriculum.
Individual programme issues have been well dealt with by the Schools. Problems in Mechanical Engineering,
Parasitology and Molecular Biology and Project Management and Investment have all been dealt with swiftly
and in a way which has reduced any impact on students. Each of these issues have been brought forward by
Student Reps which shows the great value that reps can bring to their courses.
A real success within the College from a student perspective has once again been the Engineers Union who
at the Students‟ Union Annual Awards, claimed the Activity Group of the Year award. Acknowledgement of
the fantastic work the group are doing by bringing in speakers from industry by the University would be a
fantastic endorsement of a group improving the experience had by many of the students who engage with it.
My final paragraph goes to each of the Reps (Natalie Dodman, Tasila Mwale and Amanda Wyatt), Tutors
(Graham McDonald and Paul Tracey), Supervisors (Dilanthi Amaratunga, Marcus Ormerod and Song Wu)
and Personal Tutor (Andy Bowden) who were on the final nominations list at our Student Led Teaching
Awards. I hope their example can be followed by others in the College, using them to improve the experience
for students in each of the Schools. A massive congratulations to them.
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Contact us…
You can contact the Students‟ Union on 0161 351 5400 for general
enquiries, or use one of the emails below:
Vice President Science and Technology:
Students’ Union Advice Centre
Student Representation Coordinator
More information about our structure and services can be found on
our website at www.salfordstudents.com
Thank you
