Monday 29-01-2018 - 11:27

Finalists will no doubt already have heard about the NSS – National Student Survey – and been asked to fill it in. The survey gathers feedback from students about their time at university, which is then made publicly available and can help shape the future of courses and institutions. The results also impact the outcomes of the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF).

The NSS, however, has its critics, which include the Durham SU Officer team. One concern they have is that its use for TEF – an assessment process that has been linked to the marketisation of education and fee rises – is problematic for many students. Taking into account the significant issues with the survey metrics and their application, SU President Megan Croll has decided not to sign the letter sent out from the University asking that finalists fill in the survey. 

‘The consensus of the Officer team is that Durham SU should not actively promote the survey with the provided materials, as student concerns about the marketisation of Higher Education remain widespread, and the NSS has the potential to fuel this, as the link to fees could be reignited at any time in the future. However, we have decided not to completely boycott the NSS given that its link to fees has been severed for the moment, and we recognise the potential of NSS results to drive change and garner student feedback,’ explains Megan. 

‘Durham SU has a complex relationship with the NSS; on one hand, there's a case for its value as a source of information used by student representatives and University staff to develop our work and make Durham better for everyone. But the fact that something as complex and wonderful as a Durham experience is reduced to blunt numbers, which fuel league tables, and dominate a corporate and competitive view of higher education, is both sad and unsophisticated.’

‘We are keen that students have the opportunity to make an informed decision about whether they choose to participate or not. We will, therefore, be producing materials outlining the arguments for and against participation in the coming weeks, and these will be distributed via the SU’s channels.’

Durham SU Postgraduate Academic Officer Sabrina Seel explains further the link to marketisation: ‘NSS scores may be used to justify future increases in tuition fees. The survey treats students like customers, rather than learners doing a degree to enhance their knowledge in a specific subject area. The NSS measures satisfaction, which I feel is the wrong thing to measure. Students should instead feel like they have been intellectually challenged throughout their time at university.’