The HEPI–HEA Student Academic
Experience Survey 2015
Nick Hillman, John Newton and Dr Alex Buckley
To what extent are you satisfied, or not,
with the overall quality of your course?
10%
2%
28%
Very satisfied
Fairly satisfied
Not very satisfied
Not at all satisfied
59%
2
Thinking back to when you applied to your current
university, has the reality of your academic experience
matched your expectations?
9%
2%
It’s been better
28%
49%
12%
It’s been worse
It’s been better in
some ways and worse
in others
It’s been exactly what
I expected
Other/don’t know
3
You’ve said that your experience was worse than
expected, or worse in some ways than expected, why
do you feel this was?
36%
I haven't put in enough effort myself
32%
The course was poorly organised
30%
I received fewer contact hours than I was expecting
I didn't feel supported in my independent study
29%
The teaching quality was worse than I expected
29%
There was too little interaction with staff
26%
The feedback was poor
26%
20%
There was too little interaction with other students
18%
The teaching groups were too large
13%
The course was too challenging
12%
Teaching staff were inaccessible
11%
The course wasn't challenging enough
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
4
Thinking about your academic experience, if you
knew what you do now, would you have chosen a
different course?
3%
10%
33%
24%
Yes definitely
Yes maybe
No probably not
No definitely not
Don’t know
30%
5
Which statement best describes your view of the
value for money of your present course?
9%
10%
I have received very
good value for money
I have received good
value for money
20%
31%
31%
I have received neither
poor nor good value
for money
I have received poor
value for money
I have received very
poor value for money
6
Which statement best describes your view of the
value for money of your present course?
100%
90%
80%
7%
28%
35%
70%
60%
50%
31%
35%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
23%
11%
24%
4%
2%
Students from
Students from
England (paying up to Scotland studying in
£9,000)
Scotland (paying no
tuition fees)
I have received very
good value for money
I have received good
value for money
I have received
neither poor nor good
value for money
I have received poor
value for money
I have received very
poor value for money
7
Changes in students overall perceptions 2012-15
100%
90%
87%
84%
87%
80%
70%
62% 65% 63%
60%
2012
49%52%
50%
35%36% 33% 36%
40%
33% 33%
2013
30%
2014
20%
10%
2015
0%
Satisfied
Would not
Expectations
have chosen a
met or
different course exceeded
Good or very
good value for
money
8
Average workload per week, during term-time
Independent study (including study
with friends)
13.9 hours
Scheduled contact hours
12.8 hours
Attended contact hours
11.6 hours
Time spent outside the institution as
part of the course
3.1 hours
9
Average workload per week, during term-time (range
of subjects)
Subjects allied to medicine
Creative arts & design
Engineering & technology
Biological sciences
Languages
Social studies
Business & administrative studies
All subjects
16
11
14
12
9
9
10
12
0
10
13
14
16
3
13 2
13 1
15 1
13 2
12 2
14
3
20
30
40
50
Contact hours (attended)
Independent study
Work outside university as part of the course
10
To what extent do you feel that you benefit
(educationally) from attending groups with…
[combined “a lot” and “quite a bit”]
100%
90%
90%
87%
87%
80%
71%
70%
56%
60%
52%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
No other
students, just
you and a
member of
staff
1-5 other
students
6-15 other
students
16-50 other 51-100 other More than
students
students
100 other
students
11
How important to you are the following
characteristics of teaching staff?
100%
17%
90%
80%
39%
70%
29%
60%
50%
40%
37%
30%
20%
10%
44%
34%
54%
24%
22%
Ranked 1st
Ranked 2nd
Ranked 3rd
0%
They have
They are
They have
received training currently active relevant industry
in how to teach researchers in or professional
their subject
expertise
12
How important to you are the following
characteristics of teaching staff?
Physical sciences
52%
Languages
48%
Engineering & technology
48%
26%
23%
24%
28%
13%
39%
Historical & philosophical studies
37%
Education
34%
9%
57%
Subjects allied to medicine
31%
11%
59%
Creative arts & design
21%
0%
35%
13%
20%
28%
66%
40%
60%
80%
100%
They have received training in how to teach
They are currently active researchers in their subject
They have relevant industry or professional expertise
13
Thinking about all the teaching you have experienced
this year, what proportion of teaching staff did the
following? (“All” and “majority”)
Encouraged you to take responsibility for your
own learning
77%
Were helpful and supportive
68%
Clearly explained course goals and
requirements
Used lectures/ teaching groups to guide
independent study
Worked hard to make their subjects
interesting
63%
57%
55%
Motivated you to do your best work
Regularly initiated debates and discussions
Helped you to explore your own areas of
interest
51%
39%
33%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%
14
Personal wellbeing of students compared with ONS
data (those selecting 7-10, where 10 is “completely”)
90%
80%
70%
78% 79%
73%
82% 78%
72%
73% 72%
62%
60%
50%
ONS data, general
population
ONS data, ages 20-24
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Overall, how Overall, to what Overall, how
satisfied are you extent do you happy did you
with your life feel the things feel yesterday?
nowadays?
you do in your
life are
worthwhile?
HEPI-HEA data,
students
15
In which areas would you most prefer your
university to save money?
46%
Spending less on sport and social facilities
45%
Spending less on buildings
22%
Increasing the size of classes
21%
Giving academics less time for research
18%
Reducing pay for staff
12%
Reducing financial support for hard-up students
10%
Reducing student support services
Reducing the support available to academics for
improving their teaching skills
8%
6%
Having fewer hours of teaching
5%
Reducing spending on learning facilities
0%
5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%
16
The costs of teaching undergraduates are partly paid for by
students themselves and partly by the government. What
do you think the balance should be?
100%
90%
80%
2%
10%
19%
2%
7%
15%
24%
70%
60%
50%
43%
30%
10%
0%
2%
11%
2%
10%
19%
19%
42%
41%
31%
39%
40%
20%
2%
13%
37%
22%
18%
22%
23%
4%
7%
4%
5%
5%
England
Scotland
Wales
Northern
Ireland
All
Students should pay all of the
costs and the government should
pay nothing
Students and the government
should both contribute, but
students should pay more
Students and the government
should each pay half of the costs
Students and the government
should both contribute, but the
government should pay more
The government should pay all of
the costs and students should
pay nothing
Don't know
17
Has your university given you enough information
about how your tuition fees are spent?
7%
6%
12%
44%
31%
Yes definitely
Yes maybe
Probably not
Definitely not
Don't know
18