Student support and freedom of expression among stand-out factors in National Student Survey results

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The availability of teaching staff – and the support those staff provide - are stand-out factors in the Harper Adams University student experience, new results have shown.

These factors were given high scores of 90 and 88 per cent respectively in this year’s National Student Survey. The survey was completed by current Harper Adams students set to graduate from the University this September.

In this year’s results, the University – which has a strong track record in helping its graduates secure employment - also performed consistently above national benchmarks in the work it does to prepare students for industry placements.

The about-to-be graduates also gave high ratings for how well mental wellbeing support services were communicated, and for how free they felt to express their ideas, opinion and beliefs – both central to recent and ongoing efforts by the university to ensure all students feel welcome, safe and supported.

Harper Adams ranks 10th nationally for signposting to mental health support.

Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor (Learning, Teaching and Digital) Professor Lydia Arnold said: “There are some promising signs for Harper Adams University in this year’s National Student Survey.

“We’re pleased to see our students rate us highly on the work we do to prepare them for their industry placements, the suitability of those placements, and the supervision they receive.

“Whether on placement or on-campus, our students are treated as a name, not a number.

“That is reflected in our students’ views on teaching - with nine in ten students saying it was easy for them to contact teaching staff, and 88.2 per cent commending the way those staff supported their learning.”

Chief Student Officer Dr Emily Mcintosh added: “In recent years, we have worked with our student body to ensure they understand and our Respect agenda and uphold its values – as we believe all members of the university community have a part to play in developing a positive environment and a campus culture of which they can be proud.

“It is heartening, therefore, to see students also feel free to express their opinions, ideas and beliefs at Harper Adams University – with a 97.2 per cent ranking.

“We have also worked to ensure University mental health wellbeing services are communicated to our students – and it is great to see nine out of ten students agree.

“Overall, we have made good progression year-on-year across a majority of the NSS rankings released today – and we will continue targeted work to lift those figures still further.”