Promoting the Survey – the role of students’ unions

The National Student Survey 2008 has just begun. This is an annual survey canvassing the opinions of students about the experiences of their course. Focusing on a range of issues from teaching quality to assessment and feedback, this is an ambitious attempt to report robust, student opinion on every subject offered across the country. Providing a unique insight into the thoughts and opinions of current students. The results will not only inform prospective students but will also prove to be a valuable resource for unions, aiding campaign and representation work. (To find out more about the NSS please go to the FAQs at nusonline).

Students are best placed to promote the survey and a high response rate is important in order for the data to be made public, each subject needs at least 23 students to have responded and for these students to be at least half of the number studying on that particular course – basically aim for 50 per cent per subject!

By actively promoting and supporting the survey, students’ unions play a central role in achieving high response rates.

Marketing Materials
NSS marketing materials are supplied free of charge by Ipsos MORI. This includes posters, t-shirts, pens, electronic banners and screen savers. These are available to be downloaded from the NSS extranet. This site is password protected so please email nss@ipsos-mori.com for more details.

Promoting the NSS
Top tips

• Display all Ipsos MORI materials. Think strategically about where best to put them - where do final year students congregate most – the library? Your careers centre?
• Use the Ipsos MORI internet banners and logos on your website and university computers
• Fully brief your student media - look at what changes have/have not been made in light of previous years’ results – could this make a good story?
• Fully brief your student reps. They might be particularly useful when trying to reach part-time and on-placement students or to do a simple shout-out in lectures
• Email students expressing your support and explain how useful the results will be to you
• During the survey time, check on the NSS intranet and keep track of your response rates by subject. You can then target weaker departments
• Work with your institution – you are best placed to promote the survey, unions have received thousands of pounds from their institution for the national student survey
• Use your results, feed that data in campaign, research and quality work, this way students will really see the benefits of completing it even if they’re about to graduate
• And don’t forget to use your imagination!

NUS has a dedicated member of staff on hand to offer advice and support to unions, whether that be promoting the survey or using the results. Student Feedback Coordinator Hannah Pudner can be reached on hannah.pudner@nus.org.uk.