The Student Voice Report is a termly report produced by the Union, offering analysis of multiple student feedback channels from across City. These include Student Staff Liaison Committee (SSLC) minutes, Student Experience Committee (SEC) feedback, data from Union Advice Service’s case management system, and Students’ Union Academic Societies survey data.

We have put together our fourth Student Voice Report and second of the current academic year, summarising the five main themes of concern that were prevalent across all Schools:

1. Assessment and Feedback

Assessment and Feedback was a priority concern for students. From limited access to assessment resources, to inflexible deadlines and exam time durations, students reported that there wasn’t adequate support in these areas to ensure their success in exams and assessments. Students cited a need for timely and in-depth feedback that will enable them to improve in future assignments.

2. Course Delivery and Learning Resources

Under the current online context, students reported that teaching delivery makes it challenging to fully engage in class. In particular where asynchronous teaching was being delivered, students expect up to standard materials to be uploaded before class for better preparation, as proposed in our recommendations. As for learning resources, students hope to retain recordings of classes and more digital availability of hard copy library books.

3. Online Learning – Technology

Students continue to face difficulty in accessing hardware and software, IT equipment or a stable internet connection to complete assignments and attend live classes. Our school-wide recommendations endorses the continuity of the digital inclusion fund for this important reason.

4. Support and Wellbeing

Students reported the lack of a personal tutor experience as not being present enough throughout the academic year. More worryingly, a heightened lack of community, isolation and mental burnout was expressed by students.

5. Student Experience

Consistent across all Schools, students raised issues on student experience including delayed staff communications on assessments and timetables, as well as access to library facilities and resources.

Though there were consistent themes across all Schools, some issues were more specific to a School:

SASS

Across programmes in SASS, Term 2 SSLC’s highlighted concerns around assessment and feedback, particularly clustered deadlines as affecting revision preparation. Our Academic Communities survey further flagged that Psychology students felt feedback was lacking detail while English and Publishing students found their feedback to be informative.

Bayes Business School

Feedback gathered for the Bayes Business School had a heavy focus on employability and opportunities, mainly on expanding the variety of placements offered, better organisation of online Alumni events, and the viability of international elective modules running on the MBA programme.

City Law School

As far as course delivery is concerned in Law programmes, our Academic Communities survey reports that most students felt the course organisation in Term 2 was good or improved from Term 1. Law SEC feedback highlighted that the length and irregularity of tutorials doesn’t allow for students to fully engage.

SHS

Our data shows that SHS students found remote learning to be challenging in regards to connecting with peers and creating a sense of community. Lack of socialising opportunities and disengagement in breakout rooms during classes were also expressed in our Academic Communities survey.

SMCSE

Programme reps fed back on the technical difficulties of the online learning environment, where they reported issues with accessing software remotely and teaching delivery as limiting engagement during live sessions.

The Term 2 edition of the Student Voice report has proposed recommendations based on the evidence we found and is intended as improvements that every School could implement to improve students’ academic experience.

Going forward, if you have any suggestions or questions about our termly Student Voice reports, please get in touch with the Representation team at the Students’ Union via studentrep@city.ac.uk.

If you would like to have a read of our Term 2 edition of the Student Voice Report, click here.