University of Worcester Students Among Most Satisfied this Semester

Students at the University of Worcester have been among the most satisfied with their experience this term, the results of a new national survey have shown.

The University was among the first in the Country to announce, back in May, that it would deliver as much face-to-face teaching as possible and responsible from September. Throughout this first semester 58% of all classes have been taught in-person. Covid-secure precautions on campus and highly responsible student and staff action has led to the University having less than a third the national average of cases and just 1 in 20 compared with the national average amongst students.

A new survey from WonkHE, carried out in partnership with Students’ Unions across the Country, including Worcester Students’ Union, has revealed that, overall, many of the results for the University of Worcester are much more positive than the national picture, including statistics about loneliness, thoughts around dropping out, and satisfaction with both the academic and wider student experience.

The report states: “Overall, the report shows a positive picture and highlights the importance of in-person teaching, communication with students, and the sense of community at Worcester.”

Harry South, Vice President (Education) of Worcester Students’ Union, said: “We are really pleased to find that students at Worcester have been largely satisfied with their experiences this semester. We all know what a difficult time it has been but we will continue to work hard with the University to address key challenges and give our students the best possible experience.”

The new university year got off to an excellent start when the Students’ Union organised a hugely successfully, socially distanced welcome weekend in September where students could book a slot to visit and join different societies, buy food and drink and meet fellow students all outdoors in the grounds of the City Campus. Thousands participated without incident and Public Health Worcestershire promoted messages of social distancing and Covid safety highly successfully. The Union has also organised many online events throughout the semester to keep students connected.

The survey, ‘Drop out: Averting a Covid retention crisis’, took place in October, prior to the second national lockdown and received nearly 8,000 responses from students at 121 higher education institutions. Worcester students were particularly active as respondents with 760 replying to the survey.

The University of Worcester’s results showed that almost 20% more students were satisfied with their academic experience this semester than the national picture. Unsurprisingly, Worcester students were also less likely to be considering dropping out.

Professor David Green CBE, Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive, said: “This important report shows how just how much students value the opportunity to engage with in-person teaching and just how responsible students are. Three out of every five classes have been in person since September and there has been no evidence of on campus transmission of Covid-19.

“All of us at the University have worked very hard, along with the Students’ Union and Worcestershire County Council’s top-class Public Health team, to make this possible. The results are in and they show that at the University of Worcester, Covid-19 infections have been very significantly fewer than the national average and positively minimal compared to many other universities. We have made detailed arrangements for continuing Covid safety as well as improved testing and continuing in-person teaching. Thousands of students will be on placement in hospitals, health settings and schools starting as early as January 4 and we are determined to keep our vital educational work operating as safely as possible in the interests of the region’s children and the NHS as well as our students and the broader community.”