Feedback from graduating performing arts students has tarnished an otherwise good verdict for many of the University of Lincoln’s courses in this year’s National Student Survey (NSS).
The university performed well, otherwise, and was ranked 41st of 154 institutions, based on the average score across all subject areas. Two-thirds of final-year students at Lincoln took part in the survey.
Dance and drama students were the source of the most “definitely disagree” responses to the survey at Lincoln. The negative responses were largely focused on the feedback students received from tutors, and the way the course was organised and run.
A majority of students, 60%, thought the course was not well organised and did not run smoothly, while only a fifth said that it was. Last year just under a third of Drama students said their course was well run.
Half of the students who responded to the survey said they did not receive prompt feedback on their work, and a third said the feedback was not detailed. This is an improvement on last year, when just 11% of Drama students said they received prompt feedback.
When asked if the feedback had “helped [them] clarify things [they] did not understand,” 42% said it hadn’t, and no students said it “definitely” had.
Constantine Pavlou, a third-year drama student, says: “The course isn’t particularly well run, but the main problem is that they don’t have enough faculty [members], and the course is suffering because of this.”
The students were split on whether they had adequate access to specialist rooms and equipment, with 38% saying they did, and the same percentage saying they didn’t.
Pavlou says that you can get access to the studios “if you’re organised”, and that things are better now they have their own building, the Lincoln Performing Arts Centre (LPAC).
“But it can be difficult. [There are] over 500 students and we’ve got three studios. It’s still not enough. The facilities are good, but there aren’t enough of them.”
Professor David Sleight, Dean of the Faculty of Media, Humanities and Technology, says: “The National Student Survey is a vital tool, not just for identifying what we are doing well, but also what we need to improve.”
“Changes have already been made to address historic issues in terms of feedback and organisation within performing arts, and I am confident future survey results will reflect this.
“The results of a module satisfaction survey for BA Drama carried out this year present a more positive picture of student satisfaction than the NSS results, suggesting these changes have already had an effect. Student experience is of paramount importance to the university and we will be striving to make further improvements.”
Finance and Accountancy was the star of the show for the university, and was ranked first for student experience, out of 79 institutions.
That course had “definitely” negative responses to just four of the survey’s 22 questions, and all were low single-figure percentages. There were 12 questions with such responses for performing arts, and made up a fifth of all responses when students were asked about the course’s organisation.
Feedback from graduating performing arts students has tarnished an otherwise good verdict for many of the University of Lincoln’s courses in this year’s National Student Survey (NSS).
The university performed well, otherwise, and was ranked 41st of 154 institutions, based on the average score across all subject areas. Two-thirds of final-year students at Lincoln took part in the survey.
Dance and drama students were the source of the most “definitely disagree” responses to the survey at Lincoln. The negative responses were largely focused on the feedback students received from tutors, and the way the course was organised and run.
A majority of students, 60%, thought the course was not well organised and did not run smoothly, while only a fifth said that it was. Last year just under a third of Drama students said their course was well run.
Half of the students who responded to the survey said they did not receive prompt feedback on their work, and a third said the feedback was not detailed. This is an improvement on last year, when just 11% of Drama students said they received prompt feedback.
When asked if the feedback had “helped [them] clarify things [they] did not understand,” 42% said it hadn’t, and no students said it “definitely” had.
Constantine Pavlou, a third-year drama student, says: “The course isn’t particularly well run, but the main problem is that they don’t have enough faculty [members], and the course is suffering because of this.”
The students were split on whether they had adequate access to specialist rooms and equipment, with 38% saying they did, and the same percentage saying they didn’t.
Pavlou says that you can get access to the studios “if you’re organised”, and that things are better now they have their own building, the Lincoln Performing Arts Centre (LPAC).
“But it can be difficult. [There are] over 500 students and we’ve got three studios. It’s still not enough. The facilities are good, but there aren’t enough of them.”
Professor David Sleight, Dean of the Faculty of Media, Humanities and Technology, says: “The National Student Survey is a vital tool, not just for identifying what we are doing well, but also what we need to improve.”
“Changes have already been made to address historic issues in terms of feedback and organisation within performing arts, and I am confident future survey results will reflect this.
“The results of a module satisfaction survey for BA Drama carried out this year present a more positive picture of student satisfaction than the NSS results, suggesting these changes have already had an effect. Student experience is of paramount importance to the university and we will be striving to make further improvements.”
Finance and Accountancy was the star of the show for the university, and was ranked first for student experience, out of 79 institutions.
That course had “definitely” negative responses to just four of the survey’s 22 questions, and all were low single-figure percentages. There were 12 questions with such responses for performing arts, and made up a fifth of all responses when students were asked about the course’s organisation.
