Internal use only Hertfordshire Students’ Union National Student Survey 2016 School of Creative Arts Improvements across the board in the NSS 2014 were followed by a number of decreases in 2015 in Creative Arts; in 2016 the School has seen mixed success, with minor increases and decreases across the areas. Improvements to Teaching and Learning (1%), Academic Support (3%) and Organisation and Management (3%) have come with decreases in Assessment and Feedback (-1%), Learning Resources (-2%) and Personal Development (2%). A 2% decline in overall satisfaction has come alongside a 1% increase in Students’ Union satisfaction. Creative Arts has historically struggled against the sector mean; these mixed results means that this trend has continued, with only the Students’ Union performing at or above the sector mean. Teaching
Assessment
Support
Organisation
Resources
Development
Overall
SU
School of Creative Arts
81% (1%)
72% (-1%)
78% (3%)
70% (3%)
84% (-2%)
76% (-2%)
73% (-2%)
69% (1%)
UH
85% (-1%)
70% (1%)
80% (-1%)
73% (1%)
88% (-2%)
83% (-2%)
82% (-2%)
74% (0%)
Sector (all HEIs)
87% (0%)
73% (0%)
82% (0%)
79% (0%)
87% (0%)
83% (0%)
86% (0%)
69% (-1%)
Positive and Negative Themes (Open Comments)
At or above the sector mean Within 5% of the sector mean Over 5% below the sector mean
A number of positive comments concerned helpful staff in the School. Students across courses praised their course for preparing them for industry. However, this often came at the expense of the course being stressful and timeconsuming. While some students praised the facilities that were available to them, such as studios and workshops, students in Photography complained about the change to the studios.
Internal use only
NSS Department ID Data Teaching
Assessment
Support
Organisation
Resources
Development
Overall
Animation
94% (+14%)
66% (+15%)
84% (+18%)
72% (+22%)
85% (-1%)
87% (+8%)
91% (+25%)
Model
51% (-36%)
58% (-20%)
57% (-19%)
56% (-22%)
79% (-17%)
51% (-31%)
49% (-40%)
68% (+13% ) 67% (-7%)
Design
91% (-7%)
90% (-7%)
91% (-5%)
86% (-10%)
88% (-1%)
93% (0%)
89% (-8%)
88% (+11%)
Fashion
98% (+38%)
95% (+30%)
84% (+26%)
91% (+30%)
80% (-6%)
78% (+15%)
87% (+34%)
57% (-12%)
Film and TV
55% (0%)
73% (+4%)
74% (+4%)
58% (+17%)
97% (+17%)
69% (+2%)
43% (-5%)
71% (-13%)
Graphic Design and Illustration
88% (+6%)
78% (0%)
82% (0%)
80% (+1%)
84% (+1%)
76% (-7%)
79% (0%)
71% (-12%)
Music
83% (-1%)
66% (-8%)
81% (-5%)
72% (-6%)
76% (-7%)
73% (-6%)
73% (-7%)
60% (+1%)
Photography/ IMSC
73% (+3%)
72% (0%)
66% (+7%)
51% (-3%)
92% (+1%)
81% (+7%)
63% (0%)
74% (+2%)
Visual Arts
81% (-9%)
74% (-6%)
62% (-13%)
63% (-13%)
83% (0%)
65% (-16%)
57% (-35%)
68% (+2%)
School of Creative Arts
81% (+1%)
72% (-1%)
78% (+3%)
70% (+2%)
84% (-2%)
76% (-3%)
73% (-2%)
69% (+1%)
UH
85% (-1%)
70% (1%)
80% (-1%)
73% (1%)
88% (-2%)
83% (-2%)
82% (-2%)
74% (0%)
Sector (all HEIs)
87% (0%)
73% (0%)
82% (0%)
79% (0%)
87% (0%)
83% (0%)
86% (0%)
69% (-1%)
At or above the From the number of areas in Creative Arts that are below the sector mean, it is sector mean clear that there is much work to be done. Some areas, such as Animation, Within 5% of the Fashion and Film and TV have seen large increases in their areas. However, sector mean Over 5% below alongside this there have been vast declines in course such as Model and the sector mean Visual Arts. Students studying Model complain about a lack of staff, as well as a rise in course fees and being mis-sold on a promise of work experience that didn’t happen. Those in Visual Arts complained about a lack of support from tutors.
SU