Student surveys are not just spam, Leanne Elliott explains why completing student surveys is an important part of the learning process.

Most organisations will send out periodic surveys asking for feedback on services, experiences, and a host of other topics.

The University of Newcastle (UoN) sends out numerous surveys to improve student experiences and program delivery, including Student feedback on courses (SFC), Student feedback on teaching (SFT), Student feedback on programs (SFP), and a range of other surveys.

While students may be tempted to delete emails and ignore notices asking them to complete university surveys, there are several reasons why completing student surveys is important. Student surveys:

• Assist universities to improve services, facilities, and programs for students and staff
• Are an opportunity for students to suggest ideas or improvements
• Give students a voice, providing a platform for important and meaningful conversation between universities and students
• Assist universities to develop and improve student learning, and to monitor and enhance student education and the university experience
• Allow universities to make informed decisions around strategic future planning
• Help educators enhance teaching methods and course content
• Data collected allows the university to better understand the relationship between students and the university.

Simply put, by completing student surveys you are contributing to positive change for current and future UoN students. Some improvements resulting from student feedback at UoN include: more mailbox storage, more car parking, and programs that provide more real-world experiences.

Student surveys are also a tool which can be used to help you reflect on your university experience, good or bad. So, next time you receive a student survey, don’t hit that delete button. Instead, take a few minutes out of your day to let the university know what you are thinking.

Feature Image by Retha Ferguson from Pexels