Student Perceptions of the University of Leeds Experience:

Student Perceptions of the University of Leeds Experience: UNIversity Quality of Life and Learning (UNIQoLL) Project - Report 1 B. M. Bewick, M. Bradley, & M. Barkham. 2004

Acknowledgements UNIQoLL is funded by the University of Leeds. We thank members of the Steering Group, Departmental Representatives and successive Union Executive members for their encouragement and constructive criticism. Thanks must also go to all those who participated in this study. In particular we would like to thank the following individuals for their contribution to the UNIQoLL project: UNIQoLL project team - Kerry Audin (1999-2003) - Sylvie Collins (1998) - Richard Cooke (2002-2003) - John Davy (Co-Director: 1999-2003) - Carolyn Joyner (1999) - John Mellor-Clark (1998) - Alice Sinclair (2000-2001) - Jane Slack (2001-2002) UNIQoLL steering group members - Dr S M Macgill (Chair 1999-2003) - Dr J Parry - Prof D Sugden (Chair 2003-present) - Ms M M Boyle - Prof S M Dixon - Dr J P Gent - Mrs K Gladsdale - Dr K Hodgson - Mr N Humphreys - Miss J R Jurica - Dr H Lewis - Prof A Pearman - Mrs P E Robinson - Mr G Smith

Contents Executive Summary i Introduction 1 Method 2 Results 6 Pre-registration confidence 6 Academic support 7 Student support 9 Psychological well-being 10 Accommodation 10 Term-time paid employment and financial concerns 11 Recreation 12 Reflections of time at university 12 Conclusion 14 References 15

Executive Summary 1. Introduction 1.1. The University of Leeds launched the UNIversity Quality of Life and Learning (UNIQoLL) project in August 1999 in furtherance of its commitment to student welfare in the context of its wider quality management goals. 1.2. Distinctive features of the project include (a) a focus on student psychological well-being and satisfaction with learning and support provision; (b) a focus on longitudinal student data; and (c) a University-wide scope. 1.3. The recent Government White Paper The future of Higher Education (2003) has outlined a number of challenges facing universities in years to come. Three critical challenges are: widening participation, quality assurance and student choice. The UNIQoLL project directly addresses each of these areas, providing the University of Leeds with a competitive advantage. 1.4. In addition to addressing key Government policy matters, there are many potential uses of UNIQoLL within the University of Leeds itself. For example the data can be used for purposes of morale boosting, departmental accountability, continuous monitoring, identification of problems and reform of processes. 2. Timeliness 2.1. Through UNIQoLL, the University of Leeds has available an unrivalled source of information about students perceptions in the quality of their learning experience and the factors within the University s provision that have contributed to their sense of well-being. This has the potential to guide the University s judgements in resourcing and strategic terms, and in its response to Governmental and Funding Council initiatives. 2.2. The UNIQoLL resource is also invaluable in quality assurance and quality enhancement terms as the University seeks to continue to develop its current Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Enhancement (QE) arrangements in accordance with the emerging national imperatives. These imperatives stress the need for Higher Education (HE), as a whole and as individual institutions, to make objective, coherent and effective use of the views of students in the enhancement of quality of the student learning experience. 3. Method 3.1. Data collection took place over a three year period. Year 1 students completed three surveys: (a) pre-registration; (b) end of semester one; and (c) end of semester two. Year 2 and Final Year students completed two surveys, once at the end of each semester. 3.2. The surveys covered areas of student expectations, teaching quality, accommodation, support services, finances, social support and psychological well-being (GP-CORE). 3.3. Each survey was completed by between 2826 (54%) and 1333 (21%) students. The University of Leeds i

3.4. Effect sizes were computed to highlight any meaningful differences between genders, mature vs non-mature students, international vs United Kingdom students, advantaged socio-economic class vs disadvantaged socioeconomic class students. 4. Results 4.1. Approximately 90% of students sampled at pre-registration reported feeling confident that they could deal with a range of aspects of university life. 4.2. Approximately 75% of students sampled reported positive perceptions of the quality of academic support and teaching received. 4.3. Approximately 70% of students sampled perceived that they had an adequate support network and ratings of University support services were positive. 4.4. One in five Year 1 and Year 2 students reported lower (i.e. poorer) levels of psychological well-being than average. This figure rose to one in four for Final Year students. 4.5. Approximately 70% of students sampled who lived in University run accommodation reported positive perceptions of this accommodation. 4.6. Between 25% and 36% of students sampled undertook paid employment during term-time. Approximately 75% of students sampled across all years identified financial concerns as a current issue. 4.7. The average number of times students reported engaging in organised non-academic activities remained relatively stable throughout their degree at approximately one to two times per week. The number of evenings students spent socialising per week remained relatively stable throughout their degree at approximately four times per week. The average units of alcohol consumed per week decreased from 19 units per week in Year 1 to 15 units per week for Final Year students. 4.8. Overall students rated their time at Leeds University as a positive and worthwhile experience with 80% of students reporting that they would choose to come to Leeds University again. 5. Conclusion 5.1. The UNIQoLL project has resulted in an unrivalled source of information about Leeds University students perceptions of the quality of their life and learning experiences while at university. The frequency data presented throughout this report suggest that overall students perceive their time at university to be a worthwhile and positive experience. Further analysis is needed to explore the complex relationships between variables and to explore further the impact of gender, socio-economic class, national status and age on university experiences. The University of Leeds ii

Introduction 1.1. The aim of this report is to set out the method, results and conclusions obtained from the UNIQoLL (University Quality of Life and Learning) project for the 2000/01 full-time undergraduate student cohort. The University of Leeds launched the UNIQoLL project in August 1999 in furtherance of its commitment to student welfare in the context of wider quality management goals. Distinctive features of the project include (a) focus on student psychological well-being and satisfaction with learning and support provision; (b) a focus on longitudinal student data; and (c) a University-wide scope. Through UNIQoLL, the University of Leeds has available an unrivalled source of information about students perceptions in the quality of their learning experience and the factors within the University s provision that have contributed to their sense of well-being. This has the potential to guide the University s judgements in resourcing and strategic terms, and in its response to Governmental and Funding Council initiatives. The University of Leeds 1

Method 2.1. Survey administration Data were collected over three years. Year 1 students completed a questionnaire prior to arrival in Leeds, thereby providing baseline data about students well-being, hopes and aspirations. Thereafter, students completed one questionnaire each semester through their first, second and final year. Surveys were delivered to students via departments who were encouraged to administer the questionnaires during class time; some departments opted to deliver their surveys via alternative means (e.g. student pigeon holes). 2.2. Survey content The surveys included the following areas: Psychological well-being Academic study Academic workload Accommodation Alcohol consumption Department teaching Departmental support Finance Guidance received from departments and staff Living away from home Part-time work Recreational activities Social support networks Use and experience of student support services Student psychological well-being was measured at each survey point using the GP-CORE (Sinclair et al., submitted). The GP-CORE was designed with a specific view to sampling large samples of students and is a copyleft measure (i.e. the content is copyright but it is free to photocopy). This is a key factor in making it viable to research large samples. The GP-CORE comprises 14 items covering three domains: subjective well-being, problems and functioning. All items are scored for 0 ( not at all ) to 4 ( all the time ) and half the items are keyed positively. Lower scores indicate better mental health. Where appropriate items were scored on a binary system (e.g. do you undertake paid employment during term time?). The majority of attitude items were scored on an appropriate five-point likert scale (e.g. extremely unsatisfactory, unsatisfactory, satisfactory, good, excellent ; not at all, only a little, moderately, quite a bit, definitely ). Where appropriate open-ended questions were utilised (e.g. number of units of alcohol consumed per week, number of hours paid-employment undertaken per week). 2.3. Student perspective The data and results presented are reflections of students experiences and perceptions, rather than actual truths. In particular, the data reflects only one perspective, namely that of the student. If University staff members were asked about similar areas the responses could be different. The University of Leeds 2

2.4. Response rates and sample size The scale of the UNIQoLL project 2000/01-2002/03 is unlike that of any survey completed at the University of Leeds so far. The number of students participating in the project was large with between 1333 and 2826 full-time undergraduate students responding at each time point (see Table 1 for details). Table 1: Response rates and sample size Sample size Time point (n) Response Rate (%) Year 1, pre-registration 2826 54 Year 1, week 9 semester 1 2146 41 Year 1, week 9 semester 2 1683 32 Year 2, week 9 semester 1 1360 25 Year 2, week 9 semester 2 1389 25 Final Year, week 9 semester 1 1391 22 Final Year, week 9 semester 2 1333 21 For those students who responded and provided their university student identification number, it was possible to gain relevant demographic information (see Tables 2-4). Table 2: Gender breakdown of student sample at each time point Time point Male Female n (%) n (%) Year 1, pre-registration 1117 (40) 1707 (60) Year 1, week 9 semester 1 841 (43) 1099 (57) Year 1, week 9 semester 2 643 (43) 869 (57) Year 2, week 9 semester 1 466 (43) 607 (57) Year 2, week 9 semester 2 482 (42) 659 (58) Final Year, week 9 semester 1 386 (45) 470 (55) Final Year, week 9 semester 2 305 (42) 416 (58) The University of Leeds 3

Table 3: Maturity 1 breakdown of student sample at each time point Mature Non-mature Time point n (%) n (%) Year 1, pre-registration 140 (5) 2676 (95) Year 1, week 9 semester 1 113 (6) 1827 (94) Year 1, week 9 semester 2 84 (6) 1428 (94) Year 2, week 9 semester 1 42 (4) 1031 (96) Year 2, week 9 semester 2 52 (5) 1089 (95) Final Year, week 9 semester 1 40 (5) 816 (95) Final Year, week 9 semester 2 26 (4) 695 (96) 1 Mature students are those students who were 21 years of age or over at entry to university (i.e. 1 st September 2000) Table 4: Nationality breakdown of student sample at each time point United International Time point Kingdom n (%) n (%) Year 1, pre-registration 2345 (97) 83 (3) Year 1, week 9 semester 1 1793 (93) 154 (7) Year 1, week 9 semester 2 1409 (93) 101 (7) Year 2, week 9 semester 1 1022 (95) 50 (5) Year 2, week 9 semester 2 1087 (95) 52 (5) Final Year, week 9 semester 1 805 (95) 46 (5) Final Year, week 9 semester 2 683 (96) 32 (4) The University of Leeds 4

Table 5: Socio-economic status 2 breakdown of student sample at each time point Advantaged Disadvantaged Time point n (%) n (%) Year 1, pre-registration 1047 (83) 219 (17) Year 1, week 9 semester 1 758 (83) 150 (17) Year 1, week 9 semester 2 624 (85) 112 (15) Year 2, week 9 semester 1 464 (88) 66 (12) Year 2, week 9 semester 2 502 (85) 89 (15) Final Year, week 9 semester 1 336 (85) 61 (15) Final Year, week 9 semester 2 313 (81) 73 (19) 2 Disadvantaged students were classed as those from manual skilled and partly skilled backgrounds, whereas students from advantaged backgrounds were those students from professional or intermediate background. Students from skilled non-manual backgrounds were not considered as particularly advantaged or disadvantaged. 2.5. Feedback and action Reports presenting analysis of survey data were forwarded to departments and services. Academic departments were asked to respond through school and faculty learning and teaching committees. Residential and Commercial Services and the Student Support Network receive reports on accommodation and student support issues respectively. Results have also been disseminated into the public domain via journal publications (e.g. Audin et al, 2003; Cooke et al, 2004), conference presentations (e.g. Bradley et al, 2003) and newspaper articles (e.g. Utley, 2004). The University of Leeds 5

Results 3.1 Pre-registration confidence 3.1.1 Non-academic confidence Prior to starting university, students were asked how confident they felt about various non-academic related aspects of university life. At least 90% of students felt moderately to extremely confident that they would be able to manage their money, meet new people, carry out practical/household tasks, look after themselves, and live away from home generally. Mature students felt more confident than nonmature students in their ability to look after themselves and to do practical/household tasks. No meaningful differences were found with regard to gender, socio-economic class or international status. 3.1.2 Academic confidence Prior to starting university students were asked how confident they felt about various academic aspects of university life. Approximately 90% of students felt moderately to extremely confident that they were prepared for studying at university and that they would be able to manage study time, use electronic resources to find relevant information, use the library resources, contact people for support, use IT skills, work in small groups and work independently. Ninety percent of students also felt motivated to get the best out of their course (see Fig. 1). Approximately 85% of students felt moderately to extremely confident that they had some knowledge of their chosen subject area and that they would like to pursue the subject area after university. 100 Percentage response (%) 80 60 40 20 0 Not at all Only a little Moderately Quite a bit Extremely Perceived degree of motivation Fig. 1 Pre-registration students perceived degree of motivation to get the best out of their course The University of Leeds 6

3.2 Academic perceptions 3.2.1 Introduction to university During their first semester at university the majority (approximately 75%) of the students felt reasonably confident that they were given satisfactory guidance on the University s academic standards and procedures. 3.2.2 Staff support The majority of students sampled felt confident in approaching members of staff for general information and academic problems (see Fig. 2). The students were less confident about approaching staff for a personal problem with 47% of those students sampled feeling moderately to extremely confident that they would approach a member of staff for a personal problem (90% for general information and academic problems). Extremely 23% Not at all 2% Only a little 9% Moderately 25% Quite a bit 41% Fig. 2 Students perceived confidence in approaching staff with an academic problem The majority of students (90%) rated the availability of staff in their parent department and the availability of staff in other departments as average to very good. For all years the majority of students described the quality of academic support as either good (approximately 45%) or average (approximately 35%), a further 10-15% of students described the academic support received as very good. The majority of students rated the quality of the nonacademic support they had received as average (45%), good (30%) or very good (7%). The majority of students across all years rated the quality of support they received from their personal tutor as average (25-30%), good (30%) or very good (15%). Students in their first year had a more positive perception of the support they received from their personal tutor than at Year 2 or Final Year. The University of Leeds 7

3.2.3 Quality of teaching The majority of students (approximately 80%) rated the timetabling of taught sessions and coursework as average or good with a further 5-12% rating it as very good. Fewer students in their first year rated the timetabling of coursework as below average (7%) when compared to Year 2 (20%) and Final Year (15%) students. Over all three years the majority of students felt that the teaching formats used were appropriate and effective. Throughout their degree students felt that they had benefited from a variety of teaching methods including: lectures, seminars, workshops, one-to-one supervision, lab practicals and computer-assisted learning. The students sampled perceived lectures to be the most beneficial and computer-assisted learning to be the least beneficial. 3.2.4 Academic Workload During the second and final year, students were asked to respond to questions regarding academic workload. Approximately 45% of second and Final Year students felt that the work was harder and that the workload was heavier than they had anticipated. Approximately 40% of students felt that the standard of work was higher than expected and approximately 40% felt that the work was more interesting than expected. 3.2.5 Expectations of final degree classification Throughout their degree students were asked how their current expectations of their final degree classification compared to their original expectations. Approximately 15% of Year 2 and Final Year students felt that their final degree classification would be better than when they started while 27% of Year 2 students and 22% of Final Year students felt it would be worse (see Fig. 3). Better 15% Worse 21% Same 64% Fig. 3 Final Year students expectations of their final degree classification compared to their original expectations The University of Leeds 8

3.3 Student support 3.3.1 Social support The majority of students sampled perceived that they had a social support network that had meet their needs since starting university ( strongly agree or agree Year 1 62%, Year 2 70%, Final Year 72%) and that would meet their needs if they were to have any problems ( strongly agree or agree Year 1 62%, Year 2 73%, Final Year 76%). International students in their Final Year perceived this social support to be weaker than United Kingdom students. The majority of students sampled (i.e. 70%-90%) at each year either agreed or strongly agreed that they had an adequate support network amongst students in their school or department, amongst students in their accommodation and outside the university. Throughout their time at university International students perceived their social support network outside of university life to be weaker than United Kingdom students. Similarly, in their first and second years at university, mature students felt that their social support network outside of university life was weaker than non-mature students. 3.3.2 Support of University staff The majority of students sampled (76% Year 1, 58% Year 2, 64% Final Year) had accessed their personal tutor for support. The majority of students who did not access their personal tutor chose not do so because they felt they did not need to. However, it is interesting to note that at each year between 4% and 8% of students sampled did not know this service existed and between 9% and 16% were unsure of how to approach their personal tutor. The majority of people using the personal tutor service reported doing so for information (78%) and advice (56%). While 68% of Year 1 students reported that they were confident in approaching university staff regarding an academic issue only 20% of Year 1 students reported that they were confident in approaching university staff regarding a personal problem. 3.3.3 University support services At each year students were asked to indicate if they had accessed a range of university support services. The University Student Medical Practice was reported to be utilised most (58% to 63% of students) followed by: Careers Centre (7% first year, 37% second year, 67% Final Year), Student Union Welfare Services (10% to 11%), Nightline (7% to 10%), University Counselling Service (3% to 6%) and the University Chaplaincy (3%). Students reported not needing to as the main reason why they had not accessed these services. Of those students who did access services approximately 90% said that they were satisfactory to excellent in terms of the service provided. The University of Leeds 9

3.4 Psychological well-being At pre-registration approximately 88% of students sampled rated themselves as experiencing levels of well-being within the normal range (as measured by GP-CORE). By semester two of Year 1 the percentage of students reporting levels of well-being within the normal range had fallen to approximately 80% and this figure was replicated in the semester two Year 2 survey findings (see Fig. 4). These results indicate that 1 in 5 Year 1 and Year 2 students scored below the normal range. For semester two Final Year students the percentage of respondents who reported experiencing levels of well-being within the normal range fell to approximately 75%. This indicates that 1 in 4 Final Year students scored below the normal range. Percentage of students with average or better well-being (%) 100 80 60 40 20 0 Pre-registration Semester 2, year 1 Semester 2, year 2 Semester 2, final year Fig. 4 Percentage of students sampled experiencing average or better levels of well-being 3.5 Accommodation Approximately 85% of students lived in University run accommodation during their first year at university. During their second year fewer students lived in University run accommodation (6%). Of those students who lived in University run accommodation at least 70% (range 70% to 94%) rated their accommodation as average to very good with regard to: physical comfort, cleanliness, noise, catering facilities, furniture, security, value for money, study environment, sleep environment, ability to socialise, privacy and relationships with other students in accommodation. The University of Leeds 10

3.6 Term-time paid employment and financial concerns 3.1.1 Paid part-time employment Of students sampled 25% of Year 1 students indicated that they undertook term-time paid employment the corresponding figures for Year 2 and Final Year students were 34% and 36% respectively. Of those students who undertook paid employment during term-time the mean number of hours spent in this employment was approximately 14 hours per week, this figure was similar across all years. The main reason given for undertaking paid employment in the first year was to earn extra cash, with the second reason being financial necessity. International students were less likely to report working for extra cash and more likely to cite the need to obtain transferable skills and work experience as their motivation for paid employment. Mature students worked more for financial necessity and less for extra cash than non-mature students. 3.1.2 Pressure of paid-work Of those Year 1 students who undertook paid employment during term time 41% reported that paid work was putting pressure on their studies, the corresponding figures for Year 2 and Final Year (see Fig. 5) students were 53% and 56% respectively. Quite a bit 24% A lot 11% Not at all 19% Moderately 21% A little bit 25% Fig. 5 Final Year students perceptions of the pressure paid work put on their studies 3.1.3 Financial concerns Approximately 75% of students sampled across all years identified financial concerns as a current issue. The mean debt reported by students was approximately 9500 with no meaningful differences found between those students who undertook paid employment and those that did not; no meaningful differences were found with regard to reported level of debt and gender, socio-economic class, international status or age. The University of Leeds 11

100 80 60 40 20 0 0 0.1-10 10.1-20 20.1-30 30.1-40 40.1-50 Percentage response (%) > 50 Fig 6. Reported levels of student debt Reported debt ( K) 3.7 Recreation At each year students were asked to report on the average number of evenings per week they spent on nonacademic organised activities, the number of evenings per week they spent socialising and their average weekly alcohol consumption. 3.7.1 Non-academic and social activities The average number of times students reported engaging in organised non-academic activities remained relatively stable throughout their degree at approximately one to two times per week. International students reported partaking in more organised non-academic activities than United Kingdom students. The number of evenings students reported socialising per week was approximately four to five evenings for Year 1 students and three to four evenings for Year 2 and Final Year students. Mature students reported spending fewer evening socialising a week than non-mature students. 3.7.2 Alcohol consumption Approximately 90% of the students sampled at each time point indicated that they drank alcohol. The mean reported units of alcohol consumed per week for Year 1, Year 2 and Final Year students were 19, 17 and 15 respectively. The percentage of students drinking above recommended government guidelines was 31%, 23% and 17% for Year 1, Year 2 and Final Year students respectively. 3.8 Reflections on time at University At the end of their degree students were asked to reflect on their achievements while at university. Ninety percent of students sampled reported that they would come to university again with over 80% of students reporting that they were happy at university. Eighty percent of students reported that they would choose to come to Leeds University The University of Leeds 12

again if they had their time over with 80% reporting that their time at university had been either extremely or quite a lot beneficial. 100 Percentage response (%) 80 60 40 20 0 Not at all Definitely Fig. 7 Students reported likelihood of choosing to attend Leeds University if they had their time again Overall students rated their time at Leeds University as a positive and worthwhile experience with the majority of students (70% to 90%) rating their experience as a positive one with regard to: achieving a good degree, achieving subject specific skills, gaining transferable skills, gaining life skills and meeting new people. Sixty five percent of students reported enjoying their course with only 3% of students reporting they had enjoyed their course not at all. Fifty five percent of students reported that they were positive that they would choose the same course again if they had their time over with 10% of students reporting that they would not at all choose the same course again. Of those students sampled 43% felt that they had gained a clear idea of a career path with 10% reporting they had gained a clear career path not at all. Fifty percent of students felt that they were positively prepared for leaving university with only 7% of students reporting they were not at all prepared for leaving university. The University of Leeds 13

Conclusion 4.1 The UNIQoLL project has resulted in an unrivalled source of information about Leeds University Students perceptions of the quality of their life and learning experiences while at university. The frequency data presented throughout this report suggest that overall students perceive their time at university to be a worthwhile and positive experience. Further analysis is needed to explore the complex relationships between variables and to explore further the impact of gender, socio-economic class, national status and age on the university experience. These results also highlight areas which could be of potential concern for providers of higher education. The finding that one in five Year 1 students and one in four Year 2 and Final Year students sampled scored below the normal range for psychological well-being, and therefore have psychological profiles similar to those of individuals under going counselling, has implications for mental health service provision within the university support network and indeed within the local community primary care provision. The current study also found that the vast majority of students sampled perceive financial concerns as a current issue and that approximately 50% of students undertaking paid part-time work perceived that paid employment was putting pressure on their university studies these findings clearly have implications when put into the current pattern of increased student debt in United Kingdom higher education. Further analysis is needed to explore the complex relationships between variables and to explore further the impact of gender, socio-economic class, national status and age on the university experience. The UNIQoLL project is ongoing and therefore future analysis will have the advantage of the second cohort of students who have now participated in the UNIQoLL survey process. The University of Leeds 14

References Audin, K., Davey. J. & Barkham, M. (2003). University Quality of Life and Learning (UNIQoLL): an approach to student well-being, satisfaction and institutional change. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 27(4), 365-382. Bradley, M. & Bewick, B.M. (2003). UNIQoLL (University Quality of Life and Learning): a holistic approach to monitoring students satisfaction and well-being. Higher Education Strategy White Paper one year on implications for student services. AMOSHE Conference. Cooke, R., Barkham, M., Audin, K., Bradley, M. & Davy, J. (2004). Student debt and its relation to student mental health. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 28(1), 53-66. Department for Education and Skills (2003). The Future of Higher Education. http://www.dfes.gov.uk/highereducation/hestrategy/ Sinclair, A., Barkham, M., Evans, C., Connell, J. & Audin, K. (submitted). A core measure of psychological wellbeing for the general population: development, psychometric status and student norms for the GP-CORE. Utley, A. (2004). Higher-fliers are more fun. The Times Higher Education Supplement, 5 th February 2004. The University of Leeds 15