University welcomes suspension of NSS boycott

Statement on the National Student Survey 2022:

Following discussions between the Senior Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education) and sabbatical officers from Cambridge SU, we are announcing actions to be taken by the University to improve student consultation and feedback, and alleviate concerns about the National Student Survey.  

In recognition of Cambridge SU’s boycott of the NSS, three commitments have been made;

1. The University will publicly oppose any attempts by the Government or the Office for Students to link undergraduate home student tuition fees to the Teaching Excellence Framework, which is informed by NSS results. This statement, recently affirmed by the General Board’s Education Committee, will be included in the University’s response to the Office for Students’ consultation on the Teaching Excellence Framework.

2. The University and Cambridge SU will co-author and implement a student consultation framework to guarantee productive student participation in decision-making in Faculties, Departments, Schools and the wider University.

3. Any report from the Reading Week Working Group recommending the introduction of a mid-term break will be considered by the General Board and the University Council by the end of this academic year, following the demonstration of strong support for a mid-term break in the SU referendum.

As a result of these commitments, Cambridge SU has agreed to suspend its boycott of the National Student Survey for 2022. 

Professor Graham Virgo, Senior Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education), said:

“I am pleased to have worked closely with the SU on the important issues of student consultation and feedback. Student participation is valuable, both in our own decision-making processes, and in the National Student Survey. I encourage all final-year students to fill it in: it is quick to complete and gathers valuable information on students’ opinions. What we learn from the survey can be used to make changes that will make a real difference to future students…the survey really does help prospective students make informed decisions on where and what to study.”

Zaynab Ahmed, SU Undergraduate Access, Education and Participation Officer, said:

"We're so pleased to see the University make these commitments after years of student campaigning against the NSS. One of the biggest limitations of the survey is that it fails to provide nuanced and contextualised information about studying at Cambridge, so I'm especially excited to develop a Student Consultation Framework with the University, which we hope will give students more opportunity to voice their opinions throughout their time here. We're glad that the University agrees with Cambridge SU that the NSS, which informs the Teaching Excellence Framework, should not, and cannot, be used by the Government to change university tuition fees."

Zak Coleman, SU Undergraduate President, said:

“I’m very pleased to see the University committing to these much-needed measures, in particular acknowledging the benefits of a mid-term break to address chronic issues of poor student mental health and burnout, which recently received strong student backing in an SU-run referendum. We look forward to working with the University to fully implement these commitments.”