University performs well in survey of international students
More than 90% of international students are satisfied at the University of Sussex, shows an independent student survey.
The University was ranked 13th out of the 49 UK institutions that took part in the autumn 2015 ‘wave’ of the International Student Barometer (ISB), and 24th out of 159 worldwide for overall satisfaction.
More than one thousand of the international students at Sussex completed the questionnaire, with 93% reporting satisfaction overall with their student experience. This is up from 87% in 2012, when the University last took part in the survey.
The study also showed that 87% of them (up from 83% in 2012) would recommend Sussex to other students thinking of applying to university.
The very good news is that Sussex ranked first out of the 159 participating institutions, with 96% saying they were satisfied overall with the “arrival experience”, which includes elements such as the University’s welcome at major airports and railway stations, as well as transport to the location of their first night’s stay.
As one student commented, “The airport shuttle provided from Heathrow to the University was much appreciated and definitely helped me to feel more at ease when I arrived into the country. The University staff at the airport were especially helpful at making me feel welcomed and made my first impression of the UK and the University a positive one.”
Head of International Support, Sara Dyer, said: “A warm welcome is really important to get our international students off to a good start, so we are delighted that improvements that we have put in place in recent years, including an expanded meet-and-greet coach service from Heathrow Airport, have been well-received.
“I’m really grateful to colleagues from across the University and our invaluable team of student helpers who assist us at this crucial time.”
The University was ranked fifth in the UK ISB for organised social events, 11th for international student support and 12th for transport links.
Students were also very satisfied with their “learning” and “living” experiences, placing the University of Sussex seventh for organisation and smooth running of their course, and eighth for the surroundings (hailing Sussex as a “good place to be”).
The survey did of course identify a number of areas where improvements could be made.
For example, a number of Sussex students reported difficulties with setting up a bank account when they first arrived in the UK. Sara Dyer said: “Opening a bank account is an important step for new international students. We will work with local bank branches to make the process easier.”
Professor Clare Mackie, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Teaching and Learning), added: “At Sussex we place a strong emphasis on the quality and effectiveness of our support services, in the context of an all-round excellent student experience. It is pleasing to see progress in a number of areas.”
The International Student Barometer survey is independently administered by the International Graduate Insight Groupand, with feedback from over 2.3 million students worldwide across all student types, levels and years of study, is considered the leading benchmarking tool to track the international student experience.