First year undergraduate survey 2014
IT Services again invited all first year undergraduates to complete an online survey in December to give us feedback on your first experiences of using IT at Sussex and more than 500 of you responded.
Thank you!
We'd like to thank all of the students who took part in the survey in December. We had a great response and are already using the feedback and comments we received to improve the services we provide.
Headline results
- You appreciate and value the campus wi-fi but would like it to be even faster and more widespread
- IT staff are helpful and well trained and there was a smoother start to the academic year
- You think printing costs are too high
- Student computers are great but you would like more at peak times
What you like about IT
- The support you get from IT staff
- The campus wi-fi
- Student computers and the software on them
- The Sussex Mobile phone app
- 24/7 access to services
We changed the format of the survey slightly this year, asking you to give us one thing you liked about IT at Sussex and one thing you would most like to improve.
The top result was the personal support from IT staff at the Shawcross service desk. There were many positive comments about the campus wi-fi, reflecting the huge investment in access points and internet bandwidth over the last few years.
Internet connectivity is also the thing you would most like to improve. You want more speed, better coverage across the campus and easier connections. You would also like printing to be cheaper.
We're working through the comments to make as many improvements as we can and you can see some of our initial responses below.
You would most like to improve
- The speed of internet access
- Stability of wi-fi connections
- Wi-fi coverage around the campus
- Make it easier to connect devices to the wi-fi
- Printing should be cheaper
What you said and the action we're taking
Campus wi-fi
I hope you can improve the wi-fi network in Northfield. It seems most of the time I cannot connect to it or the signal is very weak.
Action:
We're now working on a project to improve the wi-fi service in Northfield. In some of the residences, the design of the flats poses challenges for installing wi-fi but we have plans for implementing more powerful equipment that will cover a wider area and enable residents to use wi-fi in kitchens and bedrooms which currently don't have a clear signal.
The wi-fi is extremely unreliable, especially in the Library where it should work at all times, and I often end up sharing the mobile network from my phone.
Action:
In the last 12 months, we've completed some major work which will enable us to develop the wi-fi network in key parts of the campus. The next step is to replace some of the networking equipment in the Library which is currently acting as a bottleneck. This is a complex task but work is underway and due to be completed in the next few months.
The email service seems quite dated. In comparison to Gmail it's very basic but usable.
Action:
We're re-evaluating the student email system, including the webmail facility.
The current webmail system has served us well but there have been a lot of developments in online email services in the last few years. Gmail, Yahoo Mail and Outlook.com have introduced new features to help users manage their inboxes and we want to make sure that students enjoy similar benefits with their University email.
Computers in the Library
Printing costs too much and should be made cheaper.
Action:
The prices for printing are set at a level to cover costs and they're similar to those charged by other Universities. But we're going to review them again.
After a pilot project in the Summer term last year, we're beginning to introduce new Multi-Function Devices around the campus which are more efficient. Hopefully we'll be able to pass on the benefits to students by reducing printing costs.
We're also working on the other issues raised in our survey and will update this page with more details when there are any developments.
Survey details
iPad winner
Like last year, participants in the quiz could enter a prize draw to win an iPad Mini.
The winning email address belonged to Engineering and Design student Kiera Walsh who collected her new iPad in January.
Instant fixes
Some of you commented on things you can fix for yourself straightaway:
“Computers crash when loading up PDFs”
This problem is usually solved by unchecking the option to use protected mode at startup in Adobe Reader - find out how.
“Every time I open my laptop, it brings up the wi-fi setup window and doesn't remember how to connect to eduroam”
This normally means your laptop or mobile has remembered the setup network and is connecting to that instead of eduroam. Find out how to fix it.
Updated on 5 March 2015