Students from a range of UK universities have claimed that they are being pressurised into making overly enthusiastic responses in an official satisfaction survey.
The National Student Survey, set up by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), provides a league table of student satisfaction designed to help potential undergraduates choose their university. The survey is endorsed by the Government and is part of the quality assurance system in higher education.
The underhand tactics came to light when students at Kingston University complained that staff were trying to sway their survey responses. Subsequently students at dozens of other institutions came forward reporting similar intervention.
In the Kingston University case a student obtained an audio recording of members of staff instructing students how to respond to the survey in a positive light, rather than by making their own honest answers.
In an email to BBC News a student called Brian from Newcastle wrote: "The message was practically shoved down our throats. Give us good reviews or your degree won't be worth much and you'll look like you're coming from a rubbish place in your interviews.
"We had at least three 'special' lectures on it, and a school wide announcement and e-mails and it was announced in induction events."
An HEFCE spokesman defended the credibility of the survey by saying: "Apart from Kingston, a very small number of cases has been brought directly to our attention. Again each of these has been or is being investigated.
"We do not consider that the cases that have come to light call into question the robustness of the survey and believe that the great majority of students will take the opportunity to provide accurate feedback on their experiences."
The National Student Survey, set up by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), provides a league table of student satisfaction designed to help potential undergraduates choose their university. The survey is endorsed by the Government and is part of the quality assurance system in higher education.
The underhand tactics came to light when students at Kingston University complained that staff were trying to sway their survey responses. Subsequently students at dozens of other institutions came forward reporting similar intervention.
In the Kingston University case a student obtained an audio recording of members of staff instructing students how to respond to the survey in a positive light, rather than by making their own honest answers.
In an email to BBC News a student called Brian from Newcastle wrote: "The message was practically shoved down our throats. Give us good reviews or your degree won't be worth much and you'll look like you're coming from a rubbish place in your interviews.
"We had at least three 'special' lectures on it, and a school wide announcement and e-mails and it was announced in induction events."
An HEFCE spokesman defended the credibility of the survey by saying: "Apart from Kingston, a very small number of cases has been brought directly to our attention. Again each of these has been or is being investigated.
"We do not consider that the cases that have come to light call into question the robustness of the survey and believe that the great majority of students will take the opportunity to provide accurate feedback on their experiences."
