Poor NSS results

[PoorNSS]

I’m the programme lead so have got to go next week to see the deputy pro vice chancellor. I’m assuming I’m getting a bollocking.

50% of students have rated the course unsatisfactory. Some nice comments, some quite harsh (and I feel unfair comments).

reoccurring comments are they feel the 3rd year assessments are too close together, there are 3 in a row but all 4 weeks apart. They feel they don’t have enough support on placement (physio students), we were told by SLT not to go and physically see them on placement as we’re only a small team, the placement area is geographically huge and was told it’s not a good use of anyones time to drive a three hour round trip to see a student. We have weekly online support sessions for students on placement plus we will always teams call anyone back and we will go and see someone in placement if they have a problem and want us to go and see them 🤷‍♀️ We even do evening online support sessions. Seems they want us just popping into placement areas to say hello. They feel forgotten about on placement but there’s only 3 lecturers and when one cohort is on placement we’re teaching the other two.

they say that lecturers are hard to get hold of (I always answer my emails promptly, others in the team maybe not quite as quick but would still be within the five day email answering uni guidelines). They also say when they’ve made suggestions/criticisms we have been defensive. And that we’re not open to suggestions. I think that’s unfair, some stuff we’ve taken onboard and changed stuff. Other stuff is just students whinging a bit and just because they don’t like having an exam doesn’t mean we’re going to scrap it. 🤷‍♀️ They haven’t actually given specific examples so it’s hard to know what they’re referring to.

i’m not sure what I can say in the meeting? I can’t promise we’re going to go and see the students in placement because we don’t have time. We can look at spacing the assessments out but that will mean some being due when they’re on placement which the students previously said they didn’t want. They only want assessments in a theory block.

oh and one comment was that online lectures were dull and boring. Whereas other comments were that we’d done a good job when we moved over to online teaching. So I do partly feel that you just can’t please everyone. Teaching is going back 100% f2f next year (has been 50/50 this year).

I just feel like quitting and going back to practice now. I feel I’ve bent over backwards to support the students and am struggling not to take it personally because it feels very personal. Comments like no support when a student was having personal issues and I just think of the individual meetings I’ve had with students sobbing over relationships, bereavements, etc, providing tissues and a shoulder to cry on, helping with EC applications, etc, signposting to specialised support.

I would push it back in the deputy Pro vc.

They feel neglected on placement. We do all these things. Of course we would love to physically visit them but as I'm sure you understand, that is not possible with the current resources. Is the university willing to provide additional resources to facilitate that?

The choice is between ensuring all assignments are done during teaching or the flow into placement. Students' opinion was taken on board to limit them to teaching time. Obviously we need to ensure we maintan academic standards so it has to be one or the other.

Lecturers are hard to get hold of - we all comply with university guidance, but frequently respond more quickly than required.

Don't take suggestions seriously - all suggestions are considered and evaluated in terms of academic standards and practising issues.

If your online classes were like mine, a minority of students were willing to engage in discussions and activities. Unfortunately you cannot force engagement but it will be easier when you go back up f2f next year.

Looking at your second post, or sounds to me like you are way too available and they are now utterly entitled. Pull back. Personal issues? Send them to the counselling service.

Thank you. I think you’re right, I’m going to get writing a list of points and go in with this.

And yes, I do think we get too involved with the students, though we do signpost them to counselling office as well. It’s a small cohort so we know the students well, think that’s partly why it feels like such a blow. I’ve always tried to treat all the students like I’d like my DC to be treated by their lecturers.

I'm sorry, it's so frustrating when you have worked so hard and it's not recognised. It must be very hard running a programme with a team of three, what happens if someone is ill/has personal issues?

I guess it's just taking each point in turn and having your response ready and what you need from them.

If someone is ill the two left standing have to pick up the workload. One of the team left 2 years ago and we were six months with only two of us. Then when we recruited someone it was their first academic post and my number two went off sick for two months. So in effect it was just me and a brand new lecturer. There’s only so much we can do but I feel I’m working myself to an early grave.

My inclination was always the same as yours but I have pulled back over the last few years as I found the more you give the more is expected. You get an occasional cohort that no matter what you do, it's never enough. It's just a weird class vibe you get sometimes. If you have good feedback from other cohorts, I would also certainly mention that.

To be honest, I would be livid if I was you. Not at the students but at management having the cheek up haul me in over a single bad feedback and I would be telling the vc that! Mind you, I'm not far off retirement and have no shits left to give.

You need to push the problem up the ladder. Someone is out for an extended period, they need to get cover or balls get dropped. That said, I have no problem covering for a short term emergency but the 8 months you had was taking the piss. I