Students ranked the Department 1st in the Russell Group for “assessment and feedback”, 3rd for “learning resources” and 4th for “student voice”. We are also in the top 5 for “teaching on my course” and “learning opportunities”.
The department was also ranked 1st when answering the questions “How often does feedback help you to improve your work?” and 2nd for “How good are teaching staff at explaining things?”.
Civil and Structural Engineering is at the heart of society's response to global challenges, so it's vital that we prepare our students to be able to make a difference in the world. The department is proud that our focus upon delivering an excellent student experience is recognised and we’re delighted that the NSS Survey has captured the incredible hard work and dedication of colleagues in the department.
Professor Martin Mayfield-Tulip
Head of the Department of Civil & Structural Engineering
I'm really pleased with the results from this year's NSS, which almost three-quarters of our graduating students filled out. I'm particularly proud to see us come out on top of the Russell Group for assessment and feedback. Much of our course is structured around the provision of timely and quality feedback, and it is fantastic to see that the students value this and, most importantly, are able to improve because of it.
Dr Sam Rigby
Senior Lecturer in Blast and Impact Engineering and Director of Student Experience at the Department of Civil and Structural Engineering
The NSS is a fantastic way of gathering the student voice and refining our policies and practices in response. We will continue building on this strong endorsement from our graduates and work in partnership with current students to enhance and develop the teaching and learning curriculum.
Professor Rachel Horn
Professor of Engineering Education and Deputy Director for Education at the Department of Civil and Structural Engineering
Overall, the University of Sheffield was placed top overall in the Russell Group in the NSS 2023. The survey, in which more than 335,000 final year students from across the UK have fed back on their higher education experience, places Sheffield top of the UK’s 24 world class, research-intensive universities, based on aggregate responses. Sheffield received the highest positive responses to 27 questions that asked students to rate their academic experience, mental wellbeing, resources and support.
Sheffield is also in the top three across the Russell Group for learning opportunities, student voice and mental health, and top five for learning resources, academic support and organisation and management.
This year’s survey, which is led by the Office for Students (OfS), also added a new question to explore freedom of expression. Sheffield is the top five in the Russell Group for students feeling free to express their opinions and beliefs during their studies, according to the results.