VISIONS FOR THE FUTURE
A key objective of the Students' Guild is to work with the University to ensure every students' education is as whole and complete as can be. With this in mind, in 2011, we published the Guilds' Vision for the Future of Education, a document written and informed by evidence from a wide range of sources which set out our top ten priorities to improve the academic experience at Exeter. When surveyed, 78% of staff said that they had read this document, 67% said it had impacted upon their academic policies and 100% of those who had used it reported that it benefitted students in their department.
In short, it was taken very seriously by the University, at all levels. It led to the implementation of the three week turnaround policy, for example, meaning all feedback for work must be returned to students within this time frame. Whilst this was a struggle, the 2012 NSS showed a 7% rise in student satisfaction regarding the promptness of feedback, a section of the survey which had remained static for years previously.
This year, we believe it is time to update this vision, having complete many of the objectives the previous document set out. We are also aware, however, that the University College structure is far more prevalent now and that each college has its own, very individual strengths and weaknesses. Thus we are aiming to use the foundation we have from this original document to build 7 new ones, setting the agenda for each College, including the new Medical School and INTO, in a more bespoke fashion.
BUT, we can't do this without your help-we want it to be driven by YOU, setting out the changes students want and highlighting what is most important according to you. I will keep you updated with how to get involved and any up and coming consultations but, in the mean time, please do scroll through the old document to get a flavour of what issues we may be looking to address. I'd also strongly encourage you speak to your course reps, staff and, of course, myself so we can start gathering some early thoughts and answer any questions you might have.