Partner, not customer

1. Partner, not customer Alex Bols, Assistant Director (Research) & Head of Higher Education, NUS alex.bols@nus.org.uk

2. White Paper “we look at how higher education institutions can create a learning community where engagement of students is encouraged, their feedback valued and complaints resolved transparently and as soon as possible.” (Para 3.1) “We welcome the joint NUS/Higher Education Academy student engagement project and its outputs, particularly the toolkit for students’ unions and higher education institutions to work together in improving students academic engagement.” (para 3.09)

3. White Paper “HEFCE as “consumer champion” This will include a new, explicit remit to promote the interests of students, including as consumers, with a duty to take competition implications into account when making decisions on funding.” (para 6.10)

4. 65% of students believe that if they are expected to pay more for their university experience they would have higher expectations NUS/HSBC Student Experience Report (2010)

5. How do students currently consider themselves? • 37% of students strongly agreed that they are a “student engaged in a community of learning” • However, 18% strongly thought that they were a “customer and expect the service that I have paid for”. NUS/HSBC Student Experience Report, 2010

6. However, there are significant differences by subject • “student engaged in a community of learning” • 54% of medical students strongly agreed • 22% of business students strongly agreed • “customer and expect the service that I have paid for”. • 23% business students strongly agree • 15% medical students strongly agree Bols, 2011