Originally published on February 24th, 2009

Final year students at the University of Edinburgh are taking longer to reply to the National Student Survey (NSS) than previous years, which is resulting in higher costs for the University as it is charged for every reminder sent.

The NSS, the only UK-wide survey of student opinion, has been conducted annually since 2005. The survey is seeking the views of final year undergraduates who will be asked 22 questions about their university experience. 

At this point last year, 35 per cent of eligible students from the University of Edinburgh had completed the survey whilst the equivalent figure this year is only 24 per cent. The survey is administrated by Ipsos MORI, an independent research agency which aims to have at least a 50 per cent response rate.

The NSS website states “Ipsos MORI will follow up non-respondents to the online survey by post and then telephone in order that we collect the views of as many students as possible to ensure the survey results are robust.”

However, whilst gaining a higher number of responses increases the validity of the survey, a higher number of reminders increases the cost for the University of Edinburgh. The instituion is charged for every phone call, text message, letter and email so filling the survey in promptly can save the University money.

The NSS has come under some criticism in the past with stories appearing about universities telling their students to inflate their responses in order to make their instituion appear higher in the league tables.

Distortion of the final results can also take place in more subtle ways. In 2007 Conservative MP David Willets made a speech at the Sheffield University Academy of Public Service about Higher Education and the student experience. Speaking about the manipulation of NSS results he said “As one vice chancellor told me recently, there are ways and means.

"Do not go too hard on your students or organise early morning starts too close to survey time. Certainly never send out bills or reminder letters before you send out the survey form.”

The message from the University is that honest feedback should be given. The University takes the results very seriously; Edinburgh University’s poor performance in the feedback section led to Jeff Haywood Vice-Principal of the University addressing students at the Annual General Meeting last semester to explain what the University is doing to improve things.

The University hopes to use this year's results to see where it needs to improve, and hopes that final year undergraduates will complete it sooner rather than later.