Queen Mary has won the ‘Most Improved Student Experience’ award in the prestigious Times Higher Education Awards 2009.
The category is based entirely on anonymous student feedback, as opposed to a voting panel of professionals, and is considered to be a result of the £6 million investment made by the university in the Students’ Union-run health and fitness centre QMotion and Union bar Drapersbar. The college was also accredited for its improvement in scores for its lecturers and connections with industry.
Ben Marks, managing director of Opinion panel Research, who conducted the poll, commented that Queen Mary was the “clear winner” due not only to its scores in student experience but also “because it showed the largest improvement in league-table ranking.”
Aspects of the student experience that were voted on include campus environment, extra-curricular activities, the relationship between students and teaching staff, academic workload and the quality of student accommodation.
In addition to the college’s contribution, the Students’ Union also played a key role in providing some of these services. President of the Students’ Union, Nasir Tarmann, said that: “We strive to enhance the student experience with everything we do, this a particular strategic objective of the Students’ Union. We are very happy that, along with college, we are achieving that object.”
The university was nominated in five categories - including the top prize of ‘University of the Year’ - and having not been shortlisted for a single award in 2008, it is impressive that QM has managed to secure one award this year.
