20 April 2010
Dundee University Students' Association rated Scotland's No.1
Dundee University Students' Association (DUSA) has been ranked Scotland's top students' union and one of the world's best in a new survey of universities across the globe.
The International Student Barometer (ISB) survey named DUSA as the best students’ union in Scotland, the third best in the UK, and the seventh best internationally. This follows on from the recent Times Higher Education Student Experience Survey, which also identified DUSA as Scotland’s number one students’ union.
Conducted by The International Graduate Insight Group (i-graduate), the ISB survey examines four main aspects of the university experience for international students – Learning, Living, Support, and the Arrival Experience.
The University and DUSA were highly rated across all indicators, especially in the area of student support, which showed an average satisfaction rating of 91.7%. Notably, Dundee was ranked the best internationally for Disability Support; the best in the United Kingdom for IT Support; and the best in Scotland for its Students’ Union and campus eating places.
DUSA President Andrew Smith expressed his delight at the findings, saying, “This is a fantastic achievement for both DUSA and the University.
“We have a very diverse campus and these findings show that we also have a very happy campus. We have set a high bar with these results and we need to continue working to surpass student expectations.”
i-graduate’s comparative studies have been adopted by over 480 education institutions worldwide, operating in 16 countries including Australia, New Zealand, the United States, South Africa, Singapore and several European states. The ISB is the largest annual study of international students in the world, with feedback gathered from over 150,000 students each year.
In January of this year, Times Higher Education Student Experience Survey awarded the union an overall score of 6.0, making it the highest rated students’ union in Scotland for the second year running. Conducted between September 2008 and June 2009, more than 11,000 students were asked to rate their university on 21 attributes considered key to a positive university experience.
What makes the TES study unique is that these key attributes were chosen by the students themselves during the initial design of the survey.
More information is available by contacting Andrew Smith on 07800 972393.
Notes to editors:
About DUSA
DUSA is a non-profit, registered Scottish charity (No. SC016047), open to students of Dundee University, The University of Abertay Dundee, and Dundee College. With an annual turnover of £5m a year, all earnings from the organisation are routinely reinvested into providing better services and support for students.
In recent years this has allowed DUSA to go through an extensive refurbishment programme, resulting in an award-winning, world class students’ union. DUSA has also been recognised as both the biggest student employer in Dundee and the safest nightclub venue in the city.
For further details on the surveys, please go to:
http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storycode=409966
http://www.i-graduate.org/services/student_barometer.html
For media enquiries contact:
Grant Hill
Press Officer
University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384768
E-MAIL: g.hill@dundee.ac.uk
MOBILE: 07852 953277 |
