National student feedback survey commences

The students who completed a bachelor’s degree at Aalto University during 1.1.-31.7.2013 are invited to participate in the student feedback survey in the end of September. The survey is to be conducted in all Finnish universities twice a year, and this autumn the survey will be held from 30 September to 18 October. The survey can be answered electronically and a link will be sent by email to the graduates.

From 2015 onwards, the Ministry of Education and Culture will distribute annually 3% (approx. € 50 million) of university core funding based on student feedback. In addition to the direct financial impact that the survey has, Aalto University will use the results of the feedback to develop its activities that are related to studies.

The harmonised collection of student feedback from all universities meets the desire of student organisations for a national feedback process, which can be used to direct universities in making investments in the quality of education.

The survey was first implemented in the spring 2013. The results of the survey reveal that students at Aalto University value the opportunity to study abroad and believe that international experience is very important for their career after graduation. Students at Aalto University are also likely to work during their studies and their work is usually related to their field of study. According to the survey students at Aalto University expect more feedback from professors.

The universities have decided to implement the feedback survey as an outsourced service. As the result of competitive bidding, the German company CHE Consult GmbH has been selected to be the service provider. The survey produced by this international company also presents the opportunity for Finnish universities to be compared at a European level.