St Andrews, fourth spot thanks to our enthusiasm!

[Angharad]

http://education.guardian.co.uk/univers ... 08,00.html

Student enthusiasm propels characterful St Andrews up 35 places to fourth spot

[ascii]

Quoting Angharad from 17:37, 1st May 2007
http://education.guardian.co.uk/univers ... 08,00.html

Student enthusiasm propels characterful St Andrews up 35 places to fourth spot

Is this because of the survey that we were encouraged to fill out incorrectly? Looks like that letter from the Union had quite an effect.

[goodeffort]

Rubbish, St. Andrews is the BEST. Stop being such a bunch of cynical web-monkies. A big round of applause to St. A!

[David Bean]

Nobody encouraged you to fill it out incorrectly. The letter - which I had nothing to do with, before anyone accuses me of bias - stated that the survey was of no real use for its stated purpose (that of quality enhancemnt), but as it would be factored into the university rankings, students might as well just go ahead and rate St Andrews as highly as possible, which would help improve our standing in the rankings and, in turn, make our degrees look more valuable. What could be more sensible or pragmatic than that? (Actually, knowing the people who came up with it, I'm frankly amazed that they hit upon such a good idea... )

[hr]

Psalm 91:7

[ascii]

Quoting David Bean from 23:23, 1st May 2007
Nobody encouraged you to fill it out incorrectly.

Look at http://www.thesinner.net/messageboard-viewthread.php?thread=22538

Quoting Ben Reilly from 16:15, 15th Mar 2006
Actually, the reason that we wanted people to fill it in incorrectly is because the real reason behind that survey is not about making the University better.

I'm not convinced the stated purpose is 'quality enhancement' either. Digging up the email from the NSS last year, the first paragraph says

The National Student Survey (NSS) is your chance to help future students make important decisions about which course or institution is right for them.

The survey results and accompanying headlines may make our degrees more valuable, but I think that trying to manipulate the survey results is unfair on the school kids making decisions about which university to go to.

[munchingfoo]

I thought this was going to be a thread about the monopoly board

[hr]

Tired Freudian references aside - your mother played my mighty skin flute like a surf crowned sea nymph trying to rouse Poseidon from his watery slumber!

[ascii]

Quoting munchingfoo from 10:46, 2nd May 2007
I thought this was going to be a thread about the monopoly board

Same here!

[felix]

Quoting ascii from 11:42, 2nd May 2007

Quoting munchingfoo from 10:46, 2nd May 2007
:( I thought this was going to be a thread about the monopoly board :(

Same here!

Haha, me too. Disappointed :(

[hr]

It is easier to get forgiveness than permission

[Frank]

Interestingly enough the 5th page of New Scientist's 6th Form Supplement lists St Andrews as 3rd in the top 25 with regards to teaching quality.

Can't seem to find the bits that list the statistics or whatnot, but it is noted as "as voted by students".



[hr]

"There is only ever one truth. Things are always black or white, there's no such thing as a shade of grey. If you think that something is a shade of grey it simply means that you don't fully understand the situation. The truth is narrow and the path of the pursuit of truth is similarly narrow."