Strathclyde ranked second worst for academic feedback

Edinburgh was the worst


Strathclyde is one of the bottom feeders when it comes to teaching quality, according to the Sunday Times.

The survey – which asked students if they felt like the feedback given by lecturers was prompt, detailed and helpful – tripped up a number of the best institutions in the country. It showed the stark reality that many academics are more concerned with research than teaching.

Among the bottom 10 were 5 Russel group universities, including Glasgow and four other Scottish universities. Strathclyde found itself just beaten by Edinburgh for the bottom spot, scoring a shocking 53.7% satisfaction rating.

Jo Johnson, the minister for universities, called the teaching standards “patchy” and commented that “lamentable” teaching needs to be driven out of the system. The research has been released ahead of the government’s plans to roll out a new teaching quality test. Only 1 in 3 universities are expected to pass, which would allow them to increase their fees over the £9000 cap.

Next week, the Sunday Times will be releasing the university rankings to be published in the Good University Guide 2015. With student satisfaction as one of the factors that impacts on rank, it will be interesting to see how Strathclyde fares.

Engineering first year, Nick, said: “I would never rely on this sort of statistic, and that taking it too seriously would be a mistake.

Politics and Economics first year, Lewis, said: “I’m frustrated that a well-regarded uni could have such poor standards. But Strathclyde is still a good to me and meets my needs.”