Context
A large UK university sought to address concerns around variable student satisfaction, as reflected in their most recent National Student Survey (NSS) results. While some areas performed strongly, scores in Organisation & Management and Student Voice had dipped below sector averages. Alongside this, qualitative feedback from staff highlighted increased workload pressures and challenges with communication across academic and professional services.
The university engaged an external consultancy with a proven track record in higher education performance improvement, aiming to:
- Improve NSS outcomes through actionable, evidence-based insights.
- Enhance staff experience by reducing duplication and clarifying communication pathways.
- Strengthen a culture of collaboration and co-creation with students.
Approach
The consultancy delivered a multi-stage programme of work over a three-month period
- Sentiment Analysis of NSS Free-Text Data
- Applied natural language processing (NLP) tools to more than 10,000 student comments.
- Identified underlying themes (e.g., timetabling, feedback turnaround, clarity of assessment criteria) with sentiment scoring (positive, neutral, negative).
- Benchmarked findings against sector-level discourse to highlight competitive strengths and risks.
- Quantitative Data Deep Dive
- Analysed 3 years of NSS item-level data to identify trend lines and correlations
- Mapped NSS items to internal unit evaluation scores, to etablish a triangulated view of across modules, fields of study, and cohorts.
- Qualitative Follow-Up
- Conducted targeted focus groups with both staff and students, validating the themes emerging from quantitative analysis.
- Used facilitated workshops to explore the lived experience behind the data
- Collaborative Stakeholder Workshops
- Brought together senior leadership, academic staff, professional services, and student representatives in a series of design-led workshops.
- Co-created a prioritised improvement plan with clear ownership, measurable goals, and “quick win” interventions.
Outcomes
- NSS Performance: Within one year, the university saw an uplift of +21% in Organisation & Management and +28% in Student Voice.
- Staff Experience: Staff surveys showed a reduction in reports of role ambiguity and a marked improvement in perceptions of workload management.
- Culture Shift: The triangulated, evidence-led approach created stronger trust between students and staff, embedding a cycle of co-creation and continuous improvement.
- Financial Impact: Improved NSS scores contributed to enhanced student recruitment and retention, aligning directly with institutional financial sustainability.