The University of Law Ranked First for Student Satisfaction in the National Student Survey 2016

LONDON, August 10, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

- 1st for Overall Student Satisfaction - 97% (joint 1st)

- 1st for "Staff are Enthusiastic About What They are Teaching" - 99%

- 1st for "Staff are Good at Explaining Things" - 100% (joint 1st)

- 2nd for "Teaching on my Course" - 97%

- 3rd for "Academic Support" - 91% (joint 3rd)

- 3rd for "Organisation and Management" - 92%

- 3rd for "As a Result of the Course, I Feel Confident in Tackling Unfamiliar Problems" - 92%

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The University of Law (previously The College of Law), has the highest student satisfaction rate among private and public universities in the United Kingdom, it was announced today. According to the results of this year's National Student Survey, The University of Law (ULaw) had an overall student satisfaction score of 97% - the highest among all higher education institutions in the country.^[1]

In a year when the average student satisfaction levels were largely unchanged across the country, ULaw bucked the trend and improved its score by 9% over 2015.

The result reflects the student experience of undergraduates in the final year of the Bachelor of Laws (LLB) programme. Developed in partnership with leading employers, ULaw's LLB, building on over a century of providing excellent legal education, adopts an innovative approach to learning, encouraging students to think and act like professional lawyers from day one. It is taught by tutors who are all qualified lawyers with experience of legal practice, and includes a fully integrated employability programme to maximise students' employment prospects.

As well as overall satisfaction, ULaw's tutors received the sector's highest ranking for enthusiasm about what they are teaching and for being good at explaining their subjects.^[2] Students also showed satisfaction with the overall programme delivery, giving the second highest score (97%) in the country for teaching quality. 'Academic support' and 'organisation and management' were also impressive results, with ULaw ranking third for both categories.^[3]

Professor Andrea Nollent, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Academic Officer at ULaw, said: "At The University of Law we place enormous value on feedback from our students, so this is a wonderful result for us. Our mission is always to place the quality of our teaching at the heart of all that we do as a university.

"We know that students respond extremely positively to the law being taught in a practical, applied and highly dynamic way. Having extremely motivated and hugely enthusiastic staff who have all practiced law adds a depth of understanding and excitement to the learning process, which our students clearly enjoy and appreciate."

Under the ownership of international education group Global University Systems since 2015, the university has established a new board and robust governance which helped it enhance the quality and level of support offered to students whilst maintaining its academic excellence and independence. Earlier this year, ULaw unveiled its '100% for You' initiative, highlighting its focus on academic excellence, student support and lifelong commitment to students and alumni.

The National Student Survey, which is commissioned by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and has 23 questions covering the main aspects of the learning experience, is conducted among nearly half a million final year undergraduates in publicly funded higher education bodies in the UK as well as other providers of higher education.

The results of the survey, conducted by Ipsos MORI on behalf of UK funding bodies, provide valuable information for prospective students, and help universities and colleges to further improve the education they provide.

The University of Law LLB (Hons) programme 

Launched in 2012, the ULaw LLB programme has a remarkable track record for a relatively new course. In addition to the NSS results, official data published in 2015 by HEFCE suggests that 95% of students are in work or postgraduate study six months after graduating, with 60% in a professional or managerial job at six months.^[4]

Commenting on the NSS results, Jayne Jeffcott, National Director of Programmes and Student Affairs for LLB at ULaw said: "I am delighted that ULaw has come out as the top university for student satisfaction in the country. At ULaw, we are dedicated to giving our students an excellent learning experience and to help prepare them for their future careers. The results demonstrate that our students value our focus on outstanding teaching and student support and on teaching a relevant curriculum."

The programme is delivered full time in seven locations nationwide (Birmingham, Bristol, Chester, Guildford, London, Manchester and Leeds), as well as part-time in London, Birmingham, and Chester, and from 2016 also available as an online course - i-LLB. Students looking to fast-track their careers can also take an accelerated, two-year option, which is delivered exclusively at the ULaw London Bloomsbury campus.

According to Ms Jeffcott, the programme is constantly revised to reflect the feedback from both students and employers. "We are constantly seeking feedback from our students as to what they value about our LLB and how we can enhance their experience. Our students have consistently told us that they value the high quality of the teaching they receive and the fact that their tutors are professionally qualified lawyers," she added.

To find out more about The University of Law's LLB, visit: http://www.law.ac.uk/undergraduate/

The official results of the National Student Survey 2016 are available at: http://www.hefce.ac.uk/lt/nss/results/2016/

Notes to editors 

The University of Law (ULaw) is the largest and longest established provider of professional legal education and training in the UK with centres in London, Birmingham, Bristol, Chester, Guildford, Manchester and Leeds, as well as offering some courses at The University of Exeter. Previously The College of Law, it was granted university status in November 2012.

Earlier this year, ULaw unveiled its '100% for You' initiative, highlighting its focus on academic excellence, student support and lifelong commitment to students and alumni. As part of the campaign, the university launched its 100% Employment Promise offering its Legal Practice Course (LPC) students starting in July and September 2016 half of their tuition fees back in cash if they do not secure employment nine months after graduation, and a further 50% in credit towards another course run by ULaw and its partners.

ULaw works with 90 of the top 100 law firms and offers an award-winning legal careers and employability service, as well as one of the UK's largest and most varied pro bono programmes. The university offers over 2,900 opportunities for students to put their skills into practise, helping them to prepare for the job market.

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^[1] Joint first with the University of Buckingham

^[2] Joint first with The Courtauld Institute for "Staff are good at explaining things explaining things."

^[3] Joint third with the University of Buckingham for "academic support"

^[4] http://unistats.direct.gov.uk/subjects/overview/10039956FT-LLB3/ReturnTo/

SOURCE The University of Law (ULaw)