National Bachelor’s Feedback Survey Examines Students' Satisfaction with their University

Finnish universities have decided to acquire a nationwide bachelor’s feedback survey, called Kandipalaute. The survey examines the students' satisfaction with their university and studying experience. The University of Oulu will send the survey to 907 students in autumn 2013.

The survey provides comparative information on the quality of university education. The results of the survey are used to improve the study situation at the University of Oulu. Results of the survey will be completed in December 2013.

According to Olli Silvén, Vice Rector, Provost for Education, the student feedback is essential in developing teaching, counselling, and student services.

“Already a pilot round revealed a number of specific features and showed areas, which we can improve. I hope that the students will answer the survey, so that we have enough reasons behind the development decisions.

Students' satisfaction will have a direct impact on university funding. The Ministry for Education and Culture of Finland is planning that 3% of basic funding allocated to universities will be based on student feedback from 2015 onwards. This entails a total sum of approximately 50 million euros to be divided among the universities based on student feedback. Already the results of the survey in autumn 2013 are affecting to the basic funding of universities.

The Universities Finland UNIFI, which is a co-operational organisation for Finnish universities, and the National Union of University Students in Finland have been working on getting the survey up and running for some years now. The survey will be implemented by an internationally renowned higher education research and consultancy agency CHE Consult GmbH.

At the University of Oulu, the survey will be emailed to all students who have taken bachelor’s degree in spring 2013. In the fields of medicine and dentistry the survey will be emailed to students who have studied for three years. Each respondent receives a survey by email, containing a personalized link, on 30th of September. The survey is open from 30th September to 18th October.

The University of Oulu will offer a cup of coffee and a piece of cake to all students who have answered the survey. The university will also raffle a sauna evening for ten people (the winner and 9 friends) at the Saarelan Rantasauna, catered and sponsored by Uniresta Ltd.

For more information:
Coordinator Tytti Tenhula, Academic Affairs
yopala@oulu.fi