ECU's state-of-the-art Joondalup Library space.
The 2021 Student Experience Survey National report released this week reaffirms Edith Cowan University's position as the nation's leading public university for student experience.
Student responses to the only comprehensive survey of current higher education students in Australia, have ranked Edith Cowan University (ECU) as the top public university in the country for undergraduate overall experience, as well as teaching quality, skills development and learning resources.
Additionally, ECU's international students rated ECU the number one public university this year for undergraduate overall experience.
ECU is also the top ranked university (public or private) in WA for undergraduate overall experience, student support and learning resources.
ECU Vice-Chancellor Professor Steve Chapman said the latest survey results were testament to the quality of the teaching and learning experience at ECU being at the very core of its purpose as a University.
Professor Chapman explained that the Australian Government’s Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT) were based on student feedback from universities across Australia focusing on aspects of the student experience that were measurable and linked with learning and development outcomes.
"This ranking is the one that matters most as it's based on the opinions of those who are most important to us – our students and we put students at the forefront of everything we do," Professor Chapman said.
"The ECU vision is to lead the sector in educational experience, in both virtual and physical learning environments, so it is rewarding to see that our ratings are not only top in Australian public universities, they, in many cases, exceed the national average by as much as 10 per centage points."
Professor Chapman said that the ECU team had worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic to prepare for the needs of new and returning students and to help international students build a sense of belonging here in WA. Several new student support and welcome programs were introduced, including academic skills and social connection support workshops, online resources, and peer-led study sessions.
He said that they had been delighted to see these and other ECU programs that had helped to counteract the negative impact of the pandemic on the student experience.
"I am heartened to see these results – the fact that in the midst of the pandemic our international undergraduate students rated their ECU study experience so highly – reflects the extremely hard work and collaboration that all our staff put in to prioritising the student experience."
Results from the 2021 Student Experience Survey National Report can be found on the QILT website.
