UHI Inverness survey campaign achieves high satisfaction rating and raises charity donation
UHI Inverness has donated £1,000 to an autism support charity’s new centre in the Highlands, following a successful student survey campaign that achieved an impressive 95% overall satisfaction rating.
The latest Student Satisfaction and Engagement Survey (SSES) achieved the highest satisfaction scores ever recorded across all main questions – an indicator that students highly regard their learning experience across the campuses. The overall satisfaction figure is also 1.6% higher than last year’s rating.
The survey highlighted many positives including engaging courses, effective teaching, a positive learning environment, supportive and friendly staff, camaraderie and belonging and quality course materials.
It also achieved an impressive 53% response rating that has unlocked a donation of £1,000 to charity partner, Autism and Neurodiversity North Scotland Ltd (A-ND).
UHI Inverness Vice Principal Lindsay Snodgrass and Charlie Spooner, the registered manager of A-ND’s Dingwall facility
Students voted online and at the Refreshers Fayre for their preferred charity partner and the majority chose A-ND to benefit from a donation linked to the number of completed surveys.
The charity offers support to children and their families and has recently opened its first Highland base, A-ND Dingwall Club and Afterschool Support. The money will be used to create a sensory play garden at its new Dingwall premises.
The charity was nominated by Introduction to Childhood Practice students who had been working with A-ND. The students and their lecturer Alastair Davidson will visit the Dingwall facility next month and are due to undergo its neurodiversity awareness training.
The donation acts as an incentive to encourage students to complete the survey. It was presented to Charlie Spooner, the registered manager of A-ND’s Dingwall facility, at a special event held on campus on Friday, 25 April.
Billy Alexander, Chief Executive Officer at Autism and Neurodiversity North Scotland Ltd, said: "It’s really great to hear how successful the survey has been and the donation of £1,000 from UHI Inverness is just fantastic, and is very gratefully received.
“We are thrilled about the opportunity to partner with UHI Inverness. This collaboration will enable us to expand our reach and impact, fostering a more inclusive environment for neurodiverse individuals. We are very much looking forward to working and growing with UHI Inverness in the Highlands and I believe our positive partnership will make great things happen.
“Our new base in Dingwall represents a pivotal step in our growth. The facility serves as a hub for our services, providing essential support and resources to individuals and families. We have created a space with the support of the local residents and contractors in Dingwall, who have truly made magic happen. This is a place where our community can thrive, feel supported and live their lives to the fullest.
“This donation will go directly towards creating a sensory garden and providing specialist equipment that our autistic and neurodivergent children will benefit from greatly. These resources will offer a calming, engaging space where children can explore, play and thrive in a way that meets their unique needs. We’d like an outdoor space that works for all - thank you for helping us make a meaningful difference.”
The annual end-of-year student survey is aimed at full-time and part-time students from school programmes to degree courses. Their feedback helps to inform changes across UHI Inverness.
Dr Lindsay Snodgrass, a Vice Principal at UHI Inverness, said: “This survey campaign was an enormous success – the impressive overall satisfaction rating demonstrates that we are listening to our students, and we are working hard across the organisation to ensure we provide an excellent experience for all our students.
“The survey provides us with valuable information that we analyse and act upon and I want to thank all the students who engaged in the survey. Moving forward we will be sharing good practice across our organisation and steps are being taken to make further positive changes in response to the feedback.
“I am pleased that we’ve established a lasting connection between UHI Inverness and A-ND that has already led to plans for further collaboration, building on our shared goal of supporting young people to improve their lives.”
The award-winning incentive charity approach to encourage student engagement with surveys was first introduced by UHI Inverness in 2022 and has raised donations for Mikeysline, James Support Group, Maggie’s Highland and Highland Hospice.