Message from Fiona Allan: Program Experience Survey gives NC high marks for academic programs, hybrid delivery
I’d like to extend best wishes for a Happy New Year as we head into Winter term 2023. I hope everyone enjoyed the break over the holiday season with family and friends. It’s been a very busy start up as we begin to return to pre-pandemic enrolment numbers. I want to thank everyone for their responsiveness in making space in programs to accommodate our 10,000+ students.
I am pleased to share an update on the Program Experience Survey (PES), administered in November. Student feedback is an essential component of our quality processes and helps us celebrate our successes and identify areas for continuous improvement.
Results from this annual online survey were once again positive and consistent with last year. The survey period was from October 31 to November 18, 2022 by email invitation to students in term two of their program or above.
Consistently high results include:
• A majority of students (86%) gave Niagara College high marks on the skills for future careers that academic programs are helping them develop;
• Satisfaction with e-learning also remains high, with 78% of students satisfied with the quality of our virtual delivery;
• Hybrid instruction remains important for attracting new students, with almost one-fifth (17%) of current students indicating this was one of their main reasons for choosing Niagara College.
Notable changes over last year are the following:
• 82% of students said their perception of the college matched their experience (up from 79% last year) – due entirely to domestic responses;
• The percent of students who gave a positive rating to their program jumped to 91% this year (vs 88% last year); and
• The demand for fully online instruction has dropped, with 9% of current students indicating this as a key decision factor for choosing NC (compared to 18% last year).
We will continue to monitor the importance of hybrid delivery and decline in demand for fully online programming as we continue to work on providing flexible delivery modes to meet the expectations of incoming students.
Thank you for your continued commitment to student success at NC. Cheers to a healthy and optimistic 2023!
For more information, please see:
• Program Experience Survey niagaracollege.ca/pair/pes
• Calendar of Niagara College institutional surveys niagaracollege.ca/pair/surveys/
• Questions? Contact Katerina Gonzalez, Director, Planning and Institutional Research
