The results of the Danish Student Survey are in: AU students report high levels of satisfaction
AU's students are generally very satisfied with their student experience, both academically and socially, but stress, loneliness and a decrease in time spent on studies are still challenges, according to the results of the national student survey. The university will use the results in its ongoing work to ensure the quality of the teaching and learning environment at AU.
The results of the Danish Study Survey, which all AU students had an opportunity to take last autumn, have just been announced. A total of 12,447 students participated in the survey nationwide. which AU students generally reported high levels of well-being and and satisfaction with both their academic and social student experience.
85% of students reported a positive or extremely positive sense of belonging on their programme, up from 80% in 2023, while 82% agreed that there is a good social environment, up from 78% in 2023. 90% felt that there is a good educational environment (88% in 2023), while 90% experience that their teachers are enthusiastic about what they teach.
Pro-rector: We must support opportunities for belonging and connection
Pro-Rector Berit Eika is pleased that so many students took the time to take the survey, and that the vast majority are thriving and feel a sense of belonging at the university. However, she is also very aware that 12% of students still report feeling lonely often or always – despite a decrease from 14% in 2023:
“Loneliness among young people is a complex problem for which there is no simple solution. But it’s a high priority for me that we as a university do what we can to support opportunities for belonging and connection for our students. That's why we’re currently working on an initiative to improve conditions for our student groups, for example with a focus on sports and fitness. I hope that this will help strengthen the many strong student groups we already have while also providing fertile ground for many new ones.”
Concern about stress and decreased time on task
Although the survey showed general increases in student well-being, it also shows that 20% of students always or often feel stressed. This is a significant increase over 2023, when the figure was 16%. Berit Eika is concerned about this development, and explains that AU is highly conscious of student stress in all aspects of the student experience:
“We can see that students' own expectations of themselves are increasing a source of as stress, and that factors like finances, housing and family life also play a major role. "What we as a university can do about this is limited, but we’re constantly focussed on finding ways in which we can help – for example, by setting clear academic expectations, aligning teaching and exams and helping with career planning.”
Berit Eika is also concerned that the amount of time students spend on academics – called ‘time on task’ has fallen again. According to the survey, students spend an average of 32.5 hours a week on task, as against 36 hours in 2023. In 2018, the average time on task was 38.7 hours.
“Students' time on task one of the trends we are very interested in. It doesn’t seem that students are spending more time on paid work or volunteering, so we don’t have an obvious explanation. "We’ve launched a major study here at AU that will help us understand what factors are in play when it comes to student engagement and give us some concrete strategies for on how we can improve student engagement," says Berit Eika.
How will the results be used?
The results of the Danish Study Survey are important for AU's work to ensure the quality of the learning experience at the university and form the basis for the university's own Learning and Teaching Environment Assessment. Specifically, they’ll be used to inform action plans at degree programme and faculty level.
The results are also used by the Academic Environment Council and the Education Committee and are discussed by boards of studies and degree programme committees.