Avondale is a top-tier university for domestic and international student experience, according to the latest and only comprehensive national survey of higher education students.
The 2022 Student Experience Survey ranks Avondale first (international students) and second (domestic students) among undergraduates for quality of educational experience compared to the 41 other universities in Australia.
When you include both student cohorts and aggregate data over two years, Avondale is the top-ranked university in Australia for quality of educational experience and quality of teaching practices.
Its Bachelor of Nursing course is number one across all focus areas—skills development, learner engagement, teaching quality, student support, learning resources and quality of the educational experience. This is the best result—for the third consecutive year—of the 37 Australian universities and higher education providers offering the course.
Avondale’s teacher education courses are number one for quality of educational experience, quality of teaching practices and learner engagement, compared to the 36 universities and higher education providers offering similar courses.
“Our students appreciate the personalised experience and the care they receive from our staff members,” said vice-chancellor and president Professor Kerri-Lee Krause. “They value the sense of belonging that comes from feeling like they’re part of a community—both on campus and online.”
Professor Krause mentioned co- and extra-curricular offerings such as the Avondale Character Experience Laboratory wellbeing program, and activities and services—including chaplaincy and service learning—provided by the team from Avondale Student Life as helping create this sense of belonging. “These complement top-quality teaching and the rigour of academic study.”
Almost half of the students enrolled at Avondale in September this past year completed the 2022 Student Experience Survey, well above the national average response rate of 37 per cent.
Avondale is an independent higher education provider, and the university typically ranks well in the survey. But “when you have a relatively small sample, one or two dissatisfied students can make a big impact on your results”, said Professor Krause. “So, feedback from students is key to keeping us on our toes. We take commitment to quality seriously, which means integrating a student voice in our planning and decision-making to ensure we’re listening to and learning from their experience.”
The Student Experience Survey helps higher education institutions and the government improve teaching and learning outcomes for students. It is part of the Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching survey program and is funded by the Australian Government Department of Education.
Visit www.compared.edu.au to explore and compare higher education institutions and study areas. The website aggregates data over two years and includes domestic and international student and graduate responses for more consistent and accurate results.
