Coventry University, part of the West Midlands Combined Universities, has been shortlisted for a major education award recognising its teaching excellence.
It is in the running for a 2018 Guardian University Award for a project that has improved teaching across the whole institution.
The university’s nomination in the awards’ teaching excellence category recognised work to improve students’ experiences during their studies, listen to their feedback, encourage teaching staff’s professional development and increase international study opportunities.
The project included creating 1,400 student representatives and arranging regular, informal opportunities for them to feedback to senior staff, ensuring students evaluated modules while they were studying for them, and also improving a teaching observation scheme.
It also involved the continual investment in new facilities which focus on promoting problem-solving and professional skills.
An example of this is the £59 million Science and Health Building, which was officially opened by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in January.
It is the only facility of its kind where students learn to care for a patient at every stage of their healthcare journey, from paramedics to occupational therapists.
The university has been able to show positive results of its work to improve teaching excellence.
These include the university’s gold award in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) last year and latest employability figures showing 97 per cent of students were employed or in further study six months after graduation.
The shortlist has been announced a week after it was revealed that Coventry University graduates contribute £560 million to the UK economy during their lifetimes.
Coventry is nominated in the teaching excellence category alongside The Open University and University of Surrey.
Award winners will be announced at a ceremony next month.
Ian Dunn, Coventry University’s deputy vice-chancellor for student experience, said: “We are delighted to be leading the way in the higher education sector by putting teaching excellence and student experience at the heart of what we do.
“We are working in an innovative and inspiring way and crucially at the same time have increased access to the university for a diverse student population from a wide range of backgrounds.
“This focus has made a difference to our graduates’ futures and achieved outstanding results, but we are committed to doing more and keeping up this vitally important work.”
ENDS