Key Findings for Academic Staff:

• Nearly one in three teaching staff felt that there were too few adequately qualified students for the places available in their department. A quarter of those teaching undergraduates felt that they had to teach subject matter or competencies which should have been covered prior to entry into higher education. This was particularly the case in 'new' universities.
  
  
• Nearly half of teaching staff who had been in the same institution for at least five years felt that student quality had declined over time. However, staff in 'new' universities were more likely to comment on deterioration in quality and staff in 'old' universities on an improvement.
  
  
• Only one in eight staff did no research, but whilst the proportion was one in twenty among staff at 'old' universities, it was nearly one in four for staff in 'new' universities. Over half of all staff almost always did their research in their own time.
  
  
• Academic staff felt that payment systems should reward excellence in teaching and research - but they are not seen to do so. Current systems put too much emphasis on management, income generation and length of service. The most popular means of pay determination would be a pay review body.
  
  
• Over a quarter of academics expected to leave higher education before normal retirement age and this was particularly true of younger staff and research staff. Among the factors influencing this decision were too much administration, poor pay, stress, job insecurity and lack of career prospects.
  
  

Key Findings for Full and Part-Time Students:

• Seventy per cent of students were satisfied with the quality of their teaching but 40% wanted more opportunities to learn in small groups and 28% wanted more contact with senior staff. Less than half (48%) were satisfied with the feedback they got from staff on their work.
  
  
• Students have felt the effects of constraints on resources, especially those at new universities where 59% were dissatisfied about the availability of books in their libraries. Among all students, less than half (45%) were satisfied with laboratory facilities and 43% with specialist equipment.
  
  
• Only a minority of students were satisfied with the quality and amount of non-academic support which was available. Only 37% were satisfied with career guidance and support and just 31% were satisfied with the support which was available from the Students' Union.
  
  
• Most mature students did not believe their needs were being acknowledged and lone parents were particularly dissatisfied. Of students aged over 25, 47% did not believe adequate thought was given to mature students and 60% of lone parents did not feel that enough support was available.

Key Findings for Administrative and Support Staff:

• Administrative and support staff believed that they were playing an increasingly central role in higher education, because of the growth of information technology; changes in the delivery of higher education; and the development of an 'enterprise culture'.
  
  
• Most administrative and support staff expressed satisfaction with their work. However, levels of dissatisfaction were also high and focused on the lack of opportunities for progression; lack of recognition; pay; insufficient resources; and a lack of representation.
  
  
• New professionals, in areas like student services, marketing and information services, were the most likely to leave higher education because they did not think they would be able to progress in their careers.

1. The three research studies are published by the Stationery Office as Reports 2, 3 and 4 of Higher Education in the Learning Society by the National Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education.
   
   
2. PSI is a registered educational charity (no 313819) and has no association with any political party, pressure group or commercial interest.