Flinders University is leading the way in providing students with exceptional university experiences, ranking among the top ten universities in Australia for ‘overall student experience’ as announced by the Good Universities Guide today.
As the only South Australian university to feature in the top 10 for this key rating – which reflects student satisfaction with the overall quality of their educational experience – Flinders also achieved a five-star rating in three other pivotal metrics; student/teacher ratio, skills development, and learning resources.
Deputy Vice Chancellor (Students) Professor Clare Pollock says a number of factors contributed to the stellar performance in the Good Universities Guide.
“Flinders’ performance reflects our traditional strengths in external collaborations, multi-disciplinary research, innovative teaching and international education, reinforced by our strategic intention to be a world leader in education and research,” Professor Pollock says.
“Our student-centred ethos has directed resources into outstanding facilities – creating dynamic, active campuses to engage students and support them throughout their studies, while providing flexibility with expanding online options and support.”
She says the University’s investments in industry partnerships and international collaborations are pivotal in delivering exceptional experiences for students, helping equip them with the skills needed for succeeding in the workplace and adapting to the changing future, while providing exciting opportunities that students value.
Professor Pollock says Flinders’ impressive ranking for student/teacher ratio reflects the University’s focus on student success and is enhanced by the calibre of its teachers, who are active participants in their sectors and regularly recognised as leaders in their fields through awards and accolades.
Flinders University has developed a number of skills development initiatives that are unique and highly valued by students, including enterprise or entrepreneurial topics offered in all programs and targeted innovative supports such as the Professional Language Development Program in Nursing, which involves class work, one-on-one learning and interactive online resources.
The University’s Horizon Professional Development Award, a personalised professional development program that equips students with skills to transition into the workplace, is gaining in popularity among students who increasingly recognise that success after university entails far more than academic learning.
“More than 3000 students participated in this program in 2018 and we are expecting closer to 4000 this year,” Professor Pollock says.
The Good Universities Guide is known as Australia’s most trusted resource on higher education rankings.
Its findings are consistent with other tertiary ratings that reflect Flinders University’s progression towards its goal of being a top 1% university in the world. These include ranking within the top 2% of universities globally by Times Higher Education; rated among the top five Australian universities for student support by the International Student Barometer; and home to outstanding research with 90 per cent ranked at or above world class by Excellence in Research for Australia.