We’re excited to announce that we are celebrating Gold and Silver achievements in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023, conducted by the Office for Students (OfS). We are rated Silver overall, Gold for Student Outcomes, and Silver for Student Experience.
We are incredibly proud to have been awarded Gold for our Student Outcomes, as this recognises the hard work of our graduates who go on to do extraordinary things. It also pays tribute to staff across the University who help our students complete their qualifications successfully, and prepare for fantastic careers nationally and across the globe.
As the most targeted university by the nation’s top graduate employers (The Graduate Market, 2023) and ranked 42nd globally for graduate employability (QS), we are thrilled to be awarded Gold for how we support Manchester students in making their mark when they leave our University.
April McMahon, Vice-President for Teaching, Learning and Students, welcomed the TEF outcomes:
“The staff and students of Manchester will be delighted with these results, having overcome so many challenges and made such positive progress in the last four years. Gold for Student Outcomes is a fitting accolade for our fabulous graduates as they step out into the world. It also recognises the support we give to our Manchester students, helping them secure amazing careers. Silver for Student Experience shows the progress made in flexible learning, support for teaching, curriculum and resources, as well as everything our student body does to make Manchester the wonderful place it is.”
What is the Teaching Excellence Framework and why is it important?
The Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) is a government-run evaluation that assesses how well UK Universities are performing in two main areas:
Student Experience: This looks at teaching quality, assessment and feedback, academic support, learning resources, and student engagement.
Student Outcomes: This looks at student continuation, completion and careers and the educational gains we support students to achieve at Manchester.
TEF evaluations are carried out by a panel, consisting of two-thirds academic members and one-third student members.
For the University and our current students, TEF is an opportunity to reflect on our achievements, as well as helping us to identify how we can improve further. It also helps prospective students in choosing the University that’s right for them.
What made our TEF submission unique?
We are immensely proud to be ranked number two university in the world for our global impact (THE, 2023) and 28 in the world for our overall quality (QS).
Schemes such as Stellify help Manchester students to make a difference and stand out in a competitive world with volunteering, and masterclasses on global issues, social responsibility and leadership. In addition, the Careers Service, works with employers, staff, and students to ensure our graduates have the skills and attributes employers are looking for.
Our submission also shone a spotlight on how we partner with students to deliver outstanding services and create change. Examples include the Library student partners working alongside staff to benefit the entire student community, or working with students to design accessible and inclusive assessment as part of the Flexible Learning Programme. We’re proud that our Students’ Union also made an optional student submission to TEF, another great example of partnership working.
Over the coming months, we’ll reflect more on the TEF Panel feedback to celebrate the quality of our teaching and learning, and identify areas requiring further focus in partnership with our students.