Congratulations are due to Canterbury Christ Church University on its considerably improved performance in the Student Experience Survey. Your report on the poll rightly gives credit to the university for the support it provides to part-time students.
Unfortunately, the survey itself does not consult any of the 40 per cent of higher education students who study part time. It therefore disenfranchises a major part of the student body while excluding specialist part-time institutions such as Birkbeck, University of London and The Open University, despite them consistently being rated at or near the top of the National Student Survey.
At a time when the Government and other stakeholders are placing increasing emphasis on flexible learning, it is surely time for the survey to include all types of student. Otherwise, it should be renamed the Full-Time Student Experience Survey.
David Latchman, Master, Birkbeck, University of London.