The teaching at the University of Sunderland is just as good as at prestigious, well-established universities like York, Durham, Sheffield and Manchester.
That’s according to the government, which has presented Sunderland with a ‘silver award’ for its teaching quality.
The award was given after Sunderland’s teaching was assessed against the Teaching Excellence Framework.
The Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) is a government scheme set up to inform students about aspects of the teaching they are likely to experience at different universities.
Other universities scooping a TEF silver award include Bristol and Warwick.
The TEF panel commended Sunderland for engaging with employers and incorporating the skills employers demand from graduates into the modules of its courses.
The University of Sunderland was also praised for tailoring its approach to its students as individuals and for the support it offers to students with specific needs.
Other positives noted by the TEF panel include the professional development programmes the university runs to encourage teaching excellence and the university’s funding of educational research.
Congratulations to @sunderlanduni and its silver #TEF rating https://t.co/Q9cW40RRXZ #TEFresults pic.twitter.com/1a9cKH9XSL
— Sun FM (@1034SunFM) June 22, 2017
The University of Sunderland’s vice-chancellor, Shirley Atkinson, said, “We are delighted that the panel of assessors has awarded our teaching and learning provision as silver.”
“We are particularly pleased that they highlighted the excellent outcomes our students achieve thanks to our strong relationships with employers, enabling our graduates to begin their careers with relevant, work-ready knowledge and skills.”
“We know that we are delivering excellent research and practice-informed teaching to all of our students and that this is having a tangible impact on our graduates and the wider city and region.”
The University of Sunderland’s deputy vice-chancellor, Professor Michael Young, said, “This is really a fantastic boost to all our staff as it recognises the consistent work they do to support our students to reach their potential, whatever their circumstances.”
“From providing regular and useful feedback, to working with employers on curriculum content, we are ensuring that our graduates have the skills and behaviours that businesses need to thrive.”
Sunderland’s near neighbour, Newcastle University, did even better, receiving a gold award from the TEF panel.
(Featured image courtesy of Jon Crel, from Flickr Creative Commons)
