Student Experience Survey (SES)
The 2025 Student Experience Survey is now closed.
Stay tuned for more information and events next year!
Why should I complete the survey?
Unlike the myExperience Survey which asks you to provide thoughts on your individual courses within your program, the Student Experience Survey (SES) is administered by the Social Research Centre on behalf of the government.Ìý
As a first, middle or final year student, it's an opportunity for you to provide thoughts on your whole university experience.
Your response directly influences some major changes at ºÚÁÏÍø´óʼÇ, and helps future students decide on where they choose to study as results are published on websites such as , and .ÌýThese key outcomes also contribute to the .
All responses are entirely confidential.
* apply.
Within the SES, the term 'course' refers to your degree or program of study rather than your classes. Please keep this in mind as you complete the survey, focusing on your overall degree experience.ÌýÂ
Hear from our lecturers about why the SES is important
Student services at hand
- Short-term
- Medium-term
- Long-term
Short-term changes (live or coming this term)
- Faster answers, 24/7. The Scout AI chatbot, now being piloted across 17 courses, helps you get immediate support for common questions.Ìý
- Belonging starts early.ÌýInitiatives like the First Year Festival and faculty welcome activities help you find your people fast.Ìý
- Expanded peer mentoring: we have more mentors, better matching and improved tracking so that support is easier to find and stick with.Ìý
- More real-world experience. More Work Integrated Learning (WIL)Â places are available across programs, helping you build job-ready skills.
- Plan smarter, stress less: myPlan lets you visualise your degree, check pre-requisites and plan your enrolment across terms. Plus, it's integrated with myºÚÁÏÍø´óʼÇ.Ìý
- Clearer info, fewer clicks: A refreshed QILT SES webpage with clear FAQs.
- In-class connection and clarity: Tutors and lecturers are using quick connection activities and clearer assessment and feedbackÌý±è²¹³Ù³Ù±ð°ù²Ô²õ.Ìý
- Innovative learning pilots: ClassChat and other AI-supported tools are being piloted to enhance discussion in large classes.Ìý
Medium-term changes (next 6-18 months)
- Assessments you can use: We're working to reduce assessment overload and make feedback clearer and more timely.Ìý
- Transition that sticks: We're expanding the supports and the to help more students feel confident from Week 1.Ìý
- WIL for every program: We're continuing to uplift Work Integrated Learning across ºÚÁÏÍø´óÊÂ¼Ç so that more students can earn credit while gaining industry experience.Ìý
- A better digital journey: We're iterating myPlan features and the user experience of the Current Students website based on your feedback.Ìý
Long-term changes (18-36+ months)
- Spaces that build community: We have an ongoing investment in student spaces and precincts, including our health precincts, Village Green, Canberra City campus and ºÚÁÏÍø´óÊÂ¼Ç accommodation.Ìý
- Pathways and equity at scale: We're growing our Gateway and related pathways to help more students access and thrive at ºÚÁÏÍø´óʼÇ.Ìý
- Responsible AI in learning: We're continuing our AI in Education work in policy, tools and training to enhance learning while safeguarding integrity.Ìý
- Global and co-curricular belongong: Bigger festivals, clubs and co-curricular programs that lift connection, identity and employability together.Ìý
-
The SES is an annual online survey for current higher education students in Australia. Students are invited to participate via an email or SMS. The survey takes around 10–15 minutes to complete and aims to collect insights into students’ experiences around:
- Quality of teaching
- Learning resources and environment
- Student support services
- Engagement with study
- Skills development
- Overall satisfaction
-
The SES is an important tool for quality assurance in Australian higher education. Higher education institutions and the government use SES data to monitor performance, inform policies and improve teaching and learning outcomes.
At ºÚÁÏÍø´óʼÇ, your feedback is used to help us better understand the strengths and areas for improvement in our education and service offerings, resulting in real and lasting change.
-
The SES is part of the Australian Government's Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT) initiative. It is administered by the Social Research Centre on behalf of the Australian Department of Education.
-
Participation in the SES is by invitation only. In-scope students will receive an email or SMS with a survey link.
The survey is aimed at domestic and international undergraduate and postgraduate coursework students currently enrolled in Australian higher education institutions who are either:
- commencing (students in their first year of study who have attended at least one full teaching period of the course),
- middle year, or
- final year (students in their final year of study).
-
No, participation in the SES is voluntary. Students are highly encouraged to take part as their feedback directly influences the improvement of their educational institution.
-
Yes. All responses are confidential, and your response is not linked to your personal information. The results are reported in aggregate form, meaning individual responses are completely anonymous.
-
After the survey period ends, the data is analysed and collated into a series of reports, which are provided to individual institutions and published on the QILT website.
Results are published on websites such as QILT, CompareED and The Good Universities Guide to help future students decide on where to study. These key outcomes also contribute to the AFR Best Universities Ranking.
-
Yes! QILT runs a weekly draw prize of $1000 e-gift card and 2nd prize of $250 e-gift card, as a gesture of appreciation for completing the survey. The earlier you complete the survey, the better the chances of winning the draw prize.Ìý.
-
More information about the SES and the QILT initiative can be found on the .
Have a question?
Contact us for advice on all things ºÚÁÏÍø´óʼÇ, including faculty-specific questions, essential services, and even support and development. We’re here to help.