We’ve been listening to your views on assessment and feedback and have been representing your academic interests on this topic to the University. We’re so pleased to have good news to share with a big win for students!

As part of our Union Priorities, we called on the University to develop an action plan setting out how assessment and feedback would be improved. We’re happy to share that this has been achieved already, with the University publishing a new action plan for this year, setting out how your experience will be improved.

Why is this so important? 

Through our Course Reps, Speak Week, and surveys like Pulse and the National Student Survey, we've been listening to what matters to you. Assessment and feedback has been a top priority for you, so it's been one for us too. 

Clear assessment information and useful feedback make a huge difference to your education and to your success at Surrey. That’s why we've been asking the University to take action across all Faculties to make the assessment and feedback process clearer, more consistent and more useful for students. And that's exactly what they're doing!

We're so pleased to be working with Professor Nicola Walshe, the University's Pro-Vice-Chancellor Education to share this win so you're all informed about what this means for you. 

So, what does this mean for students?

The improvements that you've been asking for are all covered in the plan. Amongst other important changes, the action plan means you're going to be able to expect:

• Assessment information in one clearly signposted place for each module.
• Clearer communication about when work will be returned and where feedback will be available.
• Opportunities to understand assessment criteria and grade descriptors.
• More opportunities to discuss feedback and understand how to use it in your next piece of work.

We really encourage you to read the full action plan, which you can find on MySurrey here!

Your voice matters

We’re really supportive of these plans and the steps being taken to improve the student experience. We know, however, that it's important that these commitments lead to meaningful changes for students across the University.

The University will work with Course Reps and use module feedback to understand what’s working well and where further improvements are needed.

If you have questions about an assessment or something isn’t clear, you can raise this with your Module Leader. You can also share your experiences with your Course Rep, either in-person or via our Course Rep Feedback Platform, helping ensure student feedback continues to shape improvements.

As your Students’ Union, we’ll keep representing your academic interests throughout the year and working to make sure your voices are heard.

Have feedback to share? Speak to your Course Rep or come and chat to your Sabbatical Officers. We want to hear about your experiences and what you’d like to see improved.

You can find out more by reading the University’s full Assessment and Feedback Action Plan for 2026/27.