The origins of the National Student "Survey" (NSS) can be traced to 2000 when HEFCE sought to reduce the cost of review mechanisms by an intended £50m by instead publishing comparative data where possible. Following a feasibility study the early pilot of national ‘survey’ of recent graduates in 2004 at the OU the NSS went live for all HEIs in 2005. In in order to reduce the burden on HEIs an external agency was to be used. The appropriateness of a survey which has many similarities to a customer satisfaction survey as well as matters such as the timing of the study mean it will remain a controversial instrument. The pilot study for example suggested that students who had graduated tended to give more positive responses. There is obviously much recent discussion around the implications of whether students are partners or customers. The least that can be said about the NSS is that it effects the league table position of subject groups within Universities which may well be a consideration when potential students are selecting a University. This article briefly summarises some work which represents and attempt to see what other information might be found in the NSS.
