The shortlisting is in recognition of Unitu, an online student voice platform that was introduced at Swansea University in the 2017-18 academic year. Unitu provides students with the opportunity to submit anonymous feedback about all aspects of university life. Staff can respond to the students’ feedback, allowing a meaningful discussion which improves how staff and students engage with each other.  

Since its introduction, Unitu has facilitated changes to learning and teaching environments and the wider student experience, whilst also providing a space to celebrate success and promote good practice. 

Improvements introduced following Unitu feedback include:

• Additional wellbeing support.
• New study spaces.
• Additional bus routes to and from campuses.
• Software installed on all PCs which allows students to access resources outside of lab/ lecture time.

Professor Martin Stringer, pro-vice-chancellor for education, said: “We are very proud to be nominated in the THE awards. This nomination demonstrates the importance that Swansea University places on student engagement and working with our students to improve their learning and their wider experience across the University. The roll out of Unitu is a credit to our student partnership and engagement team, to the many colleagues who respond to student comments, and to the support and commitment of our student body as a whole.”

John Gill, editor of Times Higher Education, said: "The THE Awards hold a place in the hearts of many in UK higher education and have now been a fixture in the its calendar for well over a decade. This year we decided to incorporate the complementary strengths of our THE Leadership and Management Awards, so that the range of categories better reflects the reality of how universities operate today, and the interwoven nature of so much of what they do. This will be the biggest celebration of higher education that we have ever hosted.”

The gala THE Awards ceremony will take place in London on Thursday 28 November 2019.