However, UOW is focused on restoring campus life to normal, with nearly half of all classes already returning to campus and almost all onshore students being offered the chance to learn on site.

This is the central pillar in an institution-wide effort to improve its student learning experience, both in-person and online.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic impacting on students' satisfaction, the campus experience in 2020 was actually quite good for UOW students.

This was highlighted in two landmark annual surveys released last week by the Australian Government-funded Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT): the Employer Satisfaction Survey (ESS) and Student Experience Survey (SES).

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In the ESS, UOW earned a graduate employer satisfaction rate of 90 per cent, equal with the Australian Catholic University, placing UOW ahead of all other NSW public universities and equal first among public universities nationally.

More than 3400 supervisors of Australian resident and international graduates from Australian universities and non-university higher education institutions participated in 2020, making it the largest Australian survey of employers of higher education graduates.

Professor Theo Farrell, UOW's Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education), said in the past year the university had invested significantly into the pivot to online remote delivery.

"Despite the difficulties of 2020, we are very pleased to see that UOW's long-standing focus on preparing our graduates well for the workplace is continuing to yield results," he said.

"With our award-winning work integrated learning program, UOWx, our close collaboration with industry, and our encouragement of entrepreneurialism and innovation among our students, it is little wonder that UOW graduates are more highly sought after by employers than ever."

UOW also performed strongly in the QILT Student Experience Survey.

Students at UOW were surveyed in July and August of 2020, amid the depths of students' isolation from campus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

UOW's performance was above the national average in all categories. It was recognised as equal third in NSW for Teaching Quality, second for Skills Development, third for Learner Engagement, and third for Student Support.

In Creative Arts and Law, UOW was placed third in Australia and second in NSW. In Engineering, Teacher Education, and Health Services and Support, the university is second in NSW.

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Professor Farrell said he was immensely pleased with the results.

"The shift to remote delivery required by the pandemic presented a significant challenge for engaging with students in a face-to-face capacity. It has made it difficult to create a sense of belonging and connection to the university, including students who are new to UOW and to higher education in general," he said.

"Students have felt less connected to the campus and to each other, and that has been incredibly difficult for many as we navigated the impact of the pandemic on our daily lives.

"The Student Experience Survey presents valuable lessons for how UOW can improve its learning experiences, both in improving the quality of our use of digital learning and ensuring the safe return of on-campus learning."

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