How Student Well-being Drives Quality in Higher Education: Insights from Tanja Grmuša
In an ever-changing educational landscape, student well-being has emerged as a key factor in both academic success and institutional quality. Tanja Grmuša, PhD, Assistant Professor and Head of Marketing and Communication Department at Zagreb School of Business, recently shared her insights on how their institution, in partnership with StudentPulse, has made student well-being a central component of their quality assurance system.
Students are the most important stakeholders in the quality assurance system.
The core of Tanja’s presentation was highlighting that when students feel supported—emotionally, socially, and academically—their engagement and academic performance improve.
By collaborating with StudentPulse, Zagreb School of Business transformed their feedback process, moving beyond traditional academic assessments to focus on holistic well-being. This integration has created a more student-centred learning environment, making student feedback more actionable and effective.
The pandemic of coronavirus forced institutions around the world to reconsider their approach to education. For Zagreb School of Business, this was the turning point that led them to explore how student well-being could be systematically integrated into their quality assurance practices. Recognizing that well-being directly influences academic outcomes, the institution began working with StudentPulse to measure and improve student well-being through regular feedback.
During their 10-week pilot project, Zagreb School of Business used StudentPulse to conduct three check-ins with students, focusing on four key drivers of well-being:
• Personal well-being: Exploring mental health, including stress, anxiety, and loneliness.
• Social well-being: Assessing how students engage socially and their sense of community.
• Academic well-being: Measuring satisfaction with courses and the overall learning experience.
• Fulfilment: Gauging whether students feel a sense of purpose and whether their expectations align with reality.
These check-ins provided deep insights into how students were feeling and where improvements could be made, helping the institution make data-driven decisions to support both academic and personal success.
The feedback received was a game-changer. More than 500 comments were collected during the first check-in alone, providing valuable insights that the institution had never gathered through traditional surveys. According to Tanja, this project demonstrated the power of student-centered feedback in driving real change within the institution.
With StudentPulse, Zagreb School of Business was able to act on these insights, enhancing both the quality of education and the well-being of their students.
Join our free webinar, where Tanja Grmuša will share how they moved away from traditional survey tools and transformed their feedback approach. Discover how your institution can also boost feedback quality, save time, engage students better, and improve outcomes.
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