Commuter Student Experience Policy Inquiry

This year we've launched a policy inquiry into the commuter student experience. We conducted a survey this term with over 650 responses, and whilst the full analysis will come to you in the new year, here are some of our initial takeaways:

• 58% of students said the decision to commute was due to necessity, most stating financial reasons, compared to 39% who said it was a choice.
• 63% of commuters by necessity said they come to campus more days than scheduled teaching, compared to 33% of commuters by choice. 
• 43% of students state they travel 1-2 hours in a single trip to campus, 31% said 31 mins-1 hour and the longest commute for a single trip was over 5 hours. 
• 43% of students said they have four days of scheduled teaching and 32% said they have three. 72% of commuters come to campus the same number of days they have scheduled teaching, 17% come to campus more days and 11% come less. 

Speak Week: What's One Thing You'd Change?

Earlier this term, we asked students 'What one issue around your student experience would you like to see prioritised by your Sabbatical Officers' and received 347 responses. The main themes were:

• Campus Facilities (58%) - more parking, increased study and social spaces, reduced prices in the shop and other food outlets.
• Academic Support (22%) - improved teaching quality, increased contact with personal tutors, better timetables and attendance monitoring and more information on assessments. 
• SU Events & Services (19%) - a wider variety of events, improved support for student groups, more diverse events and reduced prices.
• Safety (7%) - Increase campus security, open the back gate, improved security and queue management in SU venues, better street lighting in the local areas.
• Professional Services (6%) - More part time jobs and post-grad career support,  and cost-of-living support. 

Rate Your Union 2024

Every year, as part of our Rate Your Union survey, we ask students what's one thing they'd like to change about the SU, the University and the local community. 

• About the SU: Students would like lower prices for events and in the shop. They'd like to see more variety in club nights and better queueing systems. They asked for more transparency in how decisions are made and more support for clubs and societies.
• About the University: Students expressed a desire for less deadline stacking and clearer feedback and criteria for assessments. They want improved communication with their department and professors, especially for joint honours students and those on placement/year abroad. They requested more engaging lectures and more involvement with personal tutors. Students also asked for more support for neurodivergent people.
• About the Local Community: Students want more student-friendly shops, restaurants, bars and nightlife opportunities. They'd also like more activities such as bowling, arcades, escape rooms etc. They also want better transport and improved street lighting, especially around the back gate and graveyard in Englefield Green.​​​​​​

SU on Tour Findings

In November, the Student Voice team went on a tour around campus chatting to students about various topics. Here's our main takeaways from the day:

• The majority of students we spoke to were commuters, many of which were sat outside in the cold as they couldn't find space in the library and weren't aware of alternative study spaces. 
• There was a very clear lack of awareness of study spaces on campus beyond the library, many were not aware of the reading rooms or if they had department/school study spaces. 
• Many 1st years weren't aware of the careers service or how they could engage with them. 
• Several students spoke about the lack of daytime society events, making it difficult for commuter students to participate. 
• The food prices on campus were too high. 
• Commuter students spoke about their travelling time being around 2 hours, with dealing with lots of delays from public transport. They also talked about gaps between lectures, with one student saying they had an 11 am and 6 pm lecture. 

Topic Spotlight: Personal Tutors

From various data sources, the 5 key themes students talk about in regards to personal tutors are:

1. Improved communication and the desire for more proactive outreach from personal tutors. 
2. Increased consistency and engagement across departments.  
3. The need for both pastoral and academic support.
4. More training for personal tutors on processes like ECs and academic misconduct.
5. There is a lack of clarity on the purpose of the meetings so they're not sure how to get the most out of them. 

What to Expect In Next Month's Bulletin:

Coming up in the next bulletin, we'll be able to share the following insights: 

• Commuter Survey full analysis

• Student Safety Survey results 

• Term One Staff-Student Action Meeting Analysis

• Advice Centre Term One Trends 

• And More! 

Have something to contribute? Email us at voice@su.rhul.ac.uk