Wednesday 08-03-2017 - 15:38

Around 60 students joined us for a fascinating focus group session last week where we gathered views from a cross section of our membership.

We hold these sessions twice a year to give us chance to spend some time finding out what matters to Lancaster students.

Here's a summary of what they had to tell us this time around...

Ethical policy

Guests were asked for their views on what they would like to see in a union Ethical Policy.

• There was general support for the idea of the union adopting an Ethical Policy, but a wide range of views of what it should encompass.
• Students said that in general they didn’t have a clear understanding of the ethical positions held either by the union or the university and wanted clearer communication in this area
• Guests said they expected the union to behave in an ethical fashion, and a number of themes emerged that they felt that the union should be focussing on or working towards. They included:
  - Recycling and using recycled products such as paper
  - Green energy, energy conservation, clean transport
  - Food waste & composting (one student suggested compost bins in every kitchen for Ecohub use)
  - Fair pay (by the union, the university and companies we use)
  - Anti-discrimination
  - Ethical investment & external links – BAE Systems was highlighted as a questionable link
• There was support for boycotting companies that did not meet our ethical standards, including those like Starbucks etc known to avoid paying tax
• Students identified with companies like Lush, Body Shop etc that have built brands based on their ethical standards. They also had an awareness of some companies, like Nestle & Primark, that they felt acted unethically
• Students said ethical products are often more expensive – some were willing to pay more, others said that made it hard to shop ethically

Campus and town development

Guests discussed the current offer for students, developments they’d like to see in town and on campus, and facilities they’d like to see in a future students’ union building.

• General feedback from students was that they spent more time researching the campus than the city prior to choosing Lancaster, and therefore generally came with few preconceptions of what it’s like as a city
• Those who go to the city centre say that they like it, but around half said they rarely go
• Shopping was highlighted as a weakness – several said they were disappointed by the range of clothes available and go elsewhere for a wider choice. Cheaper supermarkets like Lidl and Aldi are inaccessible.
• Frustrations about the city included:
  - Traffic/one way system
  - Lack of uni train station
  - Lack of budget supermarket
  - No Nando’s
  - Limited bars/nightlife
  - Poor bus service to campus in the morning – buses don’t come on time and the journey takes too long
  - Difficulty parking in the city centre
• Many students regularly travel elsewhere for shopping, work and days out – places like Preston, London, Manchester, Liverpool. International students have to travel to Preston in order to be issued an NI number. Some said they went on days out to the Lakes etc
• Although there was general awareness of some of the cultural activity in the city centre, many said it’s not well-advertised. Some said they didn’t feel any connection with the city arts offering, but were interested in on-campus activity like Live at Lica
• Extra facilities in town that students would like to see were some kind of student hub/study space, university printing facilities, more budget supermarkets with transport services, more vibrant nightlife, better range of shops
• There were concerns that the creation of the Bailrigg garden village could have a negative impact on the campus in terms of loss of green space, more traffic, crowded buses and new residents – particularly young people – coming on to campus at evenings and weekends
• Positives identified included improvements to roads and cyclepaths, the potential for more shops in the town centre
• Students had no/few expectations of what students’ union space would be like before they came to uni, although there was some feedback that institutions such as Leeds have impressive union buildings. Ideas for future union space included social/study space, bar

Being active

Discussion focussed on the level of sport and exercise done by our members and what barriers exist to prevent students from doing more.

• There were a wide range of levels and types of activity within the groups, with some participating in union-organised activity while others were concentrating on their own activities such as running/cycling
• Barriers to doing more physical activity include cost, overcrowded sports facilities, lack of time, lack of flat-floor space on campus
• Most said doing exercise helps them de-stress, socialise, make friends and motivates them to concentrate on university work
• Guests were asked whether there should be more sports leagues on campus, but generally wanted more casual sessions, taster events, fitness classes and more social-focussed activities such as cycling, orienteering, trampolining, equipment hire for things like basketballs within colleges
• Some guests said they found the competitive element of sport intimidating at times. Even at lower levels, leagues are treated very seriously and it can be demotivating to not get picked for a team

Extra-curricular activities

Students discussed how they accessed club and society activity, why, and what could help them do more.

• Guests at the event were members of a hugely diverse range of sporting, recreational, cultural, media and academic societies. Others were involved in volunteering activities
• Students struggle to find enough time to do their extra-curricular activities among course commitments, work etc – there’s particular pressure at the end of term and it’s more difficult for students living off-campus
• There’s an appetite for more activity that students can dip into when they can – as opposed to regular commitments such as JCR exec membership, team sports etc
• There were mixed feelings about Freshers Fair – some liked the event in its current format, others found it too busy, too cramped and found it frustrating having to follow the route. There were suggestions that it should take place the week after Welcome Week as there’s too much information to absorb
• Students were, in general, aware of the club and society offering available before they arrived, either through arrival communications or through their own research on the union website. Generally, they didn’t come here for societies – that decision was driven by other factors
• Society and club membership is seen in general as helping develop employability skills, helping to build confidence, acquire new skills and show commitment
• Compulsory gym memberships discourage students from committing to sports teams
• Refreshers Fair was seen as useful by those who attended, but more opportunities for similar events were wanted. No one knew about the digital freshers fair piloted this year

Cost of living

This discussion explored general cost of living challenges faced by students and looked specifically at hidden costs associated with their courses.

• Biggest financial hardships facing Lancaster students were seen as cost of accommodation (particularly on campus), bus travel, laundry, printing, on-campus food
• Unexpected costs included deposits on attendance monitoring ‘dibbers’, cost of joining academic societies, college membership fees, deanery fines, travel to placements (and galleries in the case of art students), clothing such as lab coats, text books
• Students said they’d appreciate a more detailed breakdown of common expenses to help with budgeting prior to arrival at uni. Budgeting classes, online calculators budget cookery books etc would also help
• Better promotion was wanted of financial support available to students
• Many said the student loan covered accommodation, leaving them dependent on parental support and work to meet the shortfall. Assessing eligibility for grants and loans based on parental income often gives a false impression of how much money students have day-to-day
• There was a desire for more transparency on how college membership fees are spent

Your ideas

Have you got a great idea that could help to improve life at Lancaster? Submit it online and we'll see what we can do!