sos university of plymouth students’ union
student opinion survey 2013
OPEN JAN 29th - FEB 25th
COMPLETED AT UPSU.Com
Who Filled Out The Survey 1346 SURVEYS COMPLETED
Year of Study POSTGRADUATE
1st YEAR
2nd YEAR
3rd YEAR
526
{
{
UNDERGRADUATE
PHD
MASTERS
OTHER
94%
407
334
34
35
10
Of survey participants were undergraduates
Nationality
Are You An International Student Visiting The UK To Study?
23
NO
1263
Yes (within the EU) Yes (OUTSIDE the EU)
60 Of the survey participants were from the UK
94%
Dependents
Do You Consider Yourself To Have Any Dependents?
NO 1273
YES 73
95%
Of the survey participants DID NOT consider themselves to have DEPENDENTS
Who Filled Out The Survey Age Group 1 PERSON
UNDER 18
18-21 22-25 26-30 31-49 50+
1014 People 255 People 29 People
75%
42 People
Of the survey participants were aged 18 to 21
5 People
Part Time/Full Time
Home Or Away
Are You a Part Time or Full Time Student?
Would You Describe Yourself as a ‘Home’ or ‘Away’ Student?
26
FULL TIMe
143
PART TIME
1320
Home
1203
99%
AWAY
89%
Of the survey participants were Away Students
Of the survey participants were Full Time Students
Years Spent At University
1
2
4
5 6
7 8
1
2 3 4
36% 1
1
26
120
377
334
480
How Many Years Have You Been At This University, Including This Year?
9
10+
Of the survey participants have studied at the university for two years
Your SU & University Member of The Students Union
Do You Know If You are a Member of The Students’ Union?
Why Are You Not A Member?
Yes: 858
Not Sure: 392
Didn’t think that I would get anything out of it [21] Didn’t Know how to become a member [37] Don’t feel the SU is relevant to me [12] Not sure [26]
No: 96
Democratic Representation
Who Do You Believe To Be Responsible For Democratic Representation?
The Students’ Union
863 191
The University External Provider
11 No Idea 281
64%
Of the survey participants believe the SU is responsible for Democratic Representation
Course Representation
Who Do You Believe To Be Responsible For Course Representation?
818 413 14 The Students’ Union
The University
External Provider
101 No Idea
69%
Of the survey participents did not know that the SU was responsible for Course Representation
Your SU & University Advice Centre
Who Do You Believe To Be Responsible For The Advice Centre?
No Idea [79] The Students Union [736] The University [512]
55%
External Provider [19]
Of the survey participants thought that the Students’ Union was responsible for the Advice Centre.
Nancy Astor Sports Centre
Who Do You Believe To Be Responsible For Nancy Astor Sports Centre?
58%
THE STUDENTS’ UNION
THE UNIVERSITY
[424]
[781]
External Provider [57]
NO IDEA [84]
Of the survey participants thought the University was responsible for Nancy Astor Sports Centre
Student Counselling
Who Do You Believe To Be Responsible For Student Counselling?
NO IDEA
EXTERNAL PROVIDER
59 80 680
THE UNIVERSITY
THE STUDENTS’ UNION
527
51%
Of the survey participants thought the university was responsible for Student Counselling
Your SU & University Rate Nancy Astor Sports Centre [32] Not Aware of this Service [509] NEVER USED THIS SERVICE [5] VERY BAD [52] BAD [133] NEUTRAL [445] GOOD [170] VERY GOOD
55%
Of Nancy Astor’s members rated the service as good
Rate The Advice Centre Not Aware of this Service [53] NEVER USED THIS SERVICE [964]
82%
Of people who used the Advice Centre rated the service as good or very good.
VERY BAD [6] BAD [4] NEUTRAL [49] GOOD [164] VERY GOOD [106]
Rate The U:Shop Service [4] Not Aware of this Service [94] NEVER USED THIS SERVICE [4] VERY BAD [35] BAD [186] NEUTRAL [687] GOOD [336] VERY GOOD
7%
Of survey participants have not used the Shop
Rate The Volunteering Service Not Aware of this Service [94] NEVER USED THIS SERVICE [805]
84%
Of participants who used the Volunteering Service rated it as good or very good.
VERY BAD [0] BAD [7] NEUTRAL [64] GOOD [221] VERY GOOD [155]
Your SU & University Rate The Kitchen [11] Not Aware of this Service [393] NEVER USED THIS SERVICE [5] VERY BAD [36] BAD [168] NEUTRAL [480] GOOD [253] VERY GOOD
78%
Of participants who used The Kitchen rated the service as good or very good
Rate The Hive Service Not Aware of this Service [23]
87%
NEVER USED THIS SERVICE [360]
VERY BAD [2] BAD [11] NEUTRAL [143] GOOD [541] VERY GOOD [266]
Of participants who used The Hive rated the service as good or very good
Rate The PSU Accommodation Service [72] Not Aware of this Service [674] NEVER USED THIS SERVICE [15] VERY BAD [28] BAD [140] NEUTRAL [305] GOOD [112] VERY GOOD
51%
Of survey participants have not used the PSU Accommodation Service
Rate The Lounge Service Not Aware of this Service [41]
19%
Of survey participants have not used the Lounge
NEVER USED THIS SERVICE [262]
VERY BAD [10] BAD [27] NEUTRAL [137] GOOD [618] VERY GOOD [251]
Your SU & University Rate The Bar Service [2] Not Aware of this Service [33] NEVER USED THIS SERVICE [3] VERY BAD [44] BAD [133] NEUTRAL [602] GOOD [529] VERY GOOD
2%
Of survey participants have not used the Bar
Rate C103’s Wednesday Club Night “Boogie Nights” Not Aware of this Service [16] Not attended this event [340] Of survey participants have not attended Boogie Nights
25%
VERY BAD [67] BAD [100] NEUTRAL [202] GOOD [361] VERY GOOD [260]
Rate Oceana’s Monday Club Night “Fuzzy Logic” [14] Not Aware of this Service [246] Not attended this event [45] VERY BAD [72] BAD [156] NEUTRAL [447] GOOD [336] VERY GOOD
18%
Of survey participants have not attended Fuzzy Logic
Rate Oceana’s Thursday Club Night “Sinsation” Not Aware of this Service [23] NEVER USED THIS SERVICE [445]
Of survey participants have not attended Sinsation
33%
VERY BAD [44] BAD [102] NEUTRAL [206] GOOD [371] VERY GOOD [155]
Your SU & University Please Rate UPSU Friday & Saturday Club Nights [11] Not Aware of this Service [122] NEVER USED THIS SERVICE [19] VERY BAD [40] BAD [119] NEUTRAL [484] GOOD [551] VERY GOOD
What Best describes UPSU Commercially?
Price FOCUSED [295] QUALITY FOCUSED [208] VALUE FOR MONEY FOCUSED[843]
Of survey participants felt that UPSU was value for money focused
62%
Your SU & University Would You Recommend UPSU to a Friend?
[1285] YES
[61] No
Would You Recommend Plymouth University to a Friend?
[1299] YES
[47] No
Your Employability & Academic Support What 3 Motivators For Studying At University Are Most Relevant To You? [710] A Necessary Part of Career progression [502] The academic challenge/achievement/qualifications [754] to improve employability [380] TO INCREASE EARNING POTENTIAL [309] FOR AN IMPROVED LIFESTYLE [51] INCREASED RESPECT FROM OTHERS [570] THE SOCIAL LIFE AT UNIVERSITY [320] A DESIRE TO LEARN [320] A DEEP INTEREST IN A PARTICULAR SUBJECT [114] RELEVANT WORK EXPERIENCE/INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES [8] MENTORING & GUIDANCE FOR AFTER UNIVERITY [62] LEADERSHIP OF & INVOLVEMENT IN ACTIVITIES & SPORT [128] TRAINING A PRACTICAL SKILS DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES [99] NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES [161] TO GAIN MORE CONFIDENCE [24] OTHER
Please Indicate Which Areas You Believe The Students’ Union Directly Support Rather Than Simply Work To Ensure That The University Provides Support
[293] Relevant Work Experience/ internships [241] education & qualifications [578] mentoring & guidance [431] help with CV/job applications [817] Leadership of & involvement in activities & sports [768] community volunteering [706] casual paid work [420] training & practical skills development [452] networking opportunities
Your Employability & Academic Support
Do You Currently Have A Job Whilst Studying? How Many Hours Do You Work On Average Per Week
1 to 10 [218] 11 to 20 [118] 21 to 30 [22]
No: 963
Yes: 383
31 or more [35]
How Should The Students’ Union Be Involved In Supporting Students Academically [65] It Should have nothing to do with academic Support [767] It Should monitor the support provided by the university and call for improvements where necessary [235] it should run its own courses to help with general study [234] it should get more involved in providing individual academic support to students [45] NONE of the Above
Our Representation of You
How Do You Think The Union is Run?
Please Check The Following Statements You Believe To Be True
[49] The UNION Gets a lot of money from the government [492] the union gets a lot of its money from the university [1109] the union gets a lot of its money from the shops, bars & events [379] The university has the final say on what the union does [254] the managers employed by the union make most of the important decisions [1066] THEre are elected students who make the decisions on behalf of all student [724] income raised by the union’s commercial services is re-invested in welfare & other services [374] some of the income raised by the union goes back to the university [216] some of the income raised by the union is shared amongst the staff at the union [478] the union is a charity [271] The union is a normal business [270] The union is a department of the university [89] the nus and the union are the same thing [13] none of the above
Your Views
To what Extent Do You Feel Your Views Are Taken Into Account In Decisions That Are Made At The Students Union?
TO A GREAT EXTENT
247 944
TO SOME EXTENT
155
NOT AT ALL
90%
Of the survey participants felt their views were taken into account
Feedback
How Would You Most Like To Give Feedback On Aspects Of Your Experience At Plymouth Which You Are Not Happy With?
34%
Of the survey participants would like to give feedback via an anonymous card or forum
via course/faculty rep [237] in a face to face meeting with a tutor [132] in a face to face meeting ith union staff [66] via an elected officer [48] via marketing research [103] via e-mail [285] via an anonymous ‘feedback’ card or forum [468] other [7]
Our Representation of You Why Not Vote In The Elections?
What Are The 3 Main Reasons You, As A Student And Member Of UPSU, Do Not Vote In Elections?
[530] Don’t Have Time to learn about the candidate/issues [159] Don’t have the time to vote [138] Not interested in the Union generally [240] The candidates will all be about the same [105] Nothing ever gets done anyway [62] I don’t feel the Union is a place for me [189] I don’t know how to vote [216] I don’t understand what the elections are for [465] I usually just forget [52] Other [394] I do vote [227] I am a first year and haven’t had the opportunity yet
Your Sabbatical Officers & Course Reps How Many Of Your Sabbatical Officers Are You Aware Of
342
111
ONE
TWO
79
96
162
Three
FOUR
FiVE
556 NONE
Do You Know What A Sabbatical Officer Does Do You Know How To Get In Contact With A Sabbatical Officer?
932 414 YES
NO
YES [218] NO [118] Never heard of them [22]
Do You Know At Least One Of Your Course Reps? 1145
201
YES
NO
Do You Know What A Course Rep Does?
1070
134
142
YES
NO
NOT SURE
Your Clubs, Societies, Sports & Recreation How Would You Rate Your Current Level Of Involvement With The Students’ Union Student Run Sports Clubs & Societies? Too Expensive [133]
Why Are You Not Involved?
Committee Member or Involved in Running One: 205
Attend Events Regularly: 287
Attend Event Occasionally: 408
Not Involved At All: 446
Conflicts with other commitments [202] not interested/none of them appeal to me [134] I’m not sure how to become a member [44] DOn’t Feel Welcome As they are cliquey [138] Missed Freshers’ week and feel i have missed the opportunity [100]
I wasn’t aware of this service [21]
How Would You Rate The Nancy Astor Sports Centre Classes? Not Aware of this Service [13] NEVER USED THIS SERVICE [938]
Of participants have never used the Sports Centre Classes
VERY BAD [7] BAD [9] NEUTRAL [48] GOOD [202] VERY GOOD [129]
70%
Would You Be Interested In Taking A Nutrition / Weight Loss Class? 818
Yes [654] NO [692]
49%
Of the survey participants would be interested in taking a nutrition/ weight loss class
Your Clubs, Societies, Sports & Recreation
How Would You Rate The Students’ Union StudentRun Sports Clubs & Societies? [10] Not Aware of this Service [399] NEVER USED THIS SERVICE [7] VERY BAD [23] BAD [155] NEUTRAL [458] GOOD [294] VERY GOOD
How Would You Rate The Activators Sports Classes & Activities
VERY GOOD [62]
GOOD [163]
Neutral [79]
BAD [2]
VERY BAD [4]
NEVER USED THIS SERVICE [881]
NOT AWARE OF THIS SERVICE [155]
What Is Your Primary Reason For Choosing To Become A Member Of The Plymouth University Gym?
75%
Of the survey participants were not a member of Nancy Astor Gym
Other [7] Price [99] Atmosphere [3] Number of classes [23] Variety of equipment [10] Recommendation from others[21] 1.2.1 Support and service [4] Location [146] Choice of class [27] Not a member [1006]
Your Clubs, Societies, Sports & Recreation
Which Do You Use The Most?
Don’t use gym [868]
Group Exercise Classes [84]
Cardio Equipment [214]
Spin Classes [19]
Free Weights [112]
Kettlebell classes [0]
Resistance Equipment [30]
Other [19]
What Equipment Or Services Should We Invest In? (Tick as many as you wish) [581] Cardio Equipment [406] Free Weights [300] Resistance Equipment [454] Group Exercise Classes [271] Spin classes [162] Kettlebell classes [305] Rowers [183] Steppers [398] Treadmills [128] Other
Your Community To What Extent Do You Feel Part Of Your Course Community?
To What Extent Do You Feel Part Of The Campus Community?
1014 People
159
241
262 450
737 843
To What Extent Do You Feel Part Of The University Community?
163
To What Extent Do You Feel Part Of The Wider Plymouth Community?
123
344 524
699 839
To What Extent Do You Feel Part Of The Students’ Union Community?
243
314
789
TO A GREAT EXTENT
TO SOME EXTENT
not at all
Your Community How Important Is It To You That The Union Is Directly Involved In Supporting Your Views On University And Campus Issues?
How Important Is It To You That The Union Is Directly Involved In Supporting Your Views On Issues Across Plymouth Or The Neighbourhood Where You Live?
63 237 414 563
720 695
How Important Is It To You That The Union Is Directly Involved In Supporting Your Views On Issues Relating To Government Policy On Education?
How Important Is It To You That The Union Is Directly Involved In Supporting Your Views On Issues Across The UK?
140 317
319
596 610
710
How Important Is It To You That The Union Is Directly Involved In Supporting Your Views On Global Issues?
How Important Is It To You That The Union Is Directly Involved In Supporting Your Views on Issues Relating To Your Academic Course?
143
272
413
493
710
661
very important
somewhat important
not at all important