Report to Court of Governors | July 2010 In this, my final report to Court as Student Governor, I will look both forward and back. Setting out some of the Students’ Union recent progress and achievements and giving an idea of where our future areas of focus and priorities lie. I will also use this opportunity to note some of key challenges as I see them for University of the Arts London in striving to enhance the experience of its students.
A MATURING UNION...
When I leave as President in a few short weeks time, I leave behind a Students’ Union that is unrecognisable from that which I become a member of on my first day at UAL six years ago. This period has seen a dramatic expansion and improvement in our service offer, and a shift in focus and resource expenditure, from providing commercial outlets to our core purpose; representation and winning change for students. During my two years as President the organisation has refined and implemented new Governance structures, undergone a complete organisational review and restructure and entered into a sector-first collaboration with another Students’ Union. We have become stronger because more students than ever before are getting involved, building new communities that cross the boundaries that the Colleges and sites separate them by. It is with optimism and ambition that we look to the future guided by our revitalised strategic positioning: “OUR MISSION: To provide effective representation and a range of high quality student focused services that enhance the student experience and build the student community at University of the Arts London. OUR VISION: To be recognised as a key player in the UAL community and have a meaningful impact on every student’s experience at this university. Our representation and activities will be truly student led and meet the needs of our diverse membership. Innovation and creativity will shape everything that we do and our successes as a specialist arts union will be recognised nationally. OUR VALUES: Creativity. Democracy. Diversity. Equality. Fun. Responsibility.” 1
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SUARTS’ Mission, Vision, Values and Strategic Aims 2010 -2015 SUARTS REPORTS | REPORT TO GOVERNORS | JULY 2010
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This year SUARTS were recognised by the National Union of Students as one of top three Unions in the UK with regards our work on Equality and Diversity, and we are happy to be a part of an institution that is beginning the journey to striving for excellence in this area also. In addition, we recently received an incredibly exclusive Bronze Award in the Students' Union Evaluation Initiative - a widely lauded national accreditation and benchmarking scheme for Students' Unions run in association with the National Union of Students. This marked the culmination of a two-year long, wide reaching assessment of our services, structures and processes. We relished the opportunity to undergo such an all-encompassing procedure, and whilst extremely happy with the result and proud that our efforts have been acknowledged are humble about the areas in which we didn’t do so well, and where we know there are some key challenges for us to improve. The panel, chaired by Professor Sir Drummond Bone, Ex-Vice Chancellor of University of Liverpool and including Dr Gillian King, Deputy Director of the QAA’s Audit Reviews Group, noted the following in their recognition for the work done: “The Union has had significant success in making real differences. Particular mention should be given to the HUB campaign, the Timetabling – What a Mess Campaign, Hidden Course Costs, London Capacity Building and the Arts Group. The first three were reported as being particularly effective by the two student groups interviewed.” “The Union has had some success in promoting change in the University and this was recognised by the University staff interviewed. They particularly highlighted Marking Criteria, Additional Course Fees, London College of Communication Issues, Validation and improvements in the Course Representative System.” “The work of the Sabbatical Officers on academic issues was known by a number of the members of the student groups interviewed.”2
A New Home...
As Governors know, as of the 1st March 2010 we relocated to 272 High Holborn which, given assurances last summer that the move wouldn’t come so soon, was a challenge and a struggle to accomplish to a satisfactory level in the time scale. That said, we are grateful for the level at which the Student Voice was involved in shaping our new home, especially as this involvement reflected our campaign for increased student space, and the weight of student feeling about facilities potentially being cut. A small increase in our Office footprint has enabled us to provide the much-needed space for our student volunteers, and we are hopeful that the Activities Studio location at the centre of the Students’ Hub will increase awareness of what goes on in there. The brand new Arts Student Radio now has a dedicated room on the lower ground
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Final Audit Report University of the Arts London Students’ Union © Students' Union Evaluation Initiative Ltd SUARTS REPORTS | REPORT TO GOVERNORS | JULY 2010
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floor, and we recently mounted the first show in our new flagship Student-Led Gallery. As the last of the moving crates are finally being unpacked, and the dust has had a chance to settle somewhat we look forward to the possibilities the set up of the new Student Hub promises, truly providing for students; an enhanced support offer and creating an exciting and interesting social and learning hub.
Welfare & Support: Problem Solving and Prevention In the context of an increasing trend in academic appeals and complaints, the need for academic support and representation for students at UAL has risen dramatically in recent years. We have used our role in supporting students through academic issues and problems to campaign for change and improvement, but we recognise that to date, our allocation and prioritisation of work in this area has not achieved all it potentially could. Through our collaborative set up with LSE Students’ Union, we have now been enabled to make a significant change to our advice service, increasing the team in terms of both capacity and the breadth of skills and specialist knowledge skills within it. There will be a heightened focus on problem solving and through that, planning for prevention of problems, escalating the knowledge of the Union in order to improve students’ lives more widely than individual cases. Acknowledging that some of the challenges the University face in the area of appeals and complaints, we know that we have a unique role to play; there are a number of ways in which the work of an Students’ Union managed problem solving advice can play a role in improving the processes for both the University and the Student Experience. As ever, this is a role that, with the support of the University, we are looking forward to expanding to ensure the Institution improves the quality, consistency and fairness of experience for all students.
New Leadership... With the arrival of four brand new Sabbatical Officers, three new Vice Presidents and two new Student Trustees, there will be a new face to the Students’ Union. As a team, they have already identified that they will be continuing to take forward our fair funding campaigns and our work on improving UAL’s environmental impact. Increasing student involvement will be prioritised during for the coming year, which will include growing involvement in student activities, democracy, campaigns and support services. With government cuts and Lord Browne’s fees review looming, the new Student Executive will be engaging the views of students more than ever before. At such a historic time of change in Higher Education it is imperative that students’ voices are heard throughout the sector, in Government and of course, at all levels of the University.
SUARTS REPORTS | REPORT TO GOVERNORS | JULY 2010
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SOME KEY CHALLENGES FOR UAL Collaborative, Empowering Curriculums: Despite our vast potential, the existence of examples of interstage, cross-course, and even inter-college collaboration are relatively low for an institution that relays this principle so much in its literature and given the prevalence of collaborative working and need for networking in the industries we serve . We must proactively seek to break down the silos existing at UAL, and to lead the sector in providing students opportunities whilst studying, that reflect the interdisciplinary practice most of our students will need to be comfortable in when they graduate. I think some thought also needs to be given to the prescriptive nature of our curriculum offer, which places very little onus on the student ‘navigating’ their way through their learning experience in comparison to other institutions. Equality & Diversity: The work this year around the production of a new Equality and Diversity Framework for UAL has been impressive and we are thankful for our involvement in some particular areas of it. The resulting document is inspiring and ambitious; in some respect too ambitious, but needs to be. It is incredibly important that this body takes the Equality and Diversity agenda seriously. We have a real opportunity to go above and beyond the basic in this area, above and beyond legal compliance, which at the moment is where we are at, and only just. There are serious concerns about the level of diversity awareness and provision around the University, specifically on physical accessibility, ‘hidden’ disabilities and accommodated assessment. Collecting data on the true diversity of UAL students, including parental status and sexuality & gender identity is essential if we can even begin to have an impact. We welcome the establishment of a taskforce to tackle the significant disparity in attainment between certain student groups, most worryingly the differential between Black & Minority Ethnic students compared to their White peers. Communication: Communication with students on various levels has been a hot topic of discussion for a number of years and increasingly so recently. It’s right here to commend the progress that has been made relating to the Student Portal and developments in e-learning which we have enjoyed a strong voice and which we hope can serve as a template for other projects. A move to compulsory and embedded use of UAL email accounts and systems is vital – courses must not continue to ‘opt out’, leaving their students isolated and sporadically contactable. We must seek to improve the culture of communication more generally, tackling the issues of timetabling, advertising of open events and information for students across the institution should be resolved. One Space: Space and how it’s used, maintained and managed remains a big issue for students here. Some facilities remain below standard and this, alongside severe restrictions in access will continue to impact directly on student satisfaction. Whilst, as a Governor, I understand the financial constraints and whilst I acknowledge the exciting time ahead for Kings Cross, I can not ignore the fact that there is still no student voice on any Estates Strategy Groups and our input at an operational level often comes too late to be proactive. In the past, the Union has had the ear of Facilities and Estates Management to attempt to solve issues and whilst I recognise the recent pressures on this area, if there is to be any improvement, the University has to openly engage with students, through the Union on these matters. Parity and Culture Change: I believe the single biggest challenge for UAL going forward is ensuring parity; the current lack of parity in almost every aspect of the Student Experience becomes ever more indefensible year on year. Given the context of students across the University increasingly discussing and comparing their experiences and also increasing comparisons being made nationally this will no doubt come under increased scrutiny. The answer to this, the challenges highlighted above, and a number of other issues that students want movement on is a change in culture. Acknowledging this is a lengthy and complex process I will go on to discuss two important considerations: managing vs. matching student expectations and the relationship between the Colleges and the University. SUARTS REPORTS | REPORT TO GOVERNORS | JULY 2010
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MANAGING vs. MATCHING STUDENT EXPECTATIONS The quoted text below appears in the University’s ‘Directory 2010’, I use it here to set the scene for the later section of this report in which I will share some of my thoughts on the statements and comment more widely on how the University thinks about itself. “Six distinctive and distinguished Colleges make up University of the Arts London: Camberwell College of Arts, Central Saint Martin’s College of Art and Design, Chelsea College of Art and Design, London College of Communication, London College of Fashion and Wimbledon College of Art. Located within London, the Colleges are at the heart of their respected communities. Drawing on and contributing to the local culture, they foster closely-knit and welcoming environments in which to study, supported by all the resources of the larger University and the wider arts community. The Colleges offer the University’s 20,000 students a diverse range of courses at all levels from foundation and undergraduate to postgraduate and research. The University’s 1228 teaching staff, as active professional artists, practitioners, designers, critics and theorists, lead the way on creative and experimental practice alongside historical and theoretical analysis. The combination of a varied student group, cutting-edge research and highly-experienced staff creates a unique multifaceted learning experience for students at the University.”3 Unfortunately, what I read above feels more like an aspiration than something students here could actually subscribe to as a current reality. It is disappointing to read this, especially given increasing talk about managing students’ expectations at all levels of the University, and some of the views raised at the Governors’ Strategy Away Day last Year. Student expectations are, and should be a driving force for this institution to deliver what it promises. Managing these expectations requires two things, firstly to be honest about what we offer but secondly and crucially to listen to students and change accordingly. We all recognise the poor NSS results and in response, some of our thinking as an institution appears to relieve responsibility on the grounds that student expectations are too high. Students don’t expect too much, they expect that their basic needs are met and to receive what was offered at the point that they accepted their place. There is growing consensus that the reason for such a low score in the NSS is that our students have such high expectations of their experience at this University. I find this very worrying; what is the evidence to suggest that they have disproportionately high expectations - Higher than say students going to Imperial, UCL, Queen Mary? Perhaps the fundamental difference is simply that the actual experience we provide isn’t good enough within the modern HE Sector. I do not take lightly the suggestion that the experience here is simply not good enough. I recognise what has been done to improve over the last 6 years but I urge Governors to push the University to deliver and create a structure that is truly accountable to us with students at the centre. Our current structures and approach as a university will never allow us to surmount this gap in student opinion. For this we need a fundamental change and escalation of our approach to the student experience and engagement. Creating a student-centred university is something that both my predecessors and I have attempted to highlight to Court on many occasions. This is an institution of individuals who share a strong aspiration to create a cutting edge learning experience. However, from a student point-of-view, the structures, practices and the learning environment we provide means that we are not yet realising that aspiration let alone reaching excellence in it.
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University of the Arts London Directory 2010 SUARTS REPORTS | REPORT TO GOVERNORS | JULY 2010
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THE UNIVERSITY & THE COLLEGES … The unwritten rule, the elephant in the room, always referenced, often used as a scapegoat, but never truly discussed or defined; is the relationship between the University and the Colleges. This dynamic creates much frustration and disheartenment, and is something I have had many a discussion about with University Colleagues disillusioned by it. To put it bluntly; we just need to get over it. For many years, the Students’ Union has supported the move to create one university, which embraces the brand of each College, not lessening their strength, but recognising and further building on the opportunity of coming together. Going back to the first few years of NSS results, and the University’s response, the idea of ‘One University’ drove the agenda; establishing Pathfinding Week (now Freshers’ Festival), the creation of the Student Hub at Davies Street, and the move to focus on the first year experience. The idea was still very much in mind at the beginning of the strategic renewal process, and I was heartened to hear direction from this body along those lines. Over one year on, we seem to have taken a step backwards. On reading the latest ‘who we are’ statement, and our apparent desire to be recognised as a collegiate University, I was somewhat disappointed that our work in creating something bigger and better for students here appears to have been lost. It is of further disappointment that there is consensus that collegiate has varying meanings, but no concrete agreement on what collegiate means for us at UAL, never mind what it means to students. It almost seems somewhat like a comfort blanket. Not confronting what it means to be UAL is hindering us from being truly bold. It is crucial that we recognise the role that Colleges play in the student experience here but even more critical is realising that to an extent, students here are more interested in receiving an excellent teaching and learning experience, in an environment that is sector leading, and competes with the whole experience of other students in the UK. It is my assertion to Governors that the structures behind delivering such an experience is of secondary importance to students. Students want the kudos of College brands, yes; they want the history, the atmosphere, and the ethos that goes with it. For many that is why they are here, and the very reason that they weather the bumpy ride that is studying at UAL. But increasingly they also want the offer of what the University title promises, they want that bit extra, they want the benefits of this institution to be more than the sum of its parts. I absolutely believe that the College and the University Brands can sit side by side, delivering an experience that reaps all the benefits and none of the negatives often perceived of greater central authority. Whatever the history of our colleges, the impact and weight of the University inevitably has broader appeal and should be more powerful. SUARTS REPORTS | REPORT TO GOVERNORS | JULY 2010
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SUMMARY... The Students’ Union now in a stable position more that ever and will continue grow, focusing efforts on fighting to make the lives of students at UAL better; getting the University to do more of the things students like – and less of the things they don’t! In that vein, and having worked with the Universities structures in trying to affect change for students, I would urge Governors to recognise that the biggest advances in improving the student experience have been made with a lead from the University as the Centre and whilst individual Colleges can boast some areas of good or best practice, this is often only benchmarked within UAL and ultimately we are only as good as our weakest College. This poses a problem, which cannot be addressed through a collegiate approach to management and leadership. There are some phenomenal staff within UAL. This talent should, like the management’s desire for buildings, be centrally managed in order to get the very best out of our vital resource in the most accessible way for students. From our perspective, as Governors, we should be concerned about accountability and I would suggest that complex management structures are preventing us affecting the true strategic direction of this institution. More importantly, the current set up makes it almost impossible for our students to be co-creators and partners in their learning environment. If we, as Governors recognise the part the Students’ Union has to play in attracting and retaining students, we must recognise the particular role of extra-curricular activities, which are inextricably linked with the overall student experience. Perhaps more importantly, we need to recognise that for the Students’ Union to be effective at representing students and being a partner in improving the experience at UAL, we need to be listening as a University. It makes no business sense to financially support the Students ‘ Union and not in turn to invest time, listening and working with the students who take the time to feedback and be agents for change. It is no accident that the Universities who boast the highest student satisfaction ratings are those that also invest resource, in time, money and confidence in their Students’ Unions. Whilst I don’t want this report to come across as being negative, I cannot underestimate the opportunity that lies ahead of us and most importantly, as Governors we must recognise our role in setting the agenda. Continuing with the fragmented approach to delivery does not and will not deliver for our students. We must recognise our strength is in our diverse offering coming together in a central framework which ensures excellence and consistency of experience and delivery. In the current context of change in the sector it is vital to drive the development of our institution with students at the heart of our priorities. Steve Smith, President of UUK and Vice Chancellor of Essex told a group of student leaders earlier this year that there is a real issue with Governors seeing their place is indifferent to the data they are presented with. Certainly here, we cannot sit back and pretend that this institution is where we want it to be. In the same conversation, I was encouraged by UUK’s vision articulated through its President, indicating that “more unites students and universities than divides them” and it is in this, that I hope we recognise the importance of co-creation and partnership. This must be done from students (through the Students’ Union), staff, management, and Governors.
Helen Gimber Students’ Union President president@su.arts.ac.uk
SUARTS REPORTS | REPORT TO GOVERNORS | JULY 2010
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