UAL Student Life Committee Report | April 2010 Community Research & Sports Development INTRODUCTION This report concerns two items: 1. Student Community Research Project (for information and discussion) Introductory information about a long-term research project the Students’ Union are conducting into the formation and trajectory of student communities at UAL. 2. Terms of Reference Amendment Proposal (for discussion and decision) A proposal to amend the terms of reference for Student Life to add an explicit responsibility for the development of UAL sport and fitness.
STUDENT COMMUNITY RESEARCH PROJECT Since our restructure in the summer of 2009, we have employed a Policy & Research Coordinator to support the work of the Students’ Union through high level analysis, evidence based policies, and primary and secondary research. With a background in the arts and social policy research to PhD level, Patricia Kaszynska is leading on what we hope to be a ground breaking and illuminating piece of research. It is clear to those of us in the Students’ Union with experience and knowledge of Unions in other HE institutions, that the student body at UAL is particularly unique. We know that a sense of belonging and the formation of strong communities is critical to students’ satisfaction, and is key to feelings of ‘loyalty’ and ‘pride’ in the institutions in which they study. We also know that developing relationships is a critical factor in UAL students’ success in their professional careers. We anticipate that a deep understanding of student communities will enable us to increase the conditions under which communities form and to decrease the barriers to them forming and developing. The aims of the research are: To understand how student communities form in the first place; how they progress, and why they cease to exist. To understand the dynamic of the existing student social communities, both in physical and electronic forms. To establish how the Students’ Union & University can support student communities more efficiently and creatively; in particular, how the Union can support student communities without ‘killing spontaneity’ of these initiatives or imposing a top-down approach. Make recommendations about how SUARTS & UAL can change to support the formation of new, and the continuation of existing, student communities more efficiently and what it would take for the Union to act as a catalyst in the formation of new communities. SUARTS REPORTS | UAL SLC | APRIL 2010
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The research will seek answers to the following questions What are the benefits of encouraging participation in social communities across and beyond the university? Why is the formation of student communities desirable? What factors contribute to the formation and continuation of student communities? How feasible is it to attempt to forge a strong sense of identity shared across all colleges? What is to be gained from forging more ‘local’ senses of identity and belonging? Which student social communities currently exist? What are the factors that contribute to their development or dying away? What should be the role of SUARTS in relation to current and potential communities? The methodology outlines mainly a longitudinal ethnographic approach to gathering data on student communities, the results of which will be viewed in the context of the quantitative data we already have on the student body. We hope that the results of the project will be critical in informing improvements made to the delivery of services, courses and opportunities within the Students’ Union and across the Colleges and University departments. Student Life Committee’s Input/Endorsement We feel this research is particularly relevant to the committees remit as it is focus will be on the non academic side of our students’ lives. We wanted to make Student Life Committee aware that we are embarking on this project and hope that the committee can be a ‘home’ for the project for it’s duration and crucially when recommendations do start to emerge. If the Student Life Committee felt it would be useful, Patricia would be able to provide an interim update at a future meeting in the next academic year.
TERMS OF REFERENCE AMENDMENT PROPOSAL Recently we submitted a report to Student Life on developments in student activities at UAL where we demonstrated the dramatic increases in the number of students involved in an increasing number of different activities. Student Activities are central to university life at most other institutions, often contributing significantly to satisfaction, a sense of belonging, and fostering new friendships and networking opportunities for those involved. 1801 students are members of 59 sports clubs and societies within the UAL Sports and Societies Federation. 718 of those are involved in 22 sport and fitness clubs. But we are just at the start of the process of developing activities at UAL. Membership Growth 2003/04 – 2009/10 2003/04 2000
2004/05
1500
2005/06
1000
2006/07
500
2007/08
0
2008/09 Number of individual memberships
SUARTS REPORTS | UAL SLC | APRIL 2010
200910
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Sport, health and wellbeing are key priorities at many universities, particularly in other prestigious world class institutions. The United Nations cite the following as global benefits of sport activities: leadership, perseverance, social and moral character, self-esteem, commitment to teamwork, problem-solving, and organizational ability. Below are a few examples of approaches to sport from our peers. University of Bristol promote Well Wednesdays; afternoons free for staff and students to participate in sport, fitness and health activities. http://www.bris.ac.uk/sport/healthyliving/livewell/wellwednesdays/ Oxford University sport federation ‘Dark Blue’ actively attracts applications to the University through their sport offer. http://www.sport.ox.ac.uk/thinking-of-applying-to-oxford Goldsmiths invested in a brand new fitness centre for staff and students. http://www.gold.ac.uk/clubpulse/facilities/ We know that sport flourishes where an institution shows a tangible interest for developing it. Models of supporting extra-curricular sport at University include: A single Sport Federation run jointly between the Students’ Union and University where an institution and students union team up to jointly manage and provide sports facilities and activities. E.g. Warwick: http://warwicksport.warwick.ac.uk/ Student led Sport Federation, University run facilities where the activities are run by and for students (usually through the Students’ Union or an Athletic Union) and the University run fitness and sport facilities, maximising revenue through external bookings outside of peak student times. E.g. Loughborough: http://www.lufbra.net/au/, http://sdc.lboro.ac.uk/facilities/?cat_id=18&level=1 Student led Sport Federation, University responsibility for sport development where the Students’ Union run activities and locate their own facilities, and the University have staff with specific responsibility for sport development. Proposal for consideration 1. That the Student Life Committee add ‘Sports Development’ to point 2 of the Terms of Reference so that they read: Requirement to recommend in the following: The development or amendment of policies, procedures or regulations relating to the general aspects of student life The development of policies, schemes, and facilities relating to student sport and activities 2. That the Student Life Committee recommend that a senior member of University staff be given formal responsibility for supporting the Union in developing Sport. 3. That the Student Life Committee support an annual e-update for UAL staff about extra-curricular development opportunities and successes through the Students’ Union. Helen Gimber Students’ Union President president@su.arts.ac.uk SUARTS REPORTS | UAL SLC | APRIL 2010
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