Memorandum submitted by the University
of London Union (ULU)
INTRODUCTION
The University of London Union (ULU) is the
federal students' union for more than 120,000 students at the
20 Colleges and 12 Institutes of the University of London. The
trustees of the organisation comprise four elected full-time sabbatical
officers who represent the views of students across the federation
to the central University and act as the interface between students
and local and national decision-makers to achieve improvements
for students in the capital. ULU has a team of part-time elected
officers each with their own portfolio in an attempt to ensure
that ULU is responsible to the needs of all its diverse membership.
1. EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY
Students want universities to provide them with
the opportunity to realise their intellectual and personal potential
and enable them to enjoy a rich student experience where their
needs are known and met. The impact of the introduction of variable
tuition fees has not yet been fully realised but students are
now more conscious of their status as consumers with choices and
rights. ULU believes that there is an urgent need to address shortfalls
in provision in a number of key areas such as welfare, supervision
and accessibility and in this submission focuses on a number of
often under-represented groups and their needs.
2. WHAT DO
STUDENTS WANT
FROM UNIVERSITIES?
With the introduction of variable tuition fees,
students more so than ever want access to quality assured teaching
in a well resourced and responsive learning environment and value
for money. Through its democratic structure and targeted research,
ULU has identified a number of areas where students demand improvements.
3. POSTGRADUATES
— The relationship between student
and supervisors is tremendously important to the experience and
outcome of postgraduate study. A number of improvements should
be made in the supervision of postgraduate students, these include:
— Clear definition of the roles and
responsibilities of all types of supervisors;
— All supervisors to undertake mandatory
training and for regular quality checks and refresher courses
for experienced supervisors;
— Each research student to be supported
by a supervisory team, consisting of not less than one primary
and one secondary supervisor, one of whom must have supervised
successful PhD candidates;
— Main supervisors to take prime responsibility
for no more than a maximum of six research students; and
— All research students to be guaranteed
regular formal supervision sessions, lasting at least one hour
per month. We support colleges/courses where there is more supervision
already offered.
4. ACADEMIC REGULATIONS
ULU calls for institutions to ensure academic
regulations for postgraduate research degree programmes are transparent
and that the definitive version of the regulations are readily
available to students and staff, in both hard and electronic copies,
in line with the QAA code of practice for the assurance of academic
quality and standards in higher education.
5. CODE OF
PRACTICE FOR
TAUGHT MASTERS
ULU calls for all institutions to adopt a code
of practice for taught master's courses setting out the responsibilities
of both the department and the student, to include for example:
— taught postgraduate students to have
access to a named personal tutor;
— taught postgraduate students to be
provided with a plan for regular and formal supervisory contact,
including provision for the summer period when the dissertation
is being written up.
6. COSTS
ULU calls for all costs associated with a research
student's study to be made clear and consistently applied.
7. VIVA EXAMINATIONS
ULU notes that selected colleges within the
University of London are piloting the attendance of an independent
observer of academic standing at viva examinations as a safeguard
against possible intimidation, bias or procedural irregularity.
This should include provision for audio recordings of the viva
to help speed up any appeals process. We call for this pilot to
be extended nationally. In addition, we demand that copies of
the independent reports are made available to the student on completion
of the viva.
8. EQUALITY
We call for all selection process and admission
decisions, supervisory arrangements, training and development
opportunities, feedback mechanisms and appeals and complaints
to be set out clearly and applied consistently to avoid discrimination.
9. PART-TIME
AND MATURE
STUDENTS
Part-time and mature students can suffer from
a lack of representation compared to full-time students. ULU calls
for all students' unions and higher education institutions (HEIs)
to ensure that these students are given a voice.
10. FUNDING AND
FEES
We call for:
— The Department for Education and
Skills to allow Part-Time undergraduate students to pay their
fees after they have graduated, as is the case for all Full-Time
students;
— A cap to be put in place due to the
fact that there is NO CAP on the fees that Part-Time students
have to pay;
— The abolition of Top-Up Fees;
— Specific loan rates to be offered
to Part-Time and Mature students; and
— Part-Time students to be offered
specific rates for admin costs/ library fees/ and other charges
because currently they are not welcoming for Part-Time students.
11. CHILDCARE
AND CARER
FACILITIES—THE
"HIDDEN COSTS"
We call for institutions to recognise that many
Part-Time and Mature students have either children to look after
or in some cases, are carers for their parents. To gain access
to childcare provision is difficult and expensive hence we demand
that institutions provide créche facilities.
It is extremely hard for carers who are studying
to arrange someone from the Local Authority to look after their
dependent when they are studying. Again, this is expensive; therefore
we call for the institutions to offer financial assistance to
student carers to be able to afford adequate care provision.
12. TIMING OF
LECTURES AND
SEMINARS
We call for institutions to understand that
many Part-Time and Mature students have jobs and families to take
into account when they are studying. Therefore, we acknowledge
the "Derby Solution", the Birkbeck College system and
the "Weekend Solution" and believe that every student
should have access to all facilities at the point of demand, so
that Part-Time and Mature students can spend time with their families
and have enough time to balance having a job.
13. ENVIRONMENT—STUDYING
ENVIRONMENT
We call for a provision of study skills support
aimed at those students returning to education after some time.
14. CLARITY
We call for all selection process and admission
decisions, training and development opportunities, feedback mechanisms
and appeals and complaints to be set out clearly and applied consistently
to avoid discrimination. There should also be clarity about the
qualifications that a course demands from Part-Time and Mature
students as this will at times differ to the requirements for
Full-Time students.
15. SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT
We call for interdisciplinary Part-Time and
Mature student networks to be facilitated, eg providing webspace
on university websites and physical space for meetings, to avoid
problems of social isolation for Part-Time and Mature students.
We also encourage all Students' Unions to widen participation
and to acknowledge that the needs of Part-Time and Mature students
are sometimes not that of a traditional student. Therefore we
believe that the services and activities on offer should respect
this difference.
16. STUDENTS
WITH DISABILITIES
Students with disabilities require confidential
and ready access to targeted support from their HEI.
Some medical students are reluctant to seek
mental health support due to concerns that this could have a detrimental
impact on their future career and their fitness to practise as
medical professionals. All students should have access to mental
health support services free from the fear of discrimination.
Access to counselling services within HEIs is
often limited and long waiting lists can mean that students who
do not seek support before they have reached crisis point can
be left in a vulnerable state without any support. ULU calls on
HEIs to invest in this critical area of student support.
Students with dyslexia and dyspraxia should
also be made aware of the support available to them while at university
and HEIs need to do more to make this information available to
all students.
The nature of many university buildings means
that students' with physical disabilities can face a number of
physical barriers in buildings which are yet to be made compliant
with the reforms set out in the Disability Discrimination Act.
HEIs should be encouraged to act swiftly to ensure that their
premises are accessible to all so that restrictions are not placed
on the choices of students with disabilities.
WHAT SHOULD
THE STUDENT
EXPERIENCE INVOLVE,
INCLUDING FOR
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS?
17. The student experience begins prior
to the student's arrival at their higher education institution.
Universities and students' unions should therefore promote all
aspects of the student experience during each of the key phases
of a student's life cycle.
18. The student experience is varied and
much wider than the pursuit of a course of academic study. While
at University, students, often for the first time, take on paid
work, manage their own finances, live independently and assume
all the responsibilities which come with running a home. Students
are responsible for their own diet, health, transportation, utilities
and must do this in an unfamiliar environment without the support
structure they may have had in the past. The student experience
is also about developing life skills in addition to personal and
intellectual development. This is why students' unions and welfare
support services are critical aspects of university life. The
many activities and opportunities provided by students' unions
can make the difference between a student enjoying a rich and
fulfilling university life and dropping out of higher education
due to the lack of a support structure and friendship networks.
Clearly wider issues such as financial hardship are also critical
factors in a student's decision to drop-out of university but
HEIs should be encouraged to value the role of students' unions
and invest in what is a key resource for students.
19. Many students contribute to the wider
community by taking part in volunteering activities and many become
politically engaged for the first time while at University. ULU
operates a wide range of student activities which include elite
sports and officiating courses. ULU has however identified a lower
participation rate by international students in many of its sports
clubs and societies. This is the case even in those sports popular
with international students in their home country and reflects
a national trend. ULU has recently put together plans to provide
a sports programme targeted at but not restricted to international
students in an attempt to change this imbalance. In order to ensure
that the needs and views of international students are given representation,
ULU has also formulated a dedicated training programme for internationals
students' officers which we would hope to roll out in 2007 to
officers across London. ULU is also carrying out work on an international
students' charter to give focus and profile to issues affecting
students from overseas.
20. The University experience for international
students is affected by the level of support provided by their
HEI in a number of areas.
21. ORIENTATION:
The induction process for overseas students
varies between institutions. This is the first impression given
to international students by their new institution. For example,
University of Kent include health care, safety and banking in
their orientation day. There is an issue with postgraduate researchers
attending induction events. This seems to be partially through
choice but also through lack of information. There is a misconception
that orientation is aimed at undergraduates. Encouraging postgraduate
international students to attend would undoubtedly improve their
student experience.
22. ACCOMMODATION:
UKCOSA found that 75% of all overseas students
in the HE sector were offered university housing at the beginning
of their stay. However, the standard of care given to research
postgraduates seems to be considerably lower than undergraduates.
20% of those surveyed said they had not received any help. In
comparison with undergraduates, only 61% of overseas postgraduates
were offered university-managed accommodation.
While there are initiatives, such as the University
of London Housing Services' landlord accreditation scheme, they
are not communicated well to students. Ensuring that information
is easily available pre-arrival in the UK is very important. Although
the development of the Internet has made this information more
accessible, there is a tendency to use this as an excuse not to
provide it in other formats.
23. LANGUAGE
BARRIER:
Studying any subject in your second language
is demanding. A survey, conducted by UKCOSA, found that over 50%
of students were concerned about language before they arrived
in the UK. A third of Chinese students and 45% of Thai students
were still concerned half way through the academic year.
This causes problems in both academic and social
settings. If students are struggling with language competency,
this has a negative impact on their academic performance. It can
also make socialising difficult, which can make international
students feel isolated.
The issue of language competency is especially
prominent in those coming to the UK for postgraduate study. This
has led to a growth in pre-masters courses. The best established
of these is run by SOAS. The main purpose of the course is to
improve students' IELTS grade from 5 to 6, the requirement for
many postgraduate courses. London Universities offering such courses
include Greenwich, SOAS and Queen Mary's.
Students who have studied for pre-masters seem
to consider them to be a positive experience that allows them
to acclimatise to life in Britain, as well improving their language
skills through interacting in a social setting. However, the SOAS
pre-masters cost £8000, the same as a masters. This may solve
some of the problems caused by the language barrier but it adds
to the financial strain on overseas students. Some Colleges such
as Imperial do offer free language classes to students all year
round.
24. INFORMATION
Many institutions fail to provide enough information
to international students about the support services available
to them while studying in the UK such as housing advisers, welfare
and advice services. Insufficient information is also provided
to students before they arrive in the UK regarding the cost of
living. Housing advisers report that some students in receipt
of sponsorship will receive funds to cover their course fees alone
and are not made aware of the full extent of course related in
addition to rent, travel etc.
Many international students take on part-time
work and yet are unaware of their rights as workers in the UK.
More information should be provided to international students
by both their academic institution and by trade unions to ensure
that international students are not exploited. This is also a
legal matter since international students are restricted in the
number of hours they are allowed to work. This can also lead international
students' in need of additional income to be forced into taking
"cash in hand" work which leaves them open to prosecution.
25. CONCLUSION
Now that fees have been introduced Universities
in the United Kingdom need to recognise that students will expect
better quality services and facilities than ever before and that
the traditional deference given to university staff and management
may be replaced by a more hard-nosed and less forgiving attitude.
Long standing weaknesses in the sector will need to be addressed
effectively soon or may be come an embarrassment to the sector
and the Government and will weaken the case for continued self-regulation
and strengthen calls for better regulation on behalf of the public
and taxpayers interests. For example, the treatment of applicants
is still very variable and is sometimes haphazard and demeaning
in a way that would be unthinkable in any business organisation.
The quality and promptness of feedback on assessed work is still
often an issue in many colleges. Many lecturers still have no
formal teaching qualifications and take on pastoral support roles
without suitable training or quality assurance measures in place.
Support for the growing number of students with mental health
issues is inadequate in size and range of style of support available.
ULU hopes that universities will see the introduction of fees
as a springboard into an era where longstanding inconsistencies
and shortcomings are finally addressed rather than it being an
all too comfortable armchair to fall asleep in, in the expectation
that students will keep paying to go to Britain's universities.
December 2006
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