In the Vice Chancellors Christmas message to students it was announced that the new accommodation that was due in 2021/2022 has been delayed - you'll probably all have noticed that there hasn't been any been any work on sites other than the new Barnes development. Until the University get their accommodation project up and running again, the quantity and mix of halls that we currently have is not going to change.
When this is combined with Keele’s significant growth in student numbers over the past few years - with plans for yet more growth - it means that students are now having to pay more than ever for a smaller number of rooms on campus.
A lot of students expressed concerns about the cost of accommodation on campus after the newest pricing band came out. They’re quite right too - for what you get a lot of the rooms on campus are of a pretty low standard. The fittings and fixtures in a lot of the blocks really show their age. The launderettes often have issues. It’s no wonder people feel ripped off! The University spent a fair amount of money running consultations to find our what colour and layout they wanted the rooms to be in the new halls - as far as we’re aware there we no attempt to see how much students were willing to pay. The ethereal ‘sector norms’ (“other Universities charge something like this for something similar so we’re going to do the same”) are instead seen as the justification for all of this. Before we see hikes in prices like this again, there needs to be much better research done to establish what a fair, affordable rent is for halls of residence.
When we ask students what the 'Keele Difference' is to them the most popular answer by a long way is the on campus community. Access to this community now costs more than ever, whether you live there or get the bus. There needs to be much more work to preserve and expand the Keele community if the University want to improve their performance in things like the National Student Survey - which final year students will start filling in soon!
These issues mean that more and more students are going to end up in the hands of private landlords in Newcastle and Stoke. How the SU and the University works to protect students in this context is going to be a priority of mine this semester.
Some Students’ Unions go so far as acting as a letting agent for the local properties. While this might not be the right fit for Keele, it gives us an idea of the kind of thing that we need to look into doing in the future.
A major issue with a growing off campus student population that’s detached from that ‘Keele Community’ on campus is isolation. Our advice team are hearing from more and more students living off campus who feel isolated. Another major priority for the SU and the University has to be making sure that off campus students feel like they’re part of Keele. Whether that’s by fostering a student community in Newcastle or by making everyone feel welcome on camus.
None of these are problems that have an easy solution, but with the right approach and by learning from how other Universities and SUs solve similar issues we’ll get there.
As always if you have any issues, concerns or thoughts feel free to get in touch on facebook, by email (su.uddofficer@keele.ac.uk) or come into the office and have a chat!