Your Hall, Your Call 2015 Final Report

Overview This paper provides an evaluation of the findings from the 2015 Your Hall, Your Call research project carried out by the Students’ Union of the University of the Arts London (SUARTS). The purpose of Your Hall, Your Call is to consider the overall quality of the student experience in University of the Arts London (UAL) Halls of Residences, including certain private providers. In preparation for this paper we visited ten UAL affiliated halls of residence as well as three private halls of residence and carried out an online survey with students living in halls.

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Contents

Foreword ........................................................................................................................................................................... 2

Introduction and Methodology......................................................................................................................................... 3

Overall Experience ............................................................................................................................................................ 5

Rent ................................................................................................................................................................................... 7

Application process, pre-arrival and welcome weekend .................................................................................................. 9

Maintenance ................................................................................................................................................................... 11

Sense of Community and Social Life ............................................................................................................................... 13

Kitchens and Flat Communal Areas ................................................................................................................................ 15

Recycling ......................................................................................................................................................................... 17

Common Rooms and Communal Facilities ..................................................................................................................... 19

Dedicated Work Spaces .................................................................................................................................................. 21

Staff in Halls .................................................................................................................................................................... 23

Recommend Your Halls ................................................................................................................................................... 25

Student Comments ......................................................................................................................................................... 27

Conclusion ....................................................................................................................................................................... 29

Recommendations .......................................................................................................................................................... 30

Annex A ........................................................................................................................................................................... 32

Annex B ........................................................................................................................................................................... 33

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Foreword

This survey is the first time that SUARTS has undertaken a review of halls of residence and I'd like to thank all of the students who took part in this survey and helped be part of a really important campaign. To have such a large response has been amazing, so thank you for taking the time out to help us communicate a strong message to the university. Whilst campaigning is a strong priority for us we also need a strong evidence base to show the university and from the results collected in the survey it is clear that students at UAL feel just as strongly as we do about affordable, quality accommodation. The issue of affordable housing for UAL students is something which the sabbatical officers here feel very strongly about. In the past we have campaigned for a living rent, a tenant’s union, tenant's rights and the university to manage and own their own halls of residences. The cost of studying in London, and in particular at UAL, is highly unaffordable and can hinder students from achieving their potential. We believe that arts education should be accessible to everyone and no student should have to forgo this because of the financial burden. This survey has shown that there are many positive experiences that can come from living in halls of residence, but that ultimately the cost of living in university accommodation is just too high. We hope that the university looks seriously at this research and considers how it can improve this for its students so that all students from all backgrounds can afford to study here. I look forward to seeing this survey continue on into the future and to help change students’ lives for the better. From, Scarlett Welfare Officer SUARTS.

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Introduction and Methodology For the first time SUARTS has surveyed students living in halls of residence about their experiences, this survey is known as ‘Your Hall, Your Call’. On the basis that the UAL find ‘Your Hall, Your Call’ a useful mechanism for gauging student views on accommodation, it is the intention of SUARTS that this survey will become an annual consultation. Methodology This research was carried out both through visiting halls of residences and asking students to fill in paper surveys, and through an online survey of students living in halls. The visits to halls of residence took place in April and the online survey closed on the 19 June 2015. The halls visited were:

Bernard Myers House

Brooke Hall

Camberwell Campus

The Costume Store

Don Gratton House

Furzedown Student Village

Glassyard Building

Manna Ash House

Sir John Cass Hall

Will Wyatt Court

As well as this several halls of residence providers who are not officially UAL were visited, and students were able to complete the survey from these halls online as well. The non-UAL affiliated halls were:

Pure Highbury

Woodland House

Victoria Hall Dashwood Studios Responses Overall, 373 students took part in ‘Your Hall, Your Call’ with 270 students being contacted in halls and 103 students filling in the survey online. The student body consulted consists of both undergraduate and postgraduate students, however the respondents were overwhelming undergraduate with them making up 89% of respondents. This paper will focus on the experiences of students overall, however the analysis will also look at each individual halls of residence. The response rates for each halls of residences did vary with some outperforming others. The highest response rates were from The Costume Store, Will Wyatt Court, Glassyard Building, Manna Ash House and Furzedown Student Village. With the lowest from Cordwainers Court, Sir John Cass Hall, Camberwell Campus and Bernard Myers House. The data from findings in this paper are looked at quantitatively in order to give an overview of student’s experiences in halls. However where this paper looks at halls of residences individually those halls with a response rate of 5% (when rounded to the nearest percentage) or under do not provide a representative sample and therefore we must be cautious on drawing conclusions from these figures. In this case we have opted to include the responses from these individual halls as qualitative rather than quantitative indication of the resident’s experiences. It should be noted that there was only one respondent for Cordwainers Court and Victoria Dashwood Studios therefore a qualitative review of comments for these halls individually have not been included. For the full breakdown of responses see Annex A. Findings The main findings of the consultation are presented in the following pages, these are categorised by question with 11 questions in total. The intention of these questions is to cover all the aspects of the university accommodation experience. The consultation revealed that generally students were positive about their experiences of halls, however

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there were still some aspects that students were unhappy with. This shows the important role ‘Your Hall, Your Call’ can play in illuminating student views both positive and negative in order to build a better accommodation experience. Issues explored through this year’s research included rent, maintenance, kitchens, communal facilities, sense of community and staff. At the end of this report we have made 16 recommendations and we look forward to working with the UAL accommodation team to deliver these changes that will further enhance and improve the experience of UAL students living in halls. The intention is that ‘Your Hall, Your Call’ will become an annual consultation with students, the halls experience is important for students and can contribute to them succeeding both socially and academically at university. We hope that through working together with the university and making changes to UAL accommodation we will see an increase in (sometimes already) positive responses from students. An infographic showing a summary of the responses will be communicated to students and can be found in Annex B of this report. We will endeavour to keep them informed as the recommendations from this survey as these progress.

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Overall Experience

Thinking of all the services and provisions of your Hall, to what extent do you agree with the following statements: Overall my experience in halls has been?

The total proportion of respondents who stated that their overall experience in halls had been ‘excellent’ or ‘good’ was 52.68%. However, once the non-UAL halls of residence are excluded this figure lowered, with 49.55% of those living in UAL affiliated halls and 76.32% in non-UAL affiliated halls giving a positive response. The Costume Store Overall 49.32% said that they thought The Costume Store was ‘good’ or ‘excellent’. The positives were that it was conveniently located and that the social programme was good, however students in particular cited the charging structure as unfair and felt they were being taken advantage of due to the already high costs of living there. Will Wyatt Court Only 29.24% said that they thought Will Wyatt Court was ‘good’ or excellent’. This low score seems to mainly be due to water issues that the building faced. Overall, students seemed to be unhappy that the standard of the hall did not fit with the amount of money that they paid for it. Glassyard Building Overall 69.77% of students said that they thought the Glassyard Building was ‘good’ or ‘excellent’. Students responses seemed generally very positive and that although they felt it was expensive it was still a nice place to live. Manna Ash House Only 30.00% of residents said that they thought Manna Ash House was ‘good’ or ‘excellent’. Students generally liked the location of the halls but felt they were in a state of disrepair, in particular many cited water issues and some mould. Overall it was felt by students that the building could do with being refurbished. Furzedown Student Village Overall 40.47% of residents said that they thought Furzedown was ‘good’ or ‘excellent’. Students liked the fact the building felt modern and new, however there were issues such as mice, mould, bed bugs and silverfish which brought down the score.

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Don Gratton House Overall 58.33% of students said that they thought Don Gratton House was ‘good’ or ‘excellent’. Generally students felt that the rooms were a good size and the facilities were good. However the largest complaint was in relation to the fire alarm going off on a regular basis. Brooke Hall Overall 51.51% of residents said that Brooke Hall was ‘good’ or ‘excellent’. Students felt that it was a nice place to live, although there were issues about how clean the halls were when students moved in. Sir John Cass Hall Overall students enjoyed living in Sir John Cass Hall, however there were issues with staff members throwing away student’s belongings in the kitchens. Camberwell Campus The residents seemed to be generally satisfied with these halls, although they did cite that staff were not always helpful. Bernard Myers House Students seem broadly satisfied with the halls of residence, however there were some complaints about mould in the bedrooms. Pure Highbury Overall 78.57% of students said that they thought Pure Highbury was either ‘excellent’ or ‘good’. Generally students seemed to think the halls were good, there were some comments that the halls were not in a good location and were not that sociable. Woodland House Students seemed generally satisfied with the accommodation in particular they seemed to like the new social areas.

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Rent

The rent I pay is reasonable?

The total proportion of respondents that stated that they either ‘strongly agree’ or ‘agree’ that the rent in halls of residence is reasonable was 31.68%. The largest proportion of students with 35.54% stated that they ‘disagree’ with this. The proportion of students who do not believe that the rent they pay is reasonable shows that this is a major issue for students living in halls, the text analysis of the comments shows that the most cited word was ‘expensive’. Students are aware that the London location of halls means that rents will be comparatively higher than the rest of the UK, nevertheless students still felt that the rent was too expensive. In particular, students felt that the rents in halls of residence were too high especially for a student budget. As well as this students were likely to choose halls based on affordability not on where is close to their campus.

“too expensive” The Costume Store “I manage fine with money but the vast majority of people who live here find that their loan money just doesn't cover their rent at all - and this is one of UAL's cheaper halls! Furzedown is one of only 4 or 5 of UAL's halls which I can realistically afford to live in, and its 6 miles away from my college.” Furzedown Student Village “It should be proportional to the amount of full student finance available. Currently there is not enough for necessities once the accommodation is paid for.” Glassyard Building “For London, still could be cheaper” Don Gratton House

Residents were unhappy about rent increases, with many concerned that increases will price out some and make studying at UAL even more of a financial struggle.

“…the rent has just gone up further for next year locking even more students out from a halls which is already far away for all students except those who attend Wimbledon.” Furzedown Student Village

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Some students felt that the high cost of rent is not reflected in the services and facilities they receive. Poor maintenance, disrepair, silverfish, mould, additional charges, laundry not being included and water outages are just a few of the problems cited by students in this section of the survey.

“It is expensive especially for a very old and rundown place” Manna Ash House “The rent is absolutely exterminate considering the facilities. I also think its appalling to charge students, some of whom have very very little money to wash their clothes.” Will Wyatt Court

“It's a bit expensive, because our room is so tiny”

The Costume Store

“Overprices and increasing, despite the constant problems we have including not being told when work is commencing and then waking up to builders outside your window, lifts not working and unable to use facilities, we never got a reduction on rent which I feel we should have…” Manna Ash House

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Application process, pre-arrival and welcome weekend

I found the application process, pre-arrival information and welcome weekend well organised and useful?

With 71.90% of students stating that they either they ‘strongly agree’ or ‘agree’ that this was well organised and useful shows that the majority of students are positive about their experience. In particular it was noted that the airport pick up service was helpful.

“It was easy and simple. I was very scared at the beginning, because I was leaving my parents house for the first time and it's a bit far from here (12 hours flight). The way I was treated made me feel more comfortable” Manna Ash House “As an international student, I find it extremely handy to have an airport pick-up service” The Costume Store

There were a few instances of students not receiving a welcome, as well as some students having to change rooms. Others stated that they thought the welcome weekend was too early and therefore they missed it.

“lol they asked my name, handed me my keys and thats that” Bernard Myers House “What welcome weekend?” Furzedown Student Village “Settling in could have been better Ensure you inform students to give them move in date- I was in halls 3 weeks without flatmates- lonely when you first move city!” Don Gratton House “I was asked to move in ` month before my course even started! Why did it start so early and finish before my course?” Sir John Cass Hall

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“…one of my flatmates was meant to get this particular room and even got an email confirmation that she has that room. However, upon arrival, another student was staying in her room because that student wanted that room. How is this possible when arrangements were made beforehand?” Manna Ash House

Some students did state that the website was not quite as user-friendly as it could be and that improvements could be made.

“Website very glitchy when trying to apply.” Furzedown Student Village “I think they can improve the website” Glassyard Building

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Maintenance

Maintenance issues are dealt with in my hall in good time?

Although the majority of students agree that the maintenance in their halls of residence were dealt with in good time (with 38.19% of students) the responses to this question were varied. Interestingly when broken down into UAL and non-UAL affiliated halls of residence there is quite a large disparity, with 46.75% of residents from UAL affiliated and 75.67% of students from non-UAL affiliated halls stating that they either ‘strongly agree’ or ‘agree’. The Costume Store Overall 64.79% of students living in The Costume Store either ‘strongly agree’ or ‘agree’ regarding maintenance. This is positive, as generally it seems students were happy, however there were some issues regarding broken lifts, heating and a lack of hot water. Some students suggested that initially maintenance issues were dealt with quickly, however over time it seemed to take longer. Will Wyatt Court Only 27.70% of residents at Will Wyatt Court either ‘strongly agree’ or ‘agree’ regarding maintenance with 35.38% stating they ‘disagree’. The most common complaint by students was that the water was not working for periods of time and that the lifts often broke. Other issues included students feeling that small simple issues could often take a long time to fix such as broken lights, fire alarms and doors. Some even reported having infestations of mice in the flats and feeling as though it was not being taken seriously. Glassyard Building Overall 57.14% of students living in the Glassyard Building either ‘strongly agree’ or ‘agree’ regarding maintenance. Here students mostly felt that problems were dealt with quite quickly, however some stated that the response from maintenance took a few weeks. Manna Ash House Only 33.33% of students living at Manna Ash House either ‘strongly agree’ or ‘agree’ regarding maintenance, with 33.33% of students stating they ‘disagree’. Students seemed to feel that maintenance issues either took a long time to be dealt with or were not dealt with at all. As well as this some students complained that staff would either turn up to their rooms without notice or enter without permission. Furzedown Student Village

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Only 30.23% of residents at Furzedown either ‘strongly agree’ or ‘agree’ regarding maintenance, 30.23% stating they ‘strongly disagree’. There were reports of several infestations including, mould, silverfish, mice and bed bugs in the halls of residence. As well as this students were unhappy that any repairs needed took a long time to complete, when completed were not of a very good quality or were not done at all. Don Gratton House Overall 50.00% of students at Don Gratton House either ‘strongly agree’ or ‘agree’ regarding maintenance. Generally students were satisfied with the maintenance in the halls, however some did report that some repairs did take a while to fix. Brooke Hall Overall 72.22% of students at Brooke Hall either ‘strongly agree’ or ‘agree’ regarding maintenance. Generally students were happy with the maintenance in halls, however some did state that they had to wait a while before any problems were fixed. Sir John Cass Hall Overall students were very satisfied with the maintenance in Sir John Cass Hall, although it was mentioned that there were some problems with the toilets. Camberwell Campus Respondents from Camberwell campus halls of residence were generally not very satisfied with the maintenance in the halls of residence. In particular issues such as a faulty fuses and broken doors were not dealt with in a short period of time. Bernard Myers House Generally students are very satisfied with the maintenance at Bernard Myers House, however some report that issues can take a while to fix or are not fixed properly. Pure Highbury Overall 71.43% of residents at Pure Highbury state that they either ‘strongly agree’ or ‘agree’ regarding maintenance, no respondent stated that they ‘strongly disagree’. Students felt that most issues were dealt with quickly, although larger issues could take a bit more time. Woodland House Generally students are very satisfied regarding maintenance at Woodland House, however some stated that fixing issues could take a bit of time.

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Sense of Community and Social Life

There was a sense of community and active social life in my halls?

The number of students stating they ‘agree’ that their halls of residence had a sense of community and social life was 48.04% with a further 9.22% stating they ‘strongly agree’. In general the comments were positive especially in relation to the social reps and social programme, however postgraduate students in particular felt that this was not tailored for them. The Costume Store Overall 52.95% of residents at The Costume Store stated that they either ‘strongly agree’ or ‘agree’ that it had a sense of community and social life. Generally students seemed very pleased with the social life at the halls in particular they thought that the social rep and programme was very good. However some stated that outside of this it was difficult to meet people and that the halls felt a bit closed off. Will Wyatt Court Overall 59.38% of residents at Will Wyatt Count stated that they either ‘strongly agree’ or ‘agree’ that it had a sense of community and social life. Students here were complimentary of their social reps and social programme, they felt that it was particularly effective, especially the ‘movie night’. Glassyard Building Only 41.46% of students living in the Glassyard Building felt that they either ‘strongly agree’ or ‘agree’ that it had a sense of community and social life. There was no mention by respondents of a social rep or a social programme, although some suggested that events that were put on were not necessarily what students wanted. Many stated that they did not know other people and felt that large social gatherings where they could meet people were hampered by security. Manna Ash House Only 41.03% of students living in Manna Ash house felt that they either ‘strongly agree’ or ‘agree that it had a sense of community and social life. In terms of the social rep and programme the students felt that there was not much on offer and often events were not well attended. They stated that initially there was some activity however over time this lessened and this led to students feeling like there was not a sense of community.

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Furzedown Student Village Overall 57.14% of students at Furzedown stated that they either ‘strongly agree’ or ‘agree’ that it had a sense of community and social life. Generally students felt that they were able to build a community within the halls in particular mature students enjoyed being grouped together. However, some felt that there could be more social space within flats and not just in the common room. Students generally felt that the social programme did not meet their needs and could be improved. Don Gratton House Overall 69.57% of residents at Don Gratton stated that they either ‘strongly agree’ or ‘agree’ that it had a sense of community and social life. Generally students were positive about this area, however some did state that either they were not aware or they felt the activities organised were not appropriate. Brooke Hall Overall 77.77% of students at Brooke hall stated that they either ‘strongly agree’ or ‘agree’ that it had a sense of community and social life. Some students stated that they felt that the inclusion of international students in the social programme could be better catered for. Sir John Cass Hall Generally the students that responded to the survey were very pleased with the sense of community and social life in Sir John Cass Hall. In particular they seemed to like the movie night and cheese and wine night. Camberwell Campus Overall students who responded to the survey were pleased with the sense of community and social life, however some responded that the social meetings were not well attended. Pure Highbury Overall 64.28% of students who responded to the survey either ‘strongly agree’ or ‘agree’ that there is a sense of community and social life at Pure Highbury. However, some students stated that it was difficult to meet people and that it would be better if they were placed in flats with people with similar interests to themselves.

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Kitchens and Flat Communal Areas Please rate your shared kitchen space and flat communal areas.

The responses to this question were mixed with 43.66% of students overall stating that they were either ‘excellent’ or ‘good’. Interestingly of students living in UAL affiliated halls 30.38% of respondents stated that the kitchen and communal facilities in the flats were ’good’ however for non-UAL affiliated halls this figure was 51.43%. It should be noted that one of the most common complaints was flatmates not cleaning the kitchen or stealing other student’s food/utensils and it is recognised that this is not something the university has control over. The Costume Store Overall 43.48% of students stated that the kitchen and communal areas in their flats at The Costume Store were either ‘excellent’ or ‘good’. The majority of comments by students were in relation to flatmates. However, those focused on the accommodation state that sometimes cupboard space was inadequate and that the locks on food cupboards did not always work, leading to food being stolen. Will Wyatt Court Only 23.48% of residents stated that the kitchen and communal areas in their flats at Will Wyatt Court were either ‘excellent’ or ‘good’, with 51.56% stating that they were ‘dissatisfactory’. Again flatmates not cleaning the kitchen was a prominent issue. Other issues included that the kitchen space was too small for flatmates to gather in, that there were mice infestations and a lack of windows. Glassyard Building Overall 65.79% of students stated that the kitchen and communal areas in their flats at Glassyard were either ‘excellent’ or ‘good’. Overall students seemed pleased with the kitchens and flat communal areas, although messy flatmates was an issue. Some students did state that the fridges were a bit small and that there was a lack of space. Manna Ash House Only 28.20% of students stated that the kitchen and communal areas in their flats at Manna Ash House were either ‘excellent’ or ‘good’. As well as issues surrounding messy flatmates, the lack of space was a common complaint for students including that there were not enough chairs for flatmates. As well as this some students complained that the kitchens were messy when they moved in.

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Furzedown Student Village Only 27.91% of residents stated that the kitchen and communal areas in their flats at Furzedown were either ‘excellent’ or ‘good’, with 44.19% of respondents stating that they were ‘dissatisfactory’. Again messy flatmates was a particular issues highlighted by students. Another main issue for residents was that the kitchens were not large enough for the flats and that there was no communal areas in the flats themselves. As well as this, issues such as not having windows, property being stolen and broken utilities in the kitchen were highlighted. Don Gratton House Overall 54.55% of students stated that the kitchen and communal areas in their flats at Don Gratton House were either ‘excellent’ or ‘good’. Generally students were quite pleased with the facilities although the issue of messy flatmates also arose. The main complaint by students was that there was a lack of communal space in the kitchens. Brooke Hall Overall 64.71% of residents stated that the kitchen and communal areas in their flats at Brooke Hall were either ‘excellent’ or ‘good’. Generally students were pleased with the facilities within the kitchens, except that there were no ovens. Sir John Cass Hall Overall students were very pleased with the kitchen facilities in Sir John Cass Hall, in particular the cleaners. However, there were some issues in that students stated the space was quite small and there were reports of people’s property going missing or being thrown away by the cleaners. Camberwell Campus Students at Camberwell Campus generally thought the kitchens and communal areas in flats were good. However it was noted that the fining system for messy kitchens does not seem to work. Bernard Myers House Residents at Bernard Myers House were not overly positive about their kitchens and communal areas in flats. As well as issues around messy flatmates it was noted that there was a lack of communal areas in the flats themselves. Pure Highbury Overall 64.29% of residents who responded to the survey stated that they thought their kitchen and communal areas in flats were either ‘excellent’ or ‘good’. Overall students were pleased with the facilities, however some reported that their property was being stolen. Woodland House Overall students were pleased with the facilities at Woodland House, although some commented on messy flatmates and others stated that more space would be welcome.

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Recycling

I am aware of the recycling provisions available in my hall?

With 61.56% of students stating that they either ‘strongly agree’ or ‘agree’ that they were aware of recycling provisions in their halls of residence this shows that the majority of students are aware. However there is room for improvement. In relation to individual halls Will Wyatt Court had the lowest awareness with 26.56% with all other halls having awareness above 50%.

“I separate recyclables” Don Gratton House “there appears to be none” Will Wyatt Court “not heard a thing” Will Wyatt Court “As far as I am aware there are no recycling facilities within Will Wyatt Court. I am aware of recycling points outside of the premises but avoid using them through fear of being mugged by local youths.” Will Wyatt Court

Although awareness may be high there were some concerns that students are not using the facilities and that some behavioural change may be needed.

“We've only just got recycling and it's not clear what can be recycled” Furzedown Student Village “Needs a workshop. As I said, there are so many people who are living alone for the first, they have no clue!” The Costume Store

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As well as this, the facilities provided could be easier to use with some students reporting that there were not recycling bins in flats or if provided they were not easy to use for instance the recycling bags were easy to break.

“Just added and poorly integrated. Need recycle units in each kitchen” Furzedown Student Village “I am aware, but they are not easy to use. They have these see through bag restrictions for the recycling bins which are impossible to use with the huge bins in the kitchen.” Glassyard Building “OK so for each block of flats we get two huge skips but only one tiny tiny little bin for recycling? what the hell man. its barely bigger than the bin in our kitchen. No one bothers recycling anymore since theres never any room. its sad.” Bernard Myers House “Bigger recycling in flats!” The Costume Store

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Common Rooms and Communal Facilities

Please rate the common area and communal facilities (laundry, bike storage etc.).

The proportion of respondents that rated the common rooms and communal facilities in halls either ‘excellent’ or ‘good’ was 55.13%. Interestingly, there was a marked difference between those living in non-UAL halls of residence with 80.56% stating either ‘excellent’ or ‘good’ and 51.71% for those living in UAL affiliated halls of residence. The most common complaints from residents were in relation to laundry machines, in particular not having enough for the residents and them being too expensive. The Costume Store Overall 58.57% of students at The Costume Store stated that the communal facilities were either ‘excellent’ or ‘good’. Students overall were pleased with the bicycle storage facilities, however they felt that the laundry machines were too expensive and that there were not enough for the number of students living in the halls of residence. Will Wyatt Court Only 39.06% of residents at Will Wyatt Court stated that the communal facilities were either ‘excellent’ or ‘good’. Students stated that they thought the common room and bicycle storage was good, however they were concerned that there was not enough laundry machines and that often those that were available were often broken. Glassyard Building Overall 71.42% of students at Glassyard Building stated that the communal facilities were either ‘excellent’ or ‘good’. Students were very pleased with the bicycle storage and common room, however they were concerned that there were not enough laundry machines and that they were very expensive. Manna Ash House Only 35.89% of resident at Manna Ash House stated that the communal facilities were either ‘excellent’ or ‘good’. Generally student’s liked the common room, however some commented that they would prefer communal areas in their flats. Students were most unhappy about the laundry facilities, with them being too expensive, not enough for the number of students living in the halls and breaking frequently.

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Furzedown Student Village Only 38.09% of students at Furzedown stated that the communal facilities were either ‘excellent’ or ‘good’. There were mixed comments about the common room, some stated that it was good, others that it was unwelcoming and there were not enough places to sit. In relation to bicycle storage students would prefer more storage. However, the main complaint by students was in relation to the laundry machines, issues such as them breaking down, not having enough and being too expensive were all raised. Don Gratton House Only 34.78% of residents at Don Gratton House stated that the communal facilities were either ‘excellent’ or ‘good’. Students stated they were unhappy that there was not any bicycle storage and some had had bikes stolen. Some students felt that the common room could be refurbished. Overall students were most unhappy about the laundry facilities stating that they were usually broken, aren’t enough and are too expensive Brooke Hall Overall 83.33% of students at Brooke Hall stated that the communal facilitates were either ‘excellent’ or ‘good’. Students were generally pleased with the communal facilitates however they felt that there could be more laundry facilities. Sir John Cass Hall Respondents from Sir John Cass Hall were very pleased with the communal facilities in particular students stated that they liked the common room. Camberwell Campus Generally students were pleased with the communal facilities at Camberwell Campus, however they felt that there were not enough laundry machines and they were overpriced. Bernard Myers House Generally students at Bernard Myers House were not pleased with the communal facilities, in particular they stated that the laundry facilities were not very nice, often broken and overpriced. Pure Highbury Overall 82.15% of students that responded to the survey stated that they communal facilities at Pure Highbury were either ‘excellent’ or ‘good’. Students thought the communal facilities were of a high standard, however they some did state that there were not enough laundry machines and they were quite expensive. Woodland House Generally students were very pleased with the communal facilities at Woodland House, however they felt that the laundry facilities were too expensive.

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Dedicated Work Spaces

I am happy with the dedicated work spaces available for me to use?

The respondents who stated that they either ‘strongly agree’ or ‘agree’ that they were happy with the dedicated work spaces available to them in halls of residence was 61.83%. Overall students seem to be happy with the dedicated work spaces both in their rooms and communal. However, there does seem to be a bit of a postcode lottery as to the quality of these facilities and UAL should look to have this standardised across all halls of residences. The Costume Store Overall 67.14% of students at The Costume Store stated that they either ‘strongly agree’ or ‘agree’ that they were happy with the dedicated work spaces available to them. Generally students were pleased with the space available to them, however they some students did suggest there could be more communal study areas. Will Wyatt Court Only 46.04% of residents at Will Wyatt Court stated that they either ‘strongly agree’ or ‘agree’ that they were happy with the dedicated work spaces available to them. Some students stated that they were happy to use the common room as a work space, but the majority of students did not feel that this was appropriate and that communal study space should be made available. As well as this students felt that the desks in their room were not large enough for them to be able to work properly at. Glassyard Building Overall 85.36% of students at the Glassyard Building stated that they either ‘strongly agree’ or ‘agree’ that they were happy with the dedicated work spaces available to them. Generally students were very happy with the facilities, they stated that the desks were a good size and that the workroom was convenient. Manna Ash House Only 43.59% of residents at Manna Ash House stated that they either ‘strongly agree’ or ‘agree’ that they were happy with the dedicated work spaces available to them. Students generally felt that there was not enough room to work in the common room and that there should be some form of communal study area. In relation to desk space in the room, some students stated that they had large desks whereas others complained that their desks were too small.

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Furzedown Student Village Overall 65.11% of students at Furzedown stated that they either ‘strongly agree’ or ‘agree’ that they were happy with the dedicated work spaces available to them. Generally students were pleased with the desk and shelving space in the rooms themselves. In relation to the communal space, students felt the common room was not big enough and although some stated that the workspace was convenient others complained that it was too noisy. Don Gratton House Overall 60.87% of students at Don Gratton House stated that they either ‘strongly agree’ or ‘agree’ that they were happy with the dedicated work spaces available to them. Generally students were pleased with the work spaces in their rooms, however some said that they could benefit from a communal study area as the common room was too small. Brooke Hall Overall 66.67% of residents at Brooke Hall stated that they either ‘strongly agree’ or ‘agree’ that they were happy with the dedicated work spaces available to them. Sir John Cass Hall The majority of student’s resident at Sir John Cass Hall were very pleased with the dedicated work space areas. Camberwell Campus Overall there was a mixed response from students with a relatively even spread of those who agreed and disagreed that there was sufficient work space, some students felt that there was not much communal study space available to them. Bernard Myers House There was a mixed response from students with a relative even spread of those who agreed and disagreed regarding work space, some students felt that there was no communal study space available to them. Pure Highbury Overall 59.26% of residents who responded to the survey from Pure Highbury stated that they either ‘strongly agree’ or ‘agree’ that they were happy with the dedicated work spaces available to them. Overall students were happy with the space in the rooms, however some students noted that there could be a dedicated communal study space. Woodland House Overall students were very happy with the dedicated work spaces with students stating that these had been refurbished recently and therefore were excellent.

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Staff in Halls

The staff in my hall are helpful and approachable?

The total proportion of students who stated that they ‘strongly agree’ or ‘agree’ that they staff in their halls of residence were friendly and helpful was 78.11%. One of the most common phrases used by respondents was ‘friendly’, however it should be noted that although students may have agreed with the statement this did not necessarily apply to all staff individually but was more of a blanket statement. For individual halls of residence there was not a single halls that had less than 50% of respondents that either ‘strongly agree’ or ‘agree’. The Costume Store Overall 84.29% of students at The Costume Store stated that they ‘strongly agree’ or ‘agree’ that the staff in their halls were friendly and helpful. Students were generally pleased with the staff, however some students commented that they felt the charging of fines was unfair. Will Wyatt Court Overall 76.56% of students at Will Wyatt Court stated that they ‘strongly agree’ or ‘agree’ that the staff in their halls were friendly and helpful. The majority of students found the staff to be helpful and friendly, however there were some respondents who stated that some staff were nicer than others and a minority respondents who felt uncomfortable approaching staff. Glassyard Building Overall 83.34% of students at the Glassyard Building stated that they ‘strongly agree’ or ‘agree’ that the staff in their halls were friendly and helpful. Generally students stated that the staff were friendly and nice, although some commented negatively on the high turnover of staff. Manna Ash House Overall 61.64% of students at Manna Ash House stated that they ‘strongly agree’ or ‘agree’ that the staff in their halls were friendly and helpful. There were mixed comments in relation to the staff by students, some stated that the staff were generally friendly and helpful but also that some of the staff could be quite rude. Furzedown Student Village Overall 54.76% of students at Furzedown stated that they ‘strongly agree’ or ‘agree’ that the staff in their halls were friendly and helpful. Students generally were happy with the staff, however some stated that other members of staff

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could be quite unapproachable. Students also highlighted that a change of staff at one point during the year also created problems for residents. Don Gratton House Overall 82.61% of residents at Don Gratton House stated that they ‘strongly agree’ or ‘agree’ that the staff in their halls were friendly and helpful. Overall students were very pleased with the staff and comments were majority positive. Some students did comment that there was a minority of staff who were not helpful. Brooke Hall Overall 88.88% of students at Brooke Hall stated that they ‘strongly agree’ or ‘agree’ that the staff in their halls were friendly and helpful. Sir John Cass Hall The majority of students felt that the staff in Sir John Cass Hall were very friendly and helpful, however some commented that the cleaners were not. Camberwell Campus The majority of residents at Camberwell Campus stated that the staff were friendly and helpful, however some did comment that although the majority of staff were this was not universal. Bernard Myers House Overall the students at Bernard Myers House stated that the staff were very helpful and friendly. Pure Highbury Overall 96.43% of students who responded to the survey at Pure Highbury stated that they ‘strongly agree’ or ‘agree’ that the staff were friendly and helpful. Overall the students were very pleased with the staff, however again some student’s commented that although the majority were very nice this was not necessarily universal. Woodland House The majority of students felt that the staff at Woodland House were friendly and helpful.

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Recommend Your Halls

Would you recommend your hall of residence to other UAL students?

The total proportion of students that stated they would recommend staying in their halls of residence to other UAL students was 49.94%, those who would not were 24.17% and those who stated ‘maybe’ were 28.89%. Interestingly the figure for UAL affiliated halls was 44.38% and for non-UAL affiliated halls was 66.67% of students who would recommend their halls. Many students seemed to cite the location of their halls as a positive and the price as a negative. The Costume Store The proportion of students who stated they would recommend The Costume Store was 44.29%, those that said they would not was 25.71% and those who stated ‘maybe’ was 30.00%. Students commented that living in halls was easy and the experience was good, others commented that it was too expensive. Will Wyatt Court The proportion of students who stated they would recommend Will Wyatt Court was 29.69%, those that said they would not was 50.00% and those who stated ‘maybe’ was 20.31%. Students who said they would recommend Will Wyatt did so because of the location, however students stated that it was in need of refurbishment and therefore was not worth the price. Glassyard Building The proportion of students who stated they would recommend the Glassyard Building was 48.78%, those that said they would not was 12.20% and those who stated ‘maybe’ was 39.02%. Students stated that they felt the halls were too expensive but commented that they were of a good quality. Some students stated that they felt the rules of the halls were too restrictive in comparison to other halls. Manna Ash House The proportion of students who stated they would recommend Manna Ash House was 33.33%%, those that said they would not was 25.64% and those who stated ‘maybe’ was 41.03%. Most students said that they would recommend these halls of residence for the location, however some stated they were too expensive. Furzedown Student Village The proportion of students who stated they would recommend Furzedown was 34.88%, those that said they would not was 27.91% and those who stated ‘maybe’ was 37.21%. Students stated that if a student is studying at Wimbledon then these halls have a good location. However, in terms of quality of the halls and the issues that they faced including silverfish infestations that they did not think it was worth the price.

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Don Gratton House The proportion of students who stated they would recommend Don Gratton House was 68.18%, those that said they would not was 13.64% and those who stated ‘maybe’ was 18.18%. Students stated that they would recommend these halls on the basis of the quality and also the location. Brooke Hall The proportion of students who stated they would recommend the Brooke Hall was 61.11%, those that said they would not was 5.56% and those who stated ‘maybe’ was 33.33%. Students were positive about the experience in living at Brooke Hall, however some stated that they felt it was too expensive. Sir John Cass Hall The majority of students stated that they would recommend Sir John Cass Hall with students stating that they thought it was a great experience, however some said they would not recommend it on the basis that their property was thrown away by cleaners. Camberwell Campus The majority of students stated that they would recommend Camberwell Campus with students stating that they thought the quality of the property was nice. Bernard Myers House Around half of students stated that they would recommend Bernard Myers House, with students stating that they thought that the quality was not as good as it could be. Pure Highbury The proportion of students who stated they would recommend Pure Highbury was 67.86%, those that said they would not was 7.14% and those who stated ‘maybe’ was 25.00%. Students stated they felt it was too expensive, however the location was excellent. Woodland House The majority of students stated they would recommend Woodland House with students stating that they thought the halls were close to CSM, however were too expensive.

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Student Comments If there are any further comments of suggestions you would like us to forward onto the accommodation team, please use the space below.

There were mixed comments from students in this section of the survey as students took the opportunity to highlight the issues that they felt most needed to be changed in the halls of residences. The most common comments were in relation to the rent, students felt they were paying too much and that the rent they did pay did not always reflect the quality of the halls of residence.

“… We shouldn't have to make compromises on living comfortably (both physically and financially) just because our finances will only stretch so far, especially when many of us have moved to London in pursuit of education and its many benefits (and all the fun things to do here too ... when we can afford to ...) Rent should be set based on what we can realistically afford, and not at market rate…” Furzedown Student Village “The rent is far too much. maybe for some other students (international or not) is not, if they are rich, but some of us we are struggling to survive in London as its too expensive anyway! So rent should make our lives a bit easier not harder I guess.” The Glassyard Building “Lower rent” The Costume Store “… here was a silverfish infestation problem within the building, with what appeared to be no attempt from the staff to do anything about this for a long time. Items of my food have been stolen from the kitchen. These things are not acceptable for the amount of rent I have been paying this year…” Furzedown Student Village “I have enjoyed living here however I feel the rent needs to reflect the quality of the building” Will Wyatt Court

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As well as this students felt that the charging structure was not fair, with students mentioning on the spot charges.

“I would love to stay in TCS next year and recommend for my friends but I don't like to be charged for everything that I don't do! Please do not make communal charge in the contract anymore! That's unfair! To be set up to live with messy people was not my fault” The Costume Store “…Whilst living there, I didn't feel like the staff cared for the students- more that they wanted our money and to charge us for anything they could. For example, my room was ways spotless on Inspection yet they still tried to charge me for a 'stain' on my carpet. I asked them to come and show me this stain as I couldn't see it, and they agreed there wasn't one….” Will Wyatt Court “I like living here, but am afraid that when I move out I'm going to be charged with tons of expensive room/kitchen fees. The charges are usually for the smallest things. The students who lived here last year shared their stories on this matter and it sounded ridiculous and frustrating.” The Costume Store “The fine policy has changed and itsn't clear and also very overpriced in my opinion - say what needs to be done rather than fining.” Glassyard Building

Laundry was also a particular issue that students raised within their comments either not having enough machines or feeling it was too expensive.

“Laundry services should be inclusive (machines)” Glassyard Building “…More washing machines…” Will Wyatt Court “…Please try to reduce the cost to do laundry Room…” Manna Ash House

Some students in Will Wyatt and Manna Ash House felt that these halls of residences in particular could do with being refurbished.

“The conditions of rooms and standard of the halls in general needs to be improved! Justify your price per week. Currently you are not.” Will Wyatt Court “Well in need for a face lift…” Manna Ash House

And lastly, some students stated that the quality of WiFi in halls was poor.

“Better internet connection” Furzedown Student Village “Internet has been an issue this year” Glassyard Building

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Conclusion

Your Hall, Your Call provides an important barometer of the current experiences of students living in halls of residence. This report provides an opportunity for UAL to gauge levels of student’s satisfaction with their accommodation and enables the university to respond quickly and effectively to student feedback. This survey will be undertaken annually so as to monitor improvements in student satisfaction through actions taken by UAL to implement the recommendations.

The level of responses we received from students was positive many wished to share their experiences and we hope to increase the response rate from students in the future as Your Hall, Your Call becomes an annual fixture. The survey has shown that there are both positive and negative experiences for students in halls of residences. The consultation revealed that students in particular they value the location of many of the halls of residence, they value the application, pre-arrival and welcome week process and they value the staff that work in the halls of residence. Students were also generally pleased with the dedicated work spaces available to them and the sense of community in their halls. As well as this, encouragingly students were also aware of recycling facilities within their halls of residence. The consultation also highlighted various improvements that could be made in order to increase student satisfaction. The main issues that students raised include the cost of rent, infestations, charging structure, maintenance, kitchens and required refurbishments. These issues have been developed into recommendations for UAL to take forward and have been ranked from the most serious issues that need immediate attention to those that are more long term strategic. We look forward to working in partnership with UAL to further improve the students experience in halls of residences.

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Recommendations

High Priority Issues

1. Develop and implement an ‘Affordability and Location Strategy’ for UAL affiliated halls of residence. The main purpose of which is to provide low income students with affordable student housing through lower rents across the whole portfolio of halls of residences.

2. Ensure a contingency plan is set in place relating to infestations such as mice, silverfish and mould so that these issues are dealt with timeously and efficiently by halls of residences and put action plans in place to ensure they do not occur in the future.

3. Refurbish the older halls of residences in particular Will Wyatt Court, Manna Ash House and Bernard Myers Halls so that the standard in these halls is similar to that of newer properties.

4. There is a clear variation in the service levels of dealing with maintenance issues between the different UAL affiliated halls of residences, there should be a review of these services with a view to standardise them and ensure that student’s expectations can be set regarding time taken to resolve any issues.

5. There should be a review of the kitchen and communal flat spaces in UAL affiliated halls of residence looking particularly at increasing storage space (including fridges) and communal space for students where appropriate.

6. Increase the number of laundry machines available to students in UAL affiliated halls of residences, reduce the cost of using these machines and where there are maintenance issues ensure these are dealt with as a matter of priority.

7. There should be a review of the charging structure for students where damage or cleaning arises in order to standardise them across the UAL affiliated halls portfolio to ensure they are transparent, not unfairly punitive and are well publicised to students.

Lower Priority Issues

1. Complete necessary maintenance works as soon as possible and provide residents with set timescales for completion and frequent updates particularly for water and lift issues.

2. Ensure that staff are well trained so as to avoid issues such as entering rooms without permission and throwing away students properties and where these actions are necessary ensure that this is well communicated to students.

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3. There should be a review of the level of dedicated work spaces across the portfolio of UAL affiliated halls of residence, at the moment there is a large variation across properties and where appropriate should look to provide larger desks in rooms and more communal study space.

4. Undertake a review of the applications website with a view to improving its functionality and ensuring that it does not ‘crash’ when applications open.

5. Promote the use of recycling and improve facilities available in UAL halls of residence so as to encourage the greater use by students.

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Annex A Tables of Responses Table 1. Percentage breakdown of the total number of responses by all halls of residence.

Halls of Residence Percentage

The Costume Store 19.84%

Will Wyatt Court 17.66%

Glassyard 11.68%

Manna Ash 10.87%

Furzedown 11.68%

Don Gratton House 6.52%

Brooke Hall 4.89%

Cordwainers Court 0.27%

Sir John Cass Hall 3.26%

Camberwell Campus 1.90%

Bernard Myers House 1.36%

Pure Highbury 7.61%

Victoria Hall Dashwood Studios 0.27%

Woodland House 2.17%

Table 2. Percentage breakdown of responses from those living in UAL affiliated halls of residences by halls of residence.

Halls of Residence Respondents Percentage

The Costume Store 73 22.05%

Will Wyatt Court 65 19.64%

Glassyard 43 12.99%

Manna Ash 40 12.08%

Furzedown 43 12.99%

Don Gratton House 24 7.25%

Brooke Hall 18 5.44%

Cordwainers Court 1 0.30%

Sir John Cass Hall 12 3.63%

Camberwell Campus 7 2.11%

Bernard Myers House 5 1.51%

Table 3. Percentage breakdown of responses from those living in non-UAL affiliated halls of residences by halls of residence.

Halls of Residence Percentage

Pure Highbury 75.68%

Victoria Hall Dashwood Studios 2.70%

Woodland House 21.62%

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Annex B Infographic