Shaping the student experience
From campus spaces to support services, 2022 has been a year of collaboration at Imperial.
The past year has witnessed a sense of normality return to campus life at Imperial, with labs full of eager learners, cafes buzzing with sociable group of students, and the squeak of trainers in sports halls. The College community has resumed face-to-face interaction with enthusiasm.
But what of the people, both students and staff, who continue to collaborate to make the university experience better each and every year? Student feedback continues to help Imperial refine and prioritise its approach, as reflected in the large numbers of projects embarked upon and completed within the past year. There has been investment across all campuses and departments, with even more yet to come.
Students as partners
North Acton is a rapidly developing neighbourhood that has seen significant student growth in the past 5-6 years. However, despite being home to over one thousand Imperial students, the area still has much potential when developing its sense of 'place'.
Every year, Imperial's Accommodation team run an Annual Halls Survey of outgoing halls residents. There was consistent feedback from residents in North Acton that the area lacked amenities and community spaces. Too often, students would go back and forth from their hall to the Tube station – never feeling empowered to explore the local area, simply because there was insufficient reason to do so.
This student feedback was crucial in demonstrating the demand for 'The Foundry' – a new hub for dining and socialising for the huge student community in the local area. Students now have an opportunity to step out of their residences and socialise with friends in a safe, friendly environment.
Kamil Khoury, Head of Catering and Events, says: "The Foundry offers residents, staff, and students in North Acton an opportunity to casually dine out and enjoy a drink with friends in a modern, purpose-built space.
"Students have a range of freshly cooked meals on their doorstep. The space also provides an ideal space to host hall-organised events or collaborate with the local community.
"The Foundry is a small but significant step in making North Acton a genuine community. Now, students and staff have somewhere right on their doorstep that provides excellent, affordable meals alongside a place to socialise, watch sports, and host their own events."
Students are enjoying using the CAS as a quiet study space.
Students are enjoying using the CAS as a quiet study space.
The CAS has been designed in collaboration with students.
The CAS has been designed in collaboration with students.
Students socialise in the Michael Uren Building.
Students socialise in the Michael Uren Building.
The newly-launched Common Amenities Space (CAS) on the White City Campus also complements The Foundry.
The CAS is a set of purpose-built student study & collaboration areas within the Michael Uren Building. It also serves as a central hub for services normally based at South Kensington that visit White City each week, such as the Library Service, Student Hub, and others. Its predecessor was a small, temporary space that was infrequently staffed, meaning the CAS will represent a significant improvement on the past experience of accessing services in White City.
"I come in most days as it is the best place at White City to study and meet fellow students. It’s a safe, bright, clean space to study in. I don’t have wifi at home either, so this space allowed me to study with stable internet and in a private space with the pods.
Student wellbeing
A newly created 'Respite Room' is just one of several fresh ideas being piloted by departments to support students' wellbeing.
Assistant Building Manager Aimée Buirski has overseen the transformation of a break-out area in Chemistry Room 160 into a safe space for students who need to take time away from others. She was a co-lead with the Department of Chemistry working group consisting of students, the Faculty of Medicine, and Imperial's Disability Advisory Service.
The pilot project in the Chemistry Building on South Kensington Campus was made possible by the President’s Fund, and if it proves popular and effective, might well be rolled out in other buildings.
The Disability Advisory Service advised on how the room design could cater for a wide variety of students, including those with autism and those using mobility aids.
The Respite Room, featuring soft furnishings, plants, and a breakfast bar.
The Respite Room, featuring soft furnishings, plants, and a breakfast bar.
Student wellbeing can also be impacted by a lack of certainty. As Imperial's community emerges from the pandemic, it is clear that planning for the future can be tough when unexpected challenges arise.
First year Medicine undergraduate, Elizabeth Akeju, approached the university's Student Finance team and asked for support, unsure of whether she would qualify for additional funds. She chose to study Medicine at Imperial because it's at the forefront of cutting edge research and technological innovation.
By applying to Imperial's Student Assistance Fund, Elizabeth has been provided with vital funds so that she can take full advantage of her university experience.
The fund has helped to ease travel costs and provided the opportunity for Elizabeth to join clubs and societies. This has motivated her academically and provided a positive university experience and platform for her future career.
Elizabeth Akeju
Elizabeth Akeju
"My accommodation is off-campus so the assistance I received helped to cover my travel expenses. The support has really made a positive impact on my first year at Imperial."
Our learning community
As some of the pressures of the pandemic have abated, students have returned to Imperial campuses feeling both excitement and also a sense of recognition that while some aspects of their experience remain the same, education is forever changing.
A community of teachers and learners continue to push the boundaries of physical and digital learning opportunities. Part of this is by continually questioning and adjusting what the College's campuses are really for.
One such reinvented space was Roderic Hill Lecture Theatre 3, which was comprehensively remodelled in early 2022 with a multimillion pound investment.
Faculty of Engineering students are enjoying using the space, with it having been re-engineered to increase seating capacity, and refurbished to include power connections, acoustic improvements, new lighting, ventilation, and audio-visual systems.
Flowers Room G47A, situated on the South Kensington Campus, has undergone hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of investment in the run up to Autumn 2022.
The refurbishment improved the suitability of the space for use by Faculty of Medicine students.
Modular seating allows students to break out into group study sessions or 'face the front' and engage with teaching staff.
Rooms are frequently used to role-play the healthcare professional–patient relationship, making flexibility a must.
Modern audio-visual equipment allows Medicine students the opportunity to scrutinise data and interview specialists remotely.
Chemistry Room 135, situated on the South Kensington Campus, has undergone £430,000 worth of investment from 2021-22.
The aging ICT suite required extensive remodelling, to ensure it offered the very best learning experience for students in the Faculty of Natural Sciences.
New furnishing ensures all students have access to connection points for their devices, while maximising the flexible and collaborative potential of the suite for different types of teaching and study.
Renovated lighting and ventilation controls sit alongside modern audio-visual equipment, offering a comfortable and multimedia-focussed classroom experience.
Many of the space renovations across Imperial campuses are being managed by Karl Scholfield, Head of Special Projects and Strategic Change.
Karl says: "We try to prioritise all aspects of the student experience.
"Students can develop surprising solutions to design, operational, and social issues. As I approach middle age, I am always fascinated at how listening and learning from our students can improve my own way of thinking and how I see the solutions to some of our challenges, such as the cost of living. The establishment of our low-cost food store, The Pantry, is a good example.
"We have an exciting year ahead, and with the challenges and changes that will undoubtedly emerge, I never predict what might lie ahead! Nonetheless, we will be putting our heart and soul into providing the best experience for students who choose to join the Imperial community."
The future
Interim Vice-Provost (Education and Student Experience), Professor Peter Haynes, says: “Imperial's academic strategy prioritises the student experience: we want all of our students to enjoy a rich and vibrant experience from their first contact with the College to beyond their graduation, ensuring that every individual has the opportunities to thrive.
“Belonging to an inclusive community means feeling confident and supported in all aspects of your day-to-day interactions with the people and spaces around you. Students should feel positive and empowered whether they are entering their department in the morning, having a breakout study session with a peer over lunch, attending an inspiring lecture in the afternoon, or socialising, studying, or using sports facilities in the evening. These should all be experiences which feel tailored to their needs, and where choice and control are offered wherever possible.
"Important topics such as assessment and feedback, our shared values, and technology's role in the future of education, all reflect wider debates that rely on having the right spaces, the best services, and the most effective approach to teaching and research in place. "
Professor Peter Haynes
Professor Peter Haynes
Jason Zheng
Jason Zheng
Deputy President (Education), Jason Zheng, says: "Student representation at all levels of the College has markedly improved. We are now in the room when cost of living, student discipline, education policy, and many other topics are discussed.
"However, there is still room for more progress, and by challenging the College when necessary and partnering with it at other times, we can bring about further improvements in the areas we all value so much.
"Our particular focus in the past year has been lobbying for improvements to assessment and feedback, student mental health provision, as well as shorter turnaround times for academic appeals."
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