Last academic year, we ran the SU Security Survey where we asked about your experience in our late-night venues (Union Venue Nightclub, Medicine and The Packhorse). After analysing your feedback, we created a Student Insight Report on SU Security which included a list of recommendations.
Last academic year, we ran the SU Security Survey where we asked about your experience in our late-night venues (SU Venue Nightclub, Medicine and The Packhorse). After analysing your feedback, we created a Student Insight Report on SU Security that included a list of recommendations.
Bag and person checks were one of the most discussed and conflicting issues we found in our research on student safety when attending SU events in our venues. Students commented on this process in free text responses to multiple questions in our survey. For example, we asked students ‘What are the security team doing well?’, with 'bag and person checks' the most mentioned answer. It was also the most common answer for our subsequent question, ‘Name one thing the security team could improve on’. We went back through the free text responses for the questions around safety in our venues and with our current security team to see what kind of feedback we received on this process in the free text responses. Requests for stricter bag and person checks outnumbered comments that stated they were fine.
The conflicting feedback in the SU Security Survey regarding security searches needs a definitive answer.
So, what’s next?
We will be running a trial of 100% bag and person checks with a survey review asking for your feedback.
How will it work?
It's best to target the audience that usually goes out because that makes sense, right?
During the time of the trial, if you attend one of our venues where we trial a 100% bag and person search as well as events with standard bag and person searches, you may receive an email asking you to complete a survey.
The survey will include questions on how safe you felt in the venue, your feelings around safety at the venue impacted by the 100% bag search policy, and whether the longer wait time negatively impacted your experience at the event.
We will then use the data collected from your feedback to help decide whether we change our security policy around bag and person searches during club nights or keep our current policy.
The survey should take you less than five minutes and we truly appreciate your feedback about your experience at the event. If you attend multiple events during the trial period, you may get more than one survey, and we appreciate your time filling them out. The feedback we receive will directly impact our decision making so make sure you have your say.
If you have any questions, please reach out to President@su.rhul.ac.uk or Voice@su.rhul.ac.uk.