It's been a few weeks since our first Speak Week this academic year, which means it's time to look at the results! We asked you about your experience during your first few weeks of term and, more importantly, what changes you would like to see.
It's been a few weeks since our first Speak Week this academic year, which means it's time to look at the results! In October, we asked you about your experience during your first few weeks of term and, more importantly, what changes you would like to see at Royal Holloway and from the Students’ Union.
We ran SU On Tour events in the library and outside the SU, where we spoke to many of you in person. Your engagement with us at those events and through our website and Instagram was amazing to see! We gathered almost 300 responses and, now that we’ve read through what you had to say, we want to share what we’ve learned.
WHAT we learned
Feedback into action
Since Speak Week last month, your Sabbatical Officer team have been working with University teams and the SU to see what work can be done to improve your experience.
Following your feedback, we have spoken with the local council about the possibility of introducing foodbank vouchers to help lower the pressures of the ongoing Cost of Living crisis. We will also be considering other ways to help you save money and eat well while studying at Royal Holloway. From creating recipe ideas for cheap, healthy meals to offering student businesses the chance to sell their food on campus, we’re taking on your feedback.
The library will be reopening 24/7 for Term Two and in the meantime, discussions around opening more PC labs and study rooms are taking place to give you as much space as possible for you to use ahead of exam season. To represent your academic interests, we will be meeting with University staff to discuss the possibility of including more guidance on using Moodle and providing a well-rounded introduction to your course and university life. We will be doing some work to find out how long you consider to be a ‘long reply’ so we can aim to meet your expectations wherever possible when replying to messages and emails.
There are conversations taking place to explore the possibility of introducing more Give It A Go events throughout the year and improving communication about events taking place on both weekends and weekdays. We will be reaching out to students from underrepresented groups on campus to hear more about the types of events they would like to see more of to help students settle and meet their coursemates.
Finally, we will be working with the SU Shop team about how we can offer more gluten-free options as well as communicating your feedback on the new layout to them.
What’s next?
We’ve identified the main themes you’ve put forward on what you’d like to see changed, but the impact of your feedback does not end there. The top ideas will make up the basis of what will be brought to the University for further discussions and decision-making around issues like your social and academic interests, improvements to campus facilities, SU events and much more! Your insights will be used to create lasting change in areas that are important to you and improve students’ experiences at Royal Holloway.
We will be running another Speak Week in Term Two from Monday 29 January on another important topic about your student experience. Look out for more details on our website and social media channels. Thank you to everyone who participated in Speak Week and took time out of their day to share feedback. Your voice matters and we’re here to listen!