On Thursday 10th October, Charlotte and Hayley attended the UCL and Sodexo conference on Improving Student Experience and Engagement at the stunning UCL East. Through their pioneering research with Sodexo Living into student accommodation, UCL have identified best practice measures to ensure a positive student experience.
Alexi Marmot Director of UCL Bartlett Global Centre for Learning Environments shared her thoughts around the importance of creating communities within student living environments, the importance of social space and also maximising the use of technology to establish a sense of community before a student sets foot on campus.
A key theme throughout the day was the emphasis that students place on the staff operating student accommodation. They highlighted that the staff can have a major impact on student experience and in some cases have been able to identify if students need extra support. Marmot also highlighted that students are now looking to live in purpose built student accommodation throughout the duration of their studies.
Some thought provoking ideas, which identify how critical student housing is to overall student experience.