Problem:

• The current coffee sold in SUBU is Starbucks and they have been challenged in the past on their approach to coffee growers, US staffing and corporation tax. Other similar organisations (Costa etc) have had similar challenges.
• SUBU chose a coffee supplier based on student popularity, quality, competitive price and sustainability (at the time Fairtrade).
• SUBU has not fully reviewed its coffee supply agreements against these criteria, it has only considered aspects of them subsequently.

Solution:

• SUBU to carry out an assessment for coffee supply options that considers the supplying companies performance on price, quality, popularity and in particular the ethics & sustainability.

Problem:

• Currently only the U3 bus runs on weekends meaning students travelling from different locations, such as Lansdowne Campus must rely on public bus transport which is often unreliable and runs at inconsistent timings.
• This also presents a cost implication to students as they must pay for a more expensive bus ticket on weekends to access campus, whilst running a U1 bus service on weekends would allow students to save more money.
• Students wanting to access services such as libraries, gyms and other facilities on either campus are limited in doing so due to accessible transport.

Solution:

• SUBU to lobby BU to explore introducing a U1 bus service on weekends for students to access.
• U1 bus service to run one or two busses per hour on weekends to accommodate students but factor in lower levels of usage between the hours of 9am and 5pm.
• Explore the introduction of a shorted U1 route from BGB to Talbot Campus
• BU to possibly explore expanding the U3 bus route to include Lansdowne Campus if the introduction of the U1 bus route on weekends is unachievable or work with local bus providers to accept student rates on weekends.

Problem:

• BU has not currently adopted a clear definition of Islamophobia, including how Islamophobia manifests on campus. BU has adopted an established working definition of antisemitism, the process of which included consultation with the student community affected. This situation means there is a disparity in the support and recognition for students who experience anti-Islamic discrimination and hate.
• The Friends of Palestine Society and the Islamic Society have received anti-Muslim hatred emails using Islamophobic and discriminatory language, reinforcing stereotypes about Muslim people.
• There is no clear guidance from BU on how Islamophobic attacks have been and should be approached and addressed.

Solution:

• SUBU to lobby BU to clearly define Islamophobia, including how it might manifest on campus, after consultation with the relevant student community.
• SUBU to lobby BU to consult Muslim students and Islamic Student Communities before making any policy changes or implementations to the prayer room.
• SUBU to lobby BU to clarify their disciplinary processes to indicate how Islamophobic incidents are dealt with.

Problem:

• Many students experience feelings of being overwhelmed, stemming from factors such as Additional Learning Needs (ALN), anxiety, other mental health conditions, or simply feeling overstimulated.
• The library has a designated quiet area that is often unmonitored, lacks privacy and does not provide the level of isolation needed for students who require a distraction-free space.
• Conducted research shows that certain individuals benefit greatly from private learning environments free from external sounds or distractions. This is particularly relevant to the 25% of students at BU that have declared ALN, which is higher than the national average.
• Students would benefit from individual, private spaces where they can retreat to avoid distractions or overstimulation which has a significant impact on a student’s ability to focus and thrive.

Solution:

• SUBU to support the implementation of individual, private spaces known as ‘Zen Pods’ on campus.
• SUBU to explore and consider financial contribution to the implementation of Zen Pods

Problem:

• Not all courses have a recognised reading week period in the academic year whilst some courses do giving certain students an advantage over others in their studies.

• Reading weeks provide an opportunity for students to read up on crucial information around their course.

• Many students have commitments outside of regular timetabled hours such as care duties or part-time work and the lack of reading weeks puts further strain on them. 

Solution:

• SUBU to lobby BU to allow al lcourses and departments to have a formally recognised reading week in the academic year.. 

• SUBU to lobby BU to introduce a reading week in Semester One and Semester Two, with one being in graduation week and another in Semester Two to allow students with exams or dissertations focused time to study.. 

• SUBU to lobby BU to communicate reading weeks to students clearly in advance of them happening and to state why courses may not be able to hold reading weeks (due to course regulations) and to provide assistance/direct students on current support available. 

Problem:

• Currently there are a number of students with concerns and anxieties about travelling at night, which includes coming to and from campus during darker hours of the day. 

• There is increased concern about coming too and from the Lansdowne campus, specifically BGB due to the proximity of the homeless shelter. Focus is put on safety in the building with little concern seemingly shown for students once they depart the building. 

• There is a lack of campaigns and information available to students regarding student safety and how to remain safe, particularly at night. 

Solution:

• SUBU to explore work and campaign options to promote strategies on student safety and to implement specific guidance to further protect Students. 

• SUBU to work with BU to increase their focus on Student Safety and the promotion of this across their staff/lectures/social media. 

• SUBU to lobby BU to implement strategies around student accommodation and BGB to make travel and the areas safer for students. 

• SUBU to work with BU to lobby purpose-built student accommodation providers to review and update resident security processes. 

Problem:

• Currently there are a number of transgender students at BU who experience feelings of dysphoria around the use of their deadnames. 

• The BU Student ID card only includes a student’s legal name, which in the case of transgender students, means that they have to carry a card advertising their deadname each time they come onto campus. 

• There is no option or pathway for these students to have the name on the card changed to reflect their preferred name instead of their deadname. 

Solution:

• SUBU to lobby BU to allow for the option for students to update the names on their ID cards to be reflective of their preferred names and not their deadnames. 

• SUBU to lobby BU to allow these changes to be made and for new cards to be requested without any cost being placed on the student. 

Problem:

• Currently there is a lack of Gluten Free food options at Fusion canteen, resulting in students requiring this for their diet being left discouraged to eat from this venue. 

• The only consistent gluten free option provided at the Fusion Building canteen is a Baked potato which is often lacking in flavour, nutrition and appeal. 

• There is also a lack of consistency and range of gluten free sandwiches and other food and snack items available provided by Chartwells via their sandwich fridge or hot counter, ensuring that students with a gluten free diet are left with little to no option on what to eat. This displays an inequality between students with a gluten free diet and other students who often have the entire range of food to choose from. 

Solution:

• SUBU to lobby BU and Chartwells to increase the range and consideration of gluten free food options, the same as they do with other dietary requirements. This should include vegan and vegetarian gluten free options. 

• SUBU to lobby BU and Chartwells to introduce or enhance food safety techniques to ensure gluten free food is not cross contaminated. 

• SUBU to lobby BU and to commit to themselves to increase the pre-packaged range of gluten free items available in fridges or shops on campus. 

Problem:

• Currently BU has decommissioned the Laptop Loaning scheme due to perceived low usage of this scheme alongside the growing cost to purchase newer laptops as the laptops that were in use were seven years old. 

• This means students without laptops, who may benefit from this scheme, no longer can, and may be disadvantaged academically. 

Solution:

• SUBU to work with BU to identify students most impacted by the removal of this scheme or without easy technological access and lobby BU to support them. 

• SUBU to lobby BU to reintroduce the scheme to make access to learning more accessible for those without laptops or electronic equipment. 

• SUBU to lobby BU to either distribute old laptops to students most affected by this schemes removal or recycle sustainably. 

• SUBU to pilot a scheme to assess demand on a small scale. To implement them in both libraries at Talbot and Lansdowne. 

• SUBU to promote the scheme to raise awareness. 

Problem:

• Currently the cost of ordering a sunflower lanyard online is not cost-friendly to students and works out at roughly £10, which is not suitable for students who may need one but also need to consider budgeting. 
• Currently lanyards are not sold anywhere on campus either by SUBU or BU which removes a degree of accessibility for students who may want this. 
• Currently many students are not aware of what a sunflower lanyard is, what it means or where they could obtain one if they felt that they need one indicating there is a lack of awareness around the item. 

Solution:

• SUBU to lobby BU to make lanyards available either for free or at a greatly reduced cost through the Additional Learning Support (ALS) services. 
• SUBU to explore providing sunflower lanyards either through the Union shop, SUBU website or another location including SUBU Advice, either for free or at the cost of purchase. 
• SUBU to conduct work around raising awareness and highlighting the importance and meaning of the sunflower lanyard scheme. 

Problem:

• BU’s approach to student conduct and breaches of such and the way BU tackles student disciplinary matters is outdated and not supportive of all parties involved, particularly where police may need to be involved. 
• BU do not have a clear approach or process to how they deal with reported incidents of stalking, harassment or other criminal matters, that supports all parties involved. 
• BU’s student conduct and disciplinary procedures does not have any definitions for the terms used, ensuring a lack of clarity to students who may need to use or rely on these policies. 

Solution:

• SUBU to lobby BU to update their Student Disciplinary procedure, Student Agreement and Student Code of Conduct to be clearer and more concise, particularly on definitions and the process the university takes when dealing with reported breaches. 
• SUBU to lobby BU to revise processes for supporting students and upholding a duty of care when a student reports another student for wrongful behaviour.
• SUBU to lobby BU to introduce a code of conduct style session that every incoming student must attend as part of their induction to the University. This would cover topics such as stalking, harassment, code of conduct, bullying, consent and how to report and receive support if you experience any of this. In line with OfS guidelines, this will also require a yearly refresher.
• To be included in Programme Seminars as a reminder for people. They often remind people of the advice and support available so could it be included in that.