Issue 146

University works to house new students

09th October 2006

Following last issue's (145) report of the crisis in housing new students, Charlie Duff went along to a meeting organised by the accommodation office to meet some of the unlucky students who had to be housed in temporary halls as they looked for permanent homes.

For the students affected by the housing problems that Swansea University has experienced during the opening weeks of this new academic year it has been an anxious time.

With an increase in the number of applications, the accommodation office this year has had trouble housing a small number of the new arrivals. However progress has been made.

"The University is meeting all of its guarantees." says Simon Wright, Director of Student Services, at a meeting called to update the students involved. First year students who had Swansea as their first choice are guaranteed university accommodation if they want it. The meeting tonight isn't for 'first choice' students. It's not even for students who took places through clearing (who cannot be given guarantees of rooms, as they are last minute places) either, but 'insurance' students - those who had accepted a place at Swansea should their first choice reject their grades on results day. Sixty of these students have spent their first few university days in temporary accommodation, waiting until some permanent accommodation is available for them.

Outside, Tim Rudd was nervously waiting. He explained how he applied and was conditionally accepted into Oxford. "I only applied to Oxford for a laugh really," he said. "I never thought they'd accept me, but when they did, I couldn't put them down as my insurance place." Tim narrowly missed out on his grades - and his place at Oxford. He confirmed his place on an engineering course at Swansea seven days later than the fourteen days requested, but office staff told him they thought it would be fine. "Then I got an email two weeks ago, saying there was no accommodation."

However, it wasn't only people who confirmed late who were in this predicament. Spending her drinks vouchers in JC's was Bhivisha Mehta. Bhivisha, who has come to Swansea to study law, said she stayed in a bed and breakfast on the eve of enrolment on 25 September so she could register for her modules on the Monday morning. Unlike Tim, she confirmed her place with the university immediately after receiving her results. She was angry, not so much at being in temporary accommodation, but at what she felt was the lack of communication she'd had with the university. Bhivisha was keen to get into permanent accommodation so she could get on with settling in and meeting other students properly.

Another person enjoying the drinks was Marc Joseph. "The beer vouchers are great!" he said, clutching a pint of Brain's. Marc was lucky in some ways - he had friends here already. However, the waiting for the university to work out whether or not he'd have accommodation was getting to him a little. "I'd just like to know," he admitted.

The lack of communication from the university was the issue that the students were most concerned about. Rachael, a marine science student from near Portsmouth said what she thought. "Swansea uni has been pretty poor so far. They need chasing up the whole time." Emails sent to the university were ignored and information promised wasn't sent to her.

Simon tried to reassure the new students that the accommodation office was working very hard to try and resolve the problems as soon as possible. They employed an outside agency to help the students find privately owned accommodation as soon as possible. Most of the students wanted to spend their first year in university accommodation, but it was clear that not all would be able to.

The students needed to get into house-sharing groups, a process usually tried and tested during the first year in readiness for the second. The students needed to do this during the course of a couple of hours, despite hardly knowing each other. The accommodation office announced repeatedly what a brilliant learning experience this speed-grouping would be, and how the other students wouldn't get this opportunity.

Some took the situation in their stride. Students Ashley and Amy both seemed in high spirits. They confirmed immediately on recieving their results. They were trying to get some of the people they were staying on the same floor in Cefn Bryn together to form a house. They hadn't let it spoil their fresher's week so far. After the meeting, the students went to JC's to use up their drinks vouchers, kindly supplied by the accommodation office, and get to know each other better.

Gary from the accommodation office explained why there had been such a breakdown in communication, blaming it on a new computer system. "This new computer system was supposed to make the process faster, but we've had no end of problems." He explained further; "For a start, the automatic response didn't work, so students had no idea whether their emails had even been received." Gary was keen to point out that the staff had all been working extemely hard to correct the problems, and to get in touch with students as soon as possible. "There's been an unprecedented amount of students arrive this year - every department has accepted a few more than last year."

The next day, students were looking at private accommodation. Rachael was holding out for a room on campus or at the village, hoping that one would become available. She explained that she'd already been to look at private housing that morning, "One place was really nice but it was from ninety pounds a week - and it was a fifty week lease." Ninety pounds a week seemed extortionate, as paying less than fourty-five pounds a week is still not unusual in Swansea.

A group arrived to talk to Simon about a house they'd seen. It was not ready to move into and they needed help. The staff did do their utmost to make sure the students got the best deal they could negotiate.

Gary insisted that the computer system's teething problems will have been ironed out by next year. At Fresher's Fayre later on, Amy and Ashley were smiling. 'We got a house not far from university!' They had found a house with a garden and a great view. So, how did they feel after their first few days of university life? "We're very happy, very happy."

Charlie Duff