Learning and Listening

One of the things that makes a students’ union so special is the hustle and bustle; hundreds of students from all walks of life, all in one place. The students’ union is the heartbeat of a university campus. Where opinions fly, questions are asked and campaigns are formed to make change. At any moment you can walk through the students’ union building and get a sense of what student life is like at Manchester Met.

You already know the story of the last 12 months but what we’re here to tell you is our story of what to do when that heartbeat is shutdown.

The last year has been a rollercoaster for students. With a mixture of new ways of going about day-to-day life and navigating through a degree, it’s not surprising that over 2,200 students got in touch with us to tell us exactly how they’re feeling.

We launched the ‘What’s on your Mind?’ survey back in April 2020, as a way to gather insight into what our students were struggling with so we could find ways to help.

It was from these survey responses, along with student engagement on our Instagram, that our priorities for 2021 were set. So, for the rest of the year, The Union is focusing on online teaching, rent rebates, tuition fees and mental health to improve the lives of our students.

We believe that students have a right to quality online learning that equals the quality of face-to-face teaching during the pandemic. By gathering the individual experiences of students at Manchester Met, we’re able to understand the current quality of online provision being delivered, and ensure provision is excellent across all subject areas.

The focus on online teaching has also formed a part of this year’s Teaching Awards, with students being able to nominate teachers who have gone above and beyond to enhance students’ online learning experiences. It’s been amazing to see this category racing ahead of the others to become the most popular — with over 330 nominations so far.

Student wellbeing and mental health has always been a priority for The Union, as it’s always been such a key factor of the student experience. Over the last year, an overwhelming majority of students have been struggling with their mental health. Here’s what one Level 7, Arts and Humanities student told us: “The lockdown isn’t doing anyone’s mental health any good. I think that’s partly a lack-of-structure thing. It’s hard to feel like doing anything when you don’t need to go into the campus.”

We’re working with our students to gather insight into what extra resources are required so The Union and University can provide the support they need.

Student wellbeing also shaped this year’s Teaching Awards. We’ve had almost 150 nominations of teachers who have shown an outstanding commitment to mental health and wellbeing support — providing a positive snapshot of how some of our students have been supported by their teachers over the last year.

The Union has recognised the true struggles of our students over the last year, and we’re working hard with the University to make sure we’re addressing the real issues they’re facing. We’re so thankful to every single student for telling us what’s on their mind and how their student experience can be improved, as without them, we’d be in the dark.

Now, with the roadmap in place and the end of lockdown restrictions in sight, we’re looking forward to students bringing back a buzz to the Students’ Union building. But we won’t forget everything we’ve learnt over the last twelve months. The next year ahead will likely be different again, and we’re ready for it.