Postgraduate Student Experience Report 2015

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postgraduatestudentexperiencereport 2015

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This year has been a turning point for the representation of Postgraduate students here at UEA. We have been one of only a handful of student unions to elect a dedicated postgraduate sabbatical offi cer, and in doing so have attempted to dramatically shift the consensus around the role of our Student Union.

The conventional wisdom up to this point had been that ‘the Union only cares about undergraduates’. It is arguably true that up to this point, despite the best intentions of offi cers and staff over the years, the union has genuinely struggled to grasp the diff erent experiences and needs of students across all levels of study. Having a full-time representative to champion the needs of both taught and research postgraduate students has triggered a cultural shift within the union, one which understands that being the representative body of all students requires that you understand those diff erences.

We hope that this Postgraduate Student Experience Report exhibits that shift, and the strides we have made to make transforming the Graduate Student Experience at UEA a priority. The fi ve aspects of the postgraduate experience we have identifi ed as crucial are the Journey, Identity, Experience, Community and Wellbeing of postgraduate students. As you will see in this report, it is our view that these themes are intrinsically interlinked, and create the numerous pathways that are so crucially to understanding the diversity of the

postgraduate student experience. These have in turn produced 13 recommendations, of which some are specifi c to particular groups of students, and others are more general commitments.

We welcome the commitment the university have shown in seriously addressing the concerns of Postgraduate students, such as the adoption of the Postgraduate Employment Charter. There is still a long way to go however for both PGT and PGR students to feel a truly valued part of our campus community, and never an add-on to a NSS-fuelled, league table-driven, undergraduate-focussed agenda. We believe that access to education is a fundamental right at all levels of study, and should be based on ability to study and not ability to pay. We look forward to create a fairer, more accessible, and more inclusive postgraduate student experience, and hope you do too.

liam mccaff ertypostgraduate education offi cer

foreword from the PG education offi cer


five big issues

The PG Journey

The PG Identity

The PG Experience

The PG Community

The PG Welfare

methodThis report summarises the work the Union has done over the academic year 2014/15 to listen to the needs of postgraduate students at UEA. It is based upon specific focus groups with PG students, the consultation on a ‘Better PG Community’, discussions regarding the new Graduate Centre, and data from our Union Annual Survey 2015.

In addition we have drawn on data from UEA and the Higher Education section, including the Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES).

foreword from the PG education officer 1

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3

4

5


the PGjourney1

3%

11%

11%

UG

PGT

PGR

Annual Survey 2015Do You Have Any Dependant Children or Other Caring Responsibilities?

80%

4%

4%

18%

Law

History & Archaeology

Social Work

Media Studies

Medicine

Geography & Environmental

Science

English

Business


27%

36%

67%

40%

PTES 2014: Motivations for StudyAs a requirement to enter a particular profession

I have studied at this institution before


We spoke to students about why they are studying for a postgraduate degree at UEA, what their future plans are and their experience of the transition into and out of postgraduate study.

Why PG?During the 2014/15 academic year the Union has taken steps to improve our understanding of our postgraduate members. In particular, we have looked more closely at the variety of motivations underpinning postgraduate study. It’s important that these are understood so that the provision for PG students corresponds to their actual needs. Postgraduate Taught (PGT) and Postgraduate Research (PGR) students study at UEA for a variety of reasons. The Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES) data included below helps to illustrate the variety of reasons UEA PGT students have for studying their courses.Our PG students have often spent time working before beginning their PG study at UEA. For both PGT and PGR students, this can be crucial for raising funds for their studies. Students spoke about how having funds in the bank can help insure against unexpected financial difficulties arising towards the end of their course or doctorate.

“Finding the money to become a post grad was immense had I not been able to sell my house I would not be a postgrad, that has to be the biggest challenge. Fitting in studies with working a 30 hr job just to get by.”

“Generating ample research money is a challenge; some schools (like ECO) have available funds, but PGRs have to compete for them.”

Postgraduate CarersOur postgraduate students are more likely to have caring responsibilities, as shown by response data from our Union Annual Survey 2015 as shown above. This can make timetabling an even more important issue.

“As a mature PGR student the BIGGEST challenge for me is finding childcare after 6pm. Most seminars start at 5:30, so if there could be some on-campus provision for children from 5-7 or so, I think it would help some of us who have to forgo these events every time.”“I tried to explain the needs of mature students who have to drive, look after a family and have limited available time for socialising to a young student rep last year who could not engage with the issues and said there was a drinks event available. Perhaps a picnic at the weekend where it is possible if mature students wanted to bring along their children.”

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Flexible StudyDuring the past five years, UEA has seen a substantial decrease in the numbers of part-time students. The proportion of UEA students studying part-time has fallen from 14% of students in 2010/11 to 8% of students in 2014/15. This mirrors a decline in part-time study across the sector, where part-time numbers have fallen from close to 900,000 in 2008/09 to 603,325 in 2012/13. Despite falling numbers, part-time students remain a significant part of the UEA PG community, and amongst PG students, part-time study is much more prevalent.

Postgraduate FundingThere is gathering national momentum for increased provision of means-tested postgraduate financial support, as institutions recognise that the best way to allocate funding is to give it to those students who need it most. Twenty institutions, including Oxford, Essex, Bath, Imperial and Lancaster have been working with HEFCE to carry out a £20 million pilot scheme for targeted postgraduate funding. In recent months, the government have announced that the Postgraduate Support Scheme is to be increased, with HEFCE allocating £50 million in 2015-16 for institutions to match-fund postgraduate bursaries. Now is therefore an appropriate time for UEA to consider the introduction of targeted postgraduate support. Not only will this help students, but it is also a necessary step if UEA is to compete for PGT students with institutions who are already beginning to offer this funding.

In our recent report on Course Costs ‘The Real Costs of Study’, UEA students expressed the difficulties they face with hidden fees and inadequate funding. Addressing these issues requires proper partnership between the University and its students. We therefore encourage the University to review the setting of student fees and funding to make sure that this is a process in which postgraduate students are properly represented.

Careers Advice and PostgraduatesDuring recent years, UEA has had a big focus on student employability. We think that there is room for improvement in how this relates to PG students. Many postgraduate students already have experience of job applications, CVs and interviews, and also have more defined plans for the next stage of their careers. However, increasing numbers of PG students are looking to enter employment outside of Higher Education following their studies, in a pattern which varies across subject areas, as the data from Vitae shows over the page. We would like the University to work with PG students to develop further the specific support for PG students.



“There is nowhere near enough career advice for PhDs who do not want an academic job.”

“Advertisement from the Careers offi ce, so that people are made aware of what opportunities there are out there.”

We also heard from our students about the vital role of individuals in their career choices. Often students spoke about being inspired by a lecturer or a dissertation supervisor to take their studies to the next level. Others had encountered PhD graduates in the workplace and realised a doctoral degree was a realistic prospect for them too. This means it is important that the university ensures that the development of central careers services, or advice through doctoral training partnerships, doesn’t come at the expense of the supervisor relationship.

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recommendations for the PG journey1.

We recommend that the University continues to work with the PG Education Officer to ensure that good quality careers advice and assistance is provided for all postgraduate students.

2.

We recommend that the University works to minimise differences in provision (e.g. training funding) between PGR students who are funded as part of Doctoral Training Partnerships and those PGR students who are not. Where there are difference, we recommend that these are made transparent and clearly communicated to students.

3.

We recommend that students are fully represented on all University committees and groups responsible for setting student fees and funding.


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23%

16%

15%

1%

UG

UG

PGT

PGT

PGR

PGR

43%

27%

the PGidentity

International Students %

Percentage of Students Studying Part Time

We want to know what UEA students think are the defining characteristics of postgraduate study and what sets it apart from undergraduate education and from employment. Some of these differences are obvious, but others are more subtle and help to flag up particular areas of the UEA student experience where enhancements can be made.

Changes from previous studyStudents in our focus groups spoke about how their experience of being a PG student compared to their UG studies. Some spoke about how their PG status increase the respect amongst their colleagues in student union staff teams and in within student societies. On the other hand, students said that they can be treated differently by freshers, seen as a ‘different breed’ to undergraduates. One student shared about how in some activities “You are made to feel you are too old.”

When reflecting on the contrast with their undergraduate studies, students particularly valued the chance for greater interaction with lecturers as a postgraduate, whether that be in discussing topics further over coffee, or interacting via social media.

“I think the biggest challenge is finding a space that belongs to US as postgrads that isn’t swarming with undergraduates! Whilst they are lovely people, we need time to think and work at a more serious level, as, after all we are aspiring to become lecturers and academics of the future, and it is a big career move to pay for these postgraduate courses, which are not cheap, so it should be taken seriously. Secondly, I think isolation plays a big part, so whilst this seems to contradict my earlier point of wanting private space to study in, I think a degree of socialising is useful too. Hopefully the re-designing of the social spaces/grad- bar etc will fulfil this need though!”

Planning Time and Money: “Now I need a diary!”A recurrent theme amongst our PGT students is that their time is under pressure. Students told us that the reality of “You’ve got one year” means less time for exploration and a limit on how much extracurricular activity can be combined with the degree. Workload is also likely to be greater, forcing students to adopt more efficient study habits than they required as undergraduates. Activities therefore that seem to lack ‘a point’ particularly agitate PG students because, as one student put it, our “time is precious”.

Finance as a PGT student looks very different to UG students. One student summed it up simply, saying that as a PGT student they “actually had to get a job, otherwise can’t afford rent”, whereas as an UG student paid work funds social activities.



This means that the problems which hurt UG students can hurt PGT students even more. For instance, timetabling issues cause many student inconvenience.

However, if a student has already arranged paid work around their timetable and that timetable changes, the student can experience greater difficulties and potentially financial hardship.

“Staying in touch with Uni life - this may be as I’m on the pace course so I will be away from campus a lot..?”

Don’t forget the PGTs!For PGT students, the issues are a bit different..... We believe that University services (including the Union) need to improve their understanding of the different types of PGT student. These can roughly be broken down into the following categories of PGT study:

1) Conversion courses (e.g. NBS, ECO and Law). These include large cohorts, most of whom are international students.

2) Professional Training (e.g. SWK, PGCE in EDU, HSC)3) MBA. This category covers many mature students.4) ‘Conventional’ taught masters (e.g. Humanities MA courses)5) Research training masters (e.g. MRes)

In addition, it’s important to identify which PGT course naturally link to further study (‘1 plus 3 courses’), which naturally follow on from UG study (‘3 plus 1 courses’) and which are neither.We also believe that is important for PGT students

to be recognised as having different needs to undergraduates. Currently the University has a dedicated service supporting PGR students, but no equivalent for PGT students. This means that PGT student issues are often discussed as an additional aspect of an UG issue, rather than in relation to other PGT issues. We suggest that this could be improved by the creation of a university group looking solely at PGT students which brings together staff responsible for PGT students, such as MSc Directors, to provide a standing repository of PGT expertise.

One recent example of how generalised policy has affected PGTs is the move towards removing modules with small student enrolments. Whilst this may be possible with UG courses, many PGT course are, by their nature, small and dedicated. These courses need policies which reflect the needs of PGT students. Additionally, there is a danger that in combining UG and PGT policy, the University misses out on opportunities to build links between PGT and PGR. For instance, several PGT courses, especially in the Humanities and Social Sciences, form a bridge to PGR study and would greatly benefit from being treated as routes to PGR, rather than extension of an undergraduate degree. We met with students who talked about how their MA has been a ‘sample’ of life as a research student, before making the larger commitment to a

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PhD. We therefore believe that PGT study also needs to be considered as a crucial component of improving access to PGR study. With the recent developments around new loan funding for PGT students, it is even more important that the University considers the interplay between PGT funding and PGR study.

We also discovered more about the interplay between knowledge acquisition and skills development. This was especially apparent amongst PGT students. Some of these students spoke about getting the necessary knowledge for policy work or a change career. Others were looking to develop a particular skill, whether related to their career (e.g. media and creative writing), or for future study (e.g. the discipline of writing an MA dissertation). Again, because each course has a different balance between knowledge acquisition and skills development, there is a need for flexibility in assessment practice. We suggest that this is another area where the University would benefit from developing tailored PGT policy based on PGT needs, rather than applying policies made for UG programmes to PGT courses.


recommendations for the PG identity1.

We recommend that the University establishes a group responsible for the PGT student experience. We suggest that this would operate as a subgroup of Taught Programmes Policy Group (TPPG) or of Student Experience Committee (SEC). We also recommend that the University explores staff responsibility for PGT, to ensure that access to PGT study and the needs of current PGT students are appropriately considered at an institutional level.


PTES 2014

3“I am encouraged to be involved with decisions about how my course is

run”

“Feedback on my work has been prompt”64%

63%

the PGexperience

UG

UG

UG

UG

PGT

PGT

55%

30%

56%

33%

32%

42%

Annual Survey 2015Why Didn’t You Vote?“I didn’t know how to”

“I wasn’t interested”



3This section covers students’ experiences of their time at UEA, including both the quality of their education and their wider student experience. In particular, we focus on induction, teaching and training, international students’ experience and space provision.

InductionOne big induction issue for PGR is start dates throughout the academic year. One PGR student at our Focus Groups began their course on the 1st Jan, but only arrived at end of January, meaning that they missed all the ‘Refreshers’ and Spring induction events. They also encountered difficulties finding student accommodation for the first few months meaning that they had to change house five times in their first 6 months. Better provision of online information and more responsive campus services, including those provided by the Union, is vital to ensuring that student receive the induction they need regardless of when they arrive at UEA.

Students who have taken a break from study, and in some cases may have not submitted academic work for many years, have different needs to students who have just finished their previous degree. A more subtle challenge is when students change discipline, so that for the first time they experience submitting different kinds of academic work. It is important that these students receive the support they require, and that it is not automatically assumed that PG students will understand the style of academic writing required by their subject.

Social interaction can be missing from postgraduate inductions. Unlike undergraduates, PG students are unlikely to be living on campus and many are on programmes with small student cohorts. This means that if social interaction is not built into the induction, it can be difficult to build a sense of a cohort and ensure that students meet others with similar interests. For instance, in NBS, around 500 students are on a whole range of MSc courses. Some of these students take part in English classes prior to starting the course, so have already bonded.

PGR students felt that whilst induction was good, there was little follow up to help build a sense of community. John Innes Centre students combined with SCI students for their induction, but then “never met again”. Our PGR students felt that this was a missed opportunity to build links between PGRs at JIC and at UEA.

“Induction timetables are a complete nightmare for part time students, in my case neither post grad nor undergrad schemes actually fitted my needs particularly well. (I am aware this is because the grad dip is an oddball!) But there is a massive amount of overlap and repetition within the inductions (standard, mature, disability).”

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“One key challenge is housing, particularly for international students. It would be useful to see the housing offer for graduate students expanded, and especially with a view to partners. Many of us have partners, but particularly if they are not from an EU country, it is exceedingly difficult to bring them with us. It would be great to see the university becoming more partner and family friendly in this regard.”

Teaching, Training and TimetablingContact time varied significantly amongst PGT students, with some having as few as two hours per week, whilst others receive more teaching time than they had as undergraduates. Many students valued the approachability of academic staff, but mentioned that it would help to have more defined office hours where staff are available for students to ask questions.

Similarly to UG UEA students, survey data shows that feedback return times have been a big issue for PGT students. We appreciate that steps are being taken to address these problems and encourage the University to ensure that efforts to improve feedback return times cover all students, and not just final year undergraduates.

A further issue is that, as with undergraduates at UEA, timetabling continues to be a big issue for PGT students! One student spoke of still not receiving their timetable by the beginning of week 2 of the autumn semester. Another key problem is the structure of part-time courses. Students want a regular rhythm of study, since this allows them to combine study with the paid work required for funding. However, some course structures can result in ‘lopsided’ part-time programmes, where one year carries a much bigger workload or a certain semester have more modules than others. We encourage the University to avoid this wherever possible.

“The course is so short you never really get a chance to settle.”

Amongst PGR students, Personal and Professional Development was a particular issue. Student felt that whilst some PPD sessions were good, many were not (a ratio of 80:20 was suggested). The main reason being that the advertised session often does not match the delivered content, for instance, a session on how to run a conference was felt to be more of a general encouragement to attend conferences and the particular experiences of the lecturer, and didn’t meet the expectations of the students who attended hoping for practical information about setting up and running their own conferences.

“Centralised centre for PG PPD information - upcoming courses, course suggestion list (only if this will actually be part of a transparent system that will allow suggestions to be realistically evaluated), an advice service for PG-related issues - this would be particularly useful if the SU/DoS etc. have an allocated PG officer who would specialise in PG-related problems and information provision.”



Advisers and SupervisorsAmongst the PGR students we spoke to there were different experiences of supervisors. Almost all had experience a positive relationship with their supervisor, but some had

encountered problems when supervisory arrangements had changed and not been communicated to them.

“There seem to be a number of different departments that deal with different issues - coursework submission / marks/ course issues/ finance etc ... on our first day we get given loads of information but it would be nice if there could be an easy to find page detailing the key areas that exist and who does what as whenever I call I get passed through several departments before getting hold of someone who can help .... posters in the space or someone available to give advice during ‘drop in sessions’ could be helpful.”

“No personal tutor. Had to go module organiser as had not been told how to submit work.”

Representation and PTESEvidence shows that the level of engagement with PGT students about how their course is run is fairly low, with just 63% of students in agreement with PTES Q11e ‘I am encouraged to be involved with in decisions about how my course is run.’ PG students are also less engaged, in general, with Union elections. When we asked students in our Annual Survey 2015 why they didn’t vote, PGT students tended to give similar reasons to UG students, focusing on lack of knowledge. PGR students, on the other hand, voiced lack of interest as the principle reason for not voting.

International StudentsWe believe that the University needs to place greater emphasis on providing for the needs of international PGT students. Many international students on PGT programmes, particularly in ECO and NBS where numbers are higher, struggle with language and communication in seminars. These problems are compounded for very large lectures and seminars. In these large groups it is easy for international students to miss out on interaction and even more difficult for lecturers to provide proper attention to every student. UEA is a champion of the value of a high staff to student ration. Despite this, in NBS some lectures regularly included 250 students and small group teaching sessions can number 45 students. These group sizes, without additional active support, risk creating an educational environment where international students are too easily left behind. We believe that once the University admits students, it has an equal duty to every student to enable them to fulfil their academic potential. To achieve this, UEA needs to explore ways of being more proactive in its support of international students, both socially and academically.

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SpaceSpace on campus is of huge importance to PG students at UEA. We need facilities that will enable students to achieve the best in their studies, and fairly reflect the fees paid by students. The students we spoke with were unhappy with the quality of several teaching areas on campus, such as Blackdale, particularly when rooms are not equipped with the required technology. In addition, space is hard to come by. One student spoke of how “Last week, we had no tables and chairs for a seminar and ended up booking a room in the library”

Student frustration is increased by the fact that other areas of campus are of high quality. In one of our sessions with PGR students, the group split between very positive views on a “shiny, brand new room” in the Elizabeth Fry building and “just a cold room” for Humanities students in the Arts building. One Humanities student said, “We are the Cinderella of UEA”. Where students have dedicated workspace, for instance in CMP, this is valued highly. Variation in treatment extends beyond space, and also covers printing. Students believe that the variation in printing charges across faculties is unfair, particularly when subjects rely heavily on printed material.

UEA Library is generally felt to be good and the lockers are useful. “It’s better than it was,” one student said to us. Students feel that the PGT Room is “great, but too small” for the number of PG students at UEA. Several spoke of relocating to the library to get away from the PGR work space in the Arts building, which was felt to be “cold, smelly and noisy.” Dedicated PG spaces also help facilitate social interaction, such as in Queen’s where students spoke highly of the facilities.

Space isn’t just about physical room, but also about providing the necessary tools for the subject, such as specific software, or computers with multiple screens. When students teach, the need for proper facilities becomes even more acute. Several students discussed the difficulties of having to use a shared office as Teaching Assistants, making it difficult to meet with students.

“A lack of bookable rooms in order to undertake research trials. Resource constraints within the PGR office.”

“It can be quite challenging as a PhD student Associate Tutor not having a dedicated office. Clearly such ATs cannot have individual offices and the time-shared office is the logical solution but perhaps they could be furnished with something other than bust-up furniture and archaic computers as this really undermines our credibility when we have our office hours with our undergraduates. I also think it is important that all PhD students have a dedicates locker a number of us mark work of the undergraduates and with few/no lockable facilities we end up carrying these scripts EVERYWHERE (it buggers up the back!).”



3recommendations for the PG experience1. We recommend that as part of the on-going review of student representation, the University commits to resourcing and supporting representation of PGT and PGR students at school, faculty and institutional level.

2.

We recommend that the University establishes minimum thresholds for space provision and considers the feasibility of guaranteed office space for Associate Tutors. We also recommend that the University includes postgraduate student representation on the Space Working Group.

3. We recommend that the University ensures that all students get the benefits of a high staff to student ratio and in particular considers the size of lectures and seminars in NBS.

4. Language provision is hugely important to international students. We recommend that the University increases the amount of language support provided to international students on their courses.

5. We recommend that the University reviews orientation to ensure international student integration, particularly in schools with large PGT cohorts.

6. We also recommend that the University works with the Union to improve induction and orientation for PGR students, particular for students starting during the academic year, who often feel isolated.



4 the PGcommunity

47%

15%

67%

34%

UG

UG

PGT

PGT

PGR

PGT

64%

22%

Annual Survey 2015 Awareness of Union Facebook

Annual Survey 2015 Overall Satisfaction with the Union

What does a good postgraduate community look like? How can the Union and the University support postgraduates to build a better community? What kinds of social activities do postgraduate students want and how does this differ to undergraduate students? We believe that a stronger postgraduate student community is a vital ingredient for healthier students and a better postgraduate student experience.“It is very isolated and I think the UEA postgraduate community is almost non-existent when compared to other universities. I think the state of the grad bar is revealing as to how little attention is paid to postgraduate students, it’s no wonder no one likes to spend time or money there.”

What’s going on?A big issue for postgraduate students is lack of information. Several said that they would love to be more involved in student societies and events, but just don’t know what’s going on. Different start times for courses mean that Welcome Week events often don’t fit the PG timetable, and also make it difficult to find a good time for a PG-focused freshers’ fair.

There can also be communication issues about who events are for. Some PG students said they hadn’t taken part because “I just think of them as UG things”. This extends to the Union in general, with a widespread perception that the Union is just for undergraduates. Students were also unclear about the roles of the Graduate Students’ Association and how this fitted in with the Union. There was general consensus that PG students needed their own identity and that any changes to PG representation should preserve this.

“Could be more interested in postgrad International student and provide more information to them. Sometime want to join your activity but not really sure, should we could join or not.”

Time PressuresPGT students have to juggle fitting intensive study into a short period of time whilst preparing for further study or work, and often while experiencing greater financial pressure. Students told us this meant that getting involved in social activities took more notice and organisation, and it was no good if invitations to an event just say “it’s happening tomorrow”. Students wanted “to create activities that make it feel like the only thing isn’t just to do the books”.

“I am a part time student so am only at the university approx three days a week. I therefore see very little of other PhD students and have felt quite isolated over the past three years (I have another three years to go) It would be nice to have to events



for part time students. I suspect they would have to be in the evening to get a reasonable response. At the moment the only event I know of that is planned specifically for part-time PhD students is a weekend summer school once per year.”

A PG ‘Safe Space’With Vista closed from 4pm, students felt that there wasn’t a ‘common room’ style social space on campus for PG students, aside from the Grad Bar. This has been a principle reason for the Union’s redevelopment of Union House, and we hope that these needs will be met by our new Graduate Centre. Many students value the Grad Bar, but others note that it is not accessible to students who do not want to be in an alcoholic venue, especially international students. Student emphasised the importance of a range of activities, ensuring that social activity is accessible to all students.

“Most of the union is focused on under grads not post grads.”

PartnersMany PG students move to Norwich with their partners. These students felt that UEA’s provision for partners was limited and greater opportunities for students’ partners to join in social activities would be appreciated. Discipline orientated socials can make this a bigger issue, whereas socials open to all PG students can more easily include students’ partners.

SocietiesWe consulted postgraduate students on how best to organise societies that are welcoming and inclusive for postgraduates. Should the Union support separate PG societies, or would this be a mistake?

Several PG students spoke about how being a part of a sports team with a mixture of UG and PG students made them feel valued as postgraduates and gave them the chance to share their experience of the sport with undergraduates. Being the experienced members of clubs was preferable to taking active roles in organisation, since “You’ve done these things, you don’t want to be running a club”.

On the other hand, a few PGR students spoke about the difficulties of clubs and societies becoming dominated by recently graduated PGR students, with a resulting loss of student character and a feeling that the society is not open to new students. Some students also felt that having PG only societies helped, because PG students had a slightly different mentality, such as being less interested in initiations for first years. Overall, PG students felt that they need “tailored” PG activities - events and societies are open to all students, whilst ensuring that provisions were in place for PG students.

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Social MediaOur research brought out both positive and negatives aspect of communicating via social media. On the one hand, many students valued the use of Facebook to introduced students to each other prior to arrival, with one student saying that this was “the best thing that they [the University and Union] did!” In particular, it enabled PG students who had already been at UEA to assist new UEA students in getting to know the University.

On the other hand, it’s important not to assume that all students have Facebook! Many don’t, especially international students. Students told us about their frustration in being missed off Facebook and from mailing lists, causing them to miss out on events and feel disconnected from other students.

Partnership with the UniversityPG students spoke of a desire to have social activities that combined preparation for their field of study and fun! These kinds of academic societies work best through partnerships between students and the university, and cannot just be the responsibility of the GSA and the Union. The Union is keen to promote academic societies across the University, and PG students are a particular illustration of the need to avoid placing artificial barriers between study and socialising. Integrations of schools was felt to be very important, and academic societies offer a chance to promote this. Courses with a small PG intake valued the chance to integrate with students on other course in the same area.

recommendations for the PG community1.

In the new academic year, the Union will be opening our new Graduate Centre. We look forward to working closely with the University to make this space a success, and recommend that the University works with the Union to ensure that University services make use of the new space and that all students find out about the centre during their induction.



5 the PGwelfare

PG health and wellbeing is increasingly an issue in the spotlight. NUS has highlighted the challenges PG students face and the danger of them falling through cracks in University welfare provision. Our students have highlighted both the potential loneliness of PG study and the additional stress from finances, less time and more work.

LonelinessPGR students frequently reference the loneliness of their study, especial-ly in the humanities. One said you “go to class so that you can socialise”. Added to this is the uncertainty of PG study. In the Sciences, the working environment of the lab can make a big difference to student wellbeing. For some students being part of a lab team is a great strength of their time at UEA, but others spoke about instance of stressful work environ-ment, with cliques forming and lots of pressure.

“PhD study is lonely and isolating, but at the same time it’s hard to break that cycle even when you’re aware of it. I have no further sugges-tions, but I know I’m not alone in thinking this!”

A risky businessFor many PGR students their work is inherently risky. The uncertainty of research contrasts with the comparative certainty of a regular job. “If you’re lucky...” can be a regular feature of work, adding additional stress, especially as deadlines for submission approach.

Improved mental healthThe nature of PG study, with increased isolation and greater stress than UG study, means that PG students are more exposed to mental health pressures. Our students, particularly PGR students, feel that more can be done to support better PG mental health at UEA. We are working as a Union to improve the welfare resources we provide for PG students and encourage the University to join us in signing the Time to Change pledge.

recommendations for the healthy PG1. We recommend that the University considers reviewing welfare provision for PG students, to ensure that UEA’s welfare provision proactively supports all students, and that any future growth in PG numbers is accompanied by increased resource for student support services.

2.

We also recommend that UEA joins the Union in signing the Time to Change pledge, and recognises the need to promote a healthy environment for PG mental health through a joint campaign with the Union.



1. We recommend that the University continues to work with the PG Education Officer to ensure that good quality careers advice and assistance is provided for all postgraduate students.

2. We recommend that the University works to minimise differences in provision (e.g. training funding) between PGR students who are funded as part of Doctoral Training Partnerships and those PGR students who are not. Where there are difference, we recommend that these are made transparent and clearly communicated to students.

3. We recommend that students are fully represented on all University committees and groups responsible for setting student fees and funding.

4. We recommend that the University establishes a group responsible for the PGT student experience. We suggest that this would operate as a subgroup of Taught Programmes Policy Group (TPPG) or of Student Experience Committee (SEC). We also recommend that the University explores staff responsibility for PGT, to ensure that access to PGT study and the needs of current PGT students are appropriately considered at an institutional level.

summary of recommendations


5. We recommend that as part of the on-going review of student representation, the University commits to resourcing and supporting representation of PGT and PGR students at school, faculty and institutional level.

6. We recommend that the University establishes minimum thresholds for space provision and considers the feasibility of guaranteed office space for Associate Tutors. We also recommend that the University includes postgraduate student representation on the Space Working Group.

7. We recommend that the University ensures that all students get the benefits of a high staff to student ratio and in particular considers the size of lectures and seminars in NBS.

8. Language provision is hugely important to international students. We recommend that the University increases the amount of language support provided to international students on their courses.

9. We recommend that the University reviews orientation to ensure international student integration, particularly in schools with large PGT cohorts.

10. We also recommend that the University works with the Union to improve induction and orientation for PGR students, particular for students starting during the academic year, who often feel isolated.


11. In the new academic year, the Union will be opening our new Graduate Centre. We look forward to working closely with the University to make this space a success, and recommend that the University works with the Union to ensure that University services make use of the new space and that all students find out about the centre during their induction.

12. We recommend that the University considers reviewing welfare provision for PG students, to ensure that UEA’s welfare provision proactively supports all students, and that any future growth in PG numbers is accompanied by increased resource for student support services.

13. We also recommend that UEA joins the Union in signing the Time to Change pledge, and recognises the need to promote a healthy environment for PG mental health through a joint campaign with the Union.



Documents

Postgraduate Student Experience Report 2015