TIDMUTG
Unite Group PLC (The)
09 June 2020
Students keen to get back to university campuses to study and
socialise, survey finds
Research by Unite Students, and carried out by Opinium, polled
500 students and 500 parents from the UK for their thoughts on
COVID-19, student safety and returning to university, ahead of the
start of the next academic year.
-- Almost nine in ten (89%) students are keen to get on campus once it is safe to do so
-- 79% of students say living away from home and being on campus
is as important a part of their university experience as lectures
and tutorials
-- But students are concerned about the impact of COVID-19 on
their time at university - 91% are worried about disruption to
studies, while 79% are concerned about the impact on
socialising
-- 94% of current students have been asked to do remote
learning, but only 14% prefer this way of studying
-- However, there's a huge amount of trust in universities: 86%
of students place their trust in universities to provide necessary
safety measures to keep them safe
Unite Students, the UK's largest provider of student
accommodation, has found that almost nine in 10 students (89%) are
keen to return to university campuses as soon as it is safe to do
so, but remain concerned about the impact of COVID-19 on their
studies and social lives - and their parents agree.
New research confirms that university is about more than just
studying and that getting back on campus is key to that: 79% of
students say that living away from home and being on campus is as
important a part of the university experience as lectures and
tutorials.
However, students are, of course, concerned about the impact of
COVID-19. More than nine in ten (91%) are worried about the
disruption to their university course and studies - this is their
biggest concern - followed by concerns about the disruption to the
social side of the university experience (79%) as well as the
longer-term impact on employment opportunities (76%).
The importance of the whole university experience is also
reflected in the lack of popularity for remote learning: since the
outbreak of COVID-19, 94% of current students have been asked to do
remote learning but for most this is not a viable long-term
option.
Only 14% prefer this way of studying compared to traditional
methods - with 45% saying they like it a lot less.
Parents concerns mirror those of their children
Students' views about the impact of COVID-19 are also similar to
their parents: 78% of parents are concerned about the disruption to
the social side of the university experience for their children,
while 69% are concerned about isolation and loneliness.
Interestingly, parents are more concerned than students about
some areas, for example, career prospects and their physical and
mental health.
Table 1: How concerned students and parents are when thinking
about the impact of COVID-19 on students in the following
areas:
Impact on future Physical health Mental health
career / work
prospects
Students 76 % 55 % 65 %
----------------- ---------------- --------------
Parents 82 % 68 % 73 %
----------------- ---------------- --------------
Source: Opinium June 2020
Student trust in universities is high; but cleanliness a focus
for accommodation
Importantly, students believe that universities will do the
right thing to keep them safe as they make plans to reopen
campuses, with 86% of students trusting that universities will
implement the necessary measures and precautions.
Increased hygiene and cleanliness is, unsurprisingly, of huge
importance to both students and their parents:
-- 97% of students say a robust cleaning regime at their
accommodation before they return or start university is important -
as do 98% of parents
-- 95% of students would also want to see an increased provision
of hand sanitiser - as would 94% of parents
Commenting on the survey results, Richard Smith, Chief Executive
of Unite Students, said:
"A university education has the power to positively transform
lives. The results of this survey confirms that the social skills
and independence that university provides are hugely valued by
students. This remains true as we all continue to respond to the
pandemic with the survey providing valuable feedback on the support
needed.
"At Unite we are committed to providing students with the safe
and secure environment that they want. Safety and security was our
focus before the pandemic and will continue to be the focus moving
forward. As the only student accommodation provider to hold the
highest 5* safety rating from the British Safety Council, we are
aware of our responsibilities to do the right thing. In response to
the pandemic we have reviewed our ways of operating across our
entire business, investigating and implementing new ways of
operating. This focus will support the students that choose to live
with us enabling them to enjoy and get the most out of their
university experience, something both students and parents have
told us they want."
Nick Hillman, Director of the Higher Education Policy Institute,
said:
"Higher education institutions are keen to get back to normal as
quickly as they can, so long as no one is put at risk in the
process. This survey conclusively proves students are keen to get
back to their institutions too. The high levels of trust in how
universities are responding to the crisis is impressive. As a
sector, we must continue implementing the right measures to protect
students and staff, so that this goodwill is not squandered.
"The students in the survey display a mature concern about the
impact of the crisis on their social lives, their future careers
and their mental health, as well as on their academic studies. It
is vital that institutions, support services and accommodation
providers work jointly together to ensure the next academic year is
as rewarding as possible for all concerned.
"We are lucky to have one of the best higher education systems
in the world, so I well understand why students are so keen to get
back to campus. If I were leaving school this year, I would still
be looking forward to getting away to study for my degree."
Ends
For more information or further comment, please contact:
Victoria Heslop / Courtney Sanford, Powerscourt,
unite@powerscourt-group.com , 0207 250 1446
Notes:
The findings in this report are based on quantitative research
carried out for Unite Students by Opinium in May 2020, with a
sample of 500 students and 500 parents.
Breakdown of selected survey results
Agree Disagree
I am keen to get on to university campus once
it is safe to do so 89% 4%
------ ---------
It's important that universities have proper
social distancing measures in place once they
reopen 90% 4%
------ ---------
I trust universities to implement the necessary
precautions to keep students and staff safe 86% 7%
------ ---------
Living in university accommodation and being
on campus is as important a part of the university
experience as lectures and tutorials 79% 12%
------ ---------
I would rather live in purpose-built student
accommodation or halls of residence during
this time due to the additional support you
can receive there 45% 33%
------ ---------
Impact of Covid-19 on current or future studies
STUDENTS
Disruption Impact Isolation Physical Disruption Immediate My mental
to university on future and loneliness health to social financial health
course career side of security
and studies / work university
prospects experience
Concerned 91 % 76 % 67 % 55 % 79 % 61 % 65 %
--------------- ----------- ---------------- --------- ------------ ----------- ----------
Not concerned 9 % 23 % 33 % 45 % 21 % 38 % 34 %
--------------- ----------- ---------------- --------- ------------ ----------- ----------
PARENTS
Disruption Impact Isolation Their Disruption Immediate Their
to university on future and loneliness physical to social financial mental
course career health side of security health
and studies / work university
prospects experience
Concerned 91 % 82 % 69 % 68 % 78 % 66 % 73 %
--------------- ----------- ---------------- ---------- ------------ ----------- --------
Not concerned 9 % 17 % 30 % 32 % 21 % 34 % 27 %
--------------- ----------- ---------------- ---------- ------------ ----------- --------
When choosing living arrangements, parents said purpose-built
student accommodation (PBSA) or university halls were the safest
places for their children to live when moving away from the family
home (31%) to go to university. In contrast, non-managed shared
homes (12%) and lone-living options (10%) were considered the least
safe options.
About Unite Students
Unite Students is the UK's largest owner, manager and developer
of purpose-built student accommodation serving the country's
world-leading Higher Education sector.
Following our successful GBP1.4bn acquisition of Liberty
Living's UK assets in November 2019, we now provide homes to 74,000
students across 177 properties in 27 leading university towns and
cities.
Our people are driven by a common purpose: to provide a 'Home
for Success' for the students who live with us and to be the most
trusted brand in the sector. We do this through quality service,
quality people and quality properties, all designed on the basis of
an excellent student insight surveys that we undertake
annually.
We are the only student accommodation provider to hold a
five-star British Safety Council audit rating (out of five)
following an Occupational Health and Safety audit. The audit
measured our performance against a number of key safety management
indicators, providing an international benchmark for safety
management systems and indicating best practice for continual
improvement.
Founded in 1991 in Bristol, Unite Group is an award-winning Real
Estate Investment Trust (REIT), listed on the London Stock Exchange
and a member of the FTSE 250 Index. For more information, visit:
Unite's corporate website www.unite-group.co.uk , the student site
www.unite-students.com or the Unite Foundation
www.unitefoundation.co.uk
About Opinium
Opinium helps its clients harness the power of insight to build,
grow, promote and make strategic business decisions.
It is an award-winning strategic insight agency built on the
belief that in a world of uncertainty and complexity, success
depends on the ability to stay on the pulse of what people think,
feel and do.
Creative and inquisitive, Opinium is passionate about empowering
our clients to make the decisions that matter.
This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the
London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct
Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United
Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution
of this information may apply. For further information, please
contact rns@lseg.com or visit www.rns.com.
END
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