Catch-up with our Q&A session with BCU senior leadership
On Wednesday 4th March, BCUSU President, Shoukat Mehsud, hosted a Q&A with:
The session included pre-submitted questions from students and live questions from our audience in C087.
Watch:
⚠️ Audio note: We experienced some sound issues between 14:09 and 37:29. We’ve done our best to clean it up, but you may want to adjust your volume, or follow captions, during that segment. We also have a summary of the session below!
⚠️ Video note: The recording can be watched below or online via Microsoft Streams, a video transcript can also be found by clicking 'Read transcript' on the video.
Video summary:
Suzy Ledger, BCUSU Chief Executive, and Shoukat Mehsud, BCUSU President open the event, explaining guests are delayed by University meetings and will join shortly.
Shoukat discusses his student safety election promise. Data shows 89% of students feel safe on campus, but only 49% feel safe off-campus, leading to the launch of new SafeZone app. How to use the new security app (download on iOS or Android devices)
Project manager, Shauntelle Carty, explains how students can use the app to contact security urgently, and plans to create an alliance with Aston and UoB
Question: What is being done about speeding cars on Gopsal Street (near Eagle & Ball)?
Answer: Following lobbying by BCUSU and the Vice-Chancellor, Birmingham City Council is installing speed bumps, a "chicane" with trees, and restricting the road to taxis and cyclists only to improve pedestrian safety
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08:40 - 11:52 - Q&A prep: Breakout session to consider audience questions
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11:52 - 13:33 - Arrival of BCU senior leadership: David Mba, Marcia Wilson and Melanie-Marie Haywood
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13:33 - 20:53 - Strategy 2030
Question (pre-submitted): How does a 'big strategy' affect daily life (lectures/timetables)?
David: The strategy is about "developing talent". The priority is graduate employability. Expect curriculum changes that focus on "contemporary skills" and projects with real-world companies.
The VC notes he is an "accountable officer" and needs student feedback through BCUSU Course Reps to know if the strategy is actually working on the ground.
Practical changes to: lectures, support, employability, and listening to student feedback
Question: What support exists for students wanting to start a business?
David: BCU is in the top 5% for startups. Highlighting the Future Founders Fund, where students can pitch for up to £25,000 in investment. He directs students to the BCU Enterprise Team for business plan support.
- 24:11 - 28:54 - Financial support
Question: Can hardship support be increased or payments made more flexible?
Marcia: The university is reviewing the Hardship Fund [Financial Assistance Fund] to speed up the turnaround time for payments. They have introduced a "supportive call" system for students with delayed tuition payments rather than jumping straight to penalties. They are also looking at reducing "hidden costs" (materials/equipment) for specific courses, so this can be made clearer for students.
Question: Will the university continue funding wellbeing programs like the BCU Beats music/voice program?
David: Confirms his commitment to fund these initiatives. He encourages more student-led ideas for wellbeing rather than just "top-down" university programs. Questioning opportunities at City South, with their gym and sports hall facilities
Question: Why was international orientation shortened, and how will students learn about the city/culture?
Mel: Referred to BCU's Education Strategy, there is a committment to ensure students are effectively supported across their first year. Rather than a week-long programme, the university is moving to a "Year-long transition" model, factoring academic support, knowing your personal tutor, having regular checkpoints throughout the year, events, and tours of the city.
Marcia: clarifies that the programme is a mixture of social and academic activities. Explaining that 48% of students said finding their way round campus was a key stressor, followed by "social activity". The year-long induction is being worked on between BCUSU and the Induction Team - these are all actions from student feedback.
- 37:25 - 41:04 - Campus food and inclusivity
Question: What steps are being taken to make campus food more inclusive, and why isn't there a canteen at the School of Art?
David: The catering contract is coming up for review [annually] and issues have been raised by Shoukat. This is the opportunity to request culturally diverse food and specific cultural dietary requirements (e.g. more Halal, Kosher, or West African options) so they can be written into the new legal contract.
He acknowledges the need to better support satellite campuses like the School of Art and will have a long-term solution during this review. He explores the idea of working with nearby provisions for student discounts.
Suzy: Refers to a recent submission on our Ideas Board, which student can vote for.
- 41:10 - 46:50 - Facilities and campus access
Question: Students don't have the same access to support services across all BCU building, and there is a communication issue where students aren't aware of Careers support services for example.
David: Shares concern that students aren't aware of Careers services, this is a number one priority in the Strategy and students should get support with writing a CV, job opportunities and volunteering. This information should be known to all, stresses that Personal Academic Tutors should be relaying these opportunties. He admits we don't necessarily have all services at all sites at the same time.
Brings up that cost pressures must make us think of sustainable resolutions to access issues at satelite sites to achieve an equitable service.
- 46:52 - 52:16 - Support for PHD students
Question: Invites David to attend a meeting at BCU Research Hub, and raises a struggle for students to find employability opportunties and whether there could be a chance of working as teaching assistants or lab assistants.
David: Accepts offer to attend Research Hub and speak with PHD students. Shares surprise there isn't an opportunity already, and will speak with School Dean to understand what opportunties are available. Explains that the Careers services are more set-up to support undergraduate students.
Marcia: Wants to take the idea forward, sharing that during her masters and PHD she has a Teaching and Research assistanship which is imperative to securing a job as an academic.
- 52:40 - 57:40 - Gaining employable skills
Question: How is the University strengthening employer links and support so they're competitive after graduation?
David: The Business Development Team role is to engage with business and bring live projects back to the classroom. Wanting to see that in every module, and they have practical opportunities with employers, companies, government organisations or NGOs. Explains the Nursing course has 90% employability rate, and he wants this for other Schools. This system approach should tackle this issue and show employers what our students can offer.
Mel: You should see and feel this approach in your teaching, with each module to make sure every single student has access to confidence, development, skill development and industry related or practise based learning. Over the course of your degree, you should feel confident to see and articulate the skills that you're learning in the classroom, as well as with other extracurricular activities that you might pick up experiences from.
- 57:43 - 1:03:09 - Appeals process
Question: How will the University improve transparency and turnaround times for the appeals process?
Marcia: The Associate Director of the Student and Academic Services, recognises this and is conducting a review of student governance. He pulled his team together earlier this week and they have structured the appeals process so appeals aren't investigated by individuals but by panels. So he's putting in a new structure so that turnaround time is quicker and students can have staff on hand who to update their progress.
Mel: Data and feedback has told us current policies are risk averse here. We're looking at what happens [to Nursing students] before they go to practice, how they are advocated for?
The university has processes and as a student you should feel empowered to know what's going on in any investigation and you should feel advocated by your Personal Academic Tutor. While the University has processes, you should be advocated for.
- 1:03:29 - 1:06:45 - Employer links from lecturers
Question: A lot of lecturers have links to industry professionals, how is this being considered for teaching at BCU?
David: Wants to see more openness from academics to pass links to students. Is there a way we can bring together the connections of 1,000s of our academics, to bring employers onto campus.
Marcia: One of the Education Strategy core pillars is to 'deliver practice-based courses, that meet the skills required of the future workforce' - it says all departments or courses will have an effective employer, industry or partnership board where employers and stakeholders are invited to contribute to the curriculum. The plan is to be more than the odd guest lecture but truly embedding employability into your experience here at BCU - so you expereicne it from the very beginning of your course.
- 1:07:00 - 1:13:23 - Bullying
Question: How do you measure if your anti-bullying policies are working?
David: The system is there for students to report instances, and from his point of view he is able to track the amount of
Marcia: Refers to the Emily Test Charter (a gender based violence charter), where a student in Scotland took her own life as a result of bullying. Marcia explains that the campaign states that each University should sign-up to a charter. BCU have signed up for this charter to promote appropriate behaviours so students don't experience discrimination, harassment and gender-based violence. She hopes this will be impactful.
Mel: The best way to know if policies are working is for you to tell us. Speak to BCUSU, or give us feedback in anyway that you can.
- 1:14:00 - 1:20:00 - Neurodiversity and spaces
Question: How is BCU adapting its physical learning environment to support diverse sensory needs, and what's the opportunity for neurodivergent students in BCU in terms of campus design?
Mel: So we have lots of students who either declare and don't declare their disabilities or neurodivergence. So there are research projects going on across the university to work with and interact with students who understand the different types of neurodivergence that exists.
Marcia: Based on requests from students, we are developing Calm Spaces on campuses to open in the next few months
- 1:25:15 - 1:19:30 - Communication from staff
Question: What is the university's commitment into educating staff on the Rep System and how you're holding staff accountable for meeting with Reps?
David: Shares disappointment and apologies to know this, this is the expecation of all academic staff to understand and promote the Rep System.
Mel: Every academic will have mandatory training on the Course Rep system and the student feedback - there should be no excuse.
- 1:19:32 - 1:22:40 - Prayer rooms in City South
Question: Is there an update on prayer spaces on City South campus?
David: Current provision for prayer rooms is inadequate. This summer there will be a dedicated space for multi-faith rooms. There will still be a compromise for students studying at other City Centre buildings, as we can't have space in all our buildings.
- 1:22:36 - 1:23:45 - Scholarships
Question: Has the University considered reintroducing or expanding Vice-Chancellor scholarships to recognise top performing students?
David: Vows to respond in writing directly to the student
- 1:23:50 - 1:26:48 - Mental health support
Question: Lectures can be instense, can activities be integrated into modules to help students?
David: Support for Mental Health Wellbeing should be raised to Personal Academic Tutors, and brought to our counsellors in our Mental Health & Wellbeing Team.
- 1:27:12 - 1:28:10 - Graduate mental health
Question: Would the university be willing to like offer additional support to graduates for their mental health and wellbeing?
Mel: States its a good idea and will look at taking it forward
- 1:28:16 - 1:29:10 - Equality act and toilet access
Question: Following a Supreme Court ruling on the meaning of sex in the Equality Act 2010, there was guidance suggesting that it may be legitimate for businesses or services to ask people to prove their sex in order to use single sex spaces. We would like to know exactly what BCU's official stance is
Suzy: BCUSU took this concern forward to the Head of EDI at BCU and there is no intention for the University to limit access to toilet facilities in campus buildings.
Thank you for watching!
We'd like to thank all our students that submitted questions, and were able to attend in-person or online. We'd also like to thank David, Marcia and Mel for committing their time to answer students' questions and taking actions forward from issues raised by students.