University of Brighton
Focus: Student Campus Experience
Participants: 660 students
Comments: 5,761
Campuses: Moulsecoomb, City, Falmer and Eastbourne
What we did
Campus Intuition were engaged by the University of Brighton to conduct research into student experience across their four campuses. Through the completion of the Campus Experience Index Survey (CEI) and experience mapping with a visual diary, students provided detail across a variety of campus features. The online evaluations allow cross comparisons to be made to establish variations and patterns based on faculties, student cohorts and buildings. These include teaching spaces, library and study spaces, wayfinding and arrival experience, eating experience, sense of belonging, social and outdoor areas, and student support.
What we found
The clients were presented with an experience scorecard for each individual campus, comparisons between campuses and benchmarks against Campus Intuition’s global CEI score. Comparing campuses to the CEI benchmark allowed us to highlight areas where the university is out or underperforming similar institutions. What was clear was how well Brighton’s libraries help create a centre of community for students. Like many institutions, creating a ‘stickier’ campus will help re-build a sense of belonging for students. Students identified many opportunities for small changes that would make a significant difference to their social interactions.
What happens next
After a staff workshop covering the findings, the results were turned into a plan-on-a-page for each campus. Short- medium- and long-term actions were aligned with key strategic goals for each campus, with the outcome to be a more consistent, high quality and equitable experience for all students. The extensive data collected is now informing actions being implemented within university policy documents and on-campus. This ensures student experience remains at the forefront of campus design decisions, providing the clients with a clear understanding of what students seek most from campus spaces.
