University of Hull

Focus: Student and Staff Campus Experience
Survey participants: 460 staff and 541 students
Comments: 8,500
Campus: Hull 

What we did
Hull is a suburban, commuter campus. Student enrolments have declined over the past 5-10 years, and staff are working off-campus more often due to flexibility options. In 2022 we deployed the Campus Experience Index and experience mapping for students alongside conducting a pilot staff survey at the University to give the Estates Team a holistic view of the campus facilities from all users’ perspectives.

The student survey sought feedback on teaching spaces, informal learning spaces, online learning, safety and accessibility, wayfinding, belonging, student support and accommodation.

We asked the staff corresponding questions about teaching spaces, safety and accessibility and belonging, but also included workspace, research space and arrival to campus. We asked each group what they like best and least about the campus to understand the overall campus sentiment. Staff and student feedback were compared to show the differing experiences from each cohort, and the results mapped to recommend the highest impact projects to improve satisfaction for both parties.

What we found
Experiences in some categories of space aligned, while others (particularly teaching spaces) were significantly different between the two user groups, demonstrating a need to view facilities from more than one perspective. What staff and students most like about the campus were remarkably similar – some things, like appreciation for beautiful architecture and green garden spaces, are universal. Campus Intuition identified five priority action areas (both spatial and operational) for the university to consider initially, as well as a more detailed list of both small and larger actions for consideration over the longer term.

What happens next
A thorough understanding of staff and student experiences will better inform decisions on where to focus capital. The University is now considering the recommendations provided by Campus Intuition as part of its broader Campus Estate Strategy development. 

“The report by Campus Intuition provided us with some fascinating insights into how our students and staff experienced our campus. Being able to compare the different experiences of the same areas, such as learning spaces, set the scene for gaining for even deeper understanding and enquiry, which we have used to inform short-term initiatives alongside long-term plans with senior stakeholders and our teams so that everyone can draw a clear line from projects to the customer experience improvements they will deliver.”
Andrew Male, Executive Director of Infrastructure Services