salford uni community

1. goals

1.1. to have a stable community

1.2. Everyone to feel a part of Salford university

1.3. Having a sense of value in university

1.4. Students enjoying university experience

2. solutions

2.1. In response to this it was stated that if it is safe for the staff and students to stay on campus now and if lectures can take place on campus then this can be imputed into the new timetable. As a university our focus is to try and input more activities in the university on a weekly basis so that a more sense of community is there. Salford university has allowed staff and students to use the campus on a more regular basis and also on weekends. the library is also open for longer as the covid 19 restriction eases so group discussions and building a community can take place in the library. It was then also stated that the students are fearful of a new lockdown as it can affect their learning and sense of community drastically. They fear the seminars would go online as well as lecture if that is what the government commands. The university of Salford is tying their best to do what is best for the students as well as keeping it the safest for the staff and students around the campus. However, Salford university will try their best to have the sense of community around them. As per VUCA covid 19 is also known as uncertain as even though students and staff have taken their vaccines we cannot predict what will happen. It is also ambiguous due to the fact that many different factors are taken into consideration before making a decision. People are ambiguous as there is a lack of clarity of what will happen in the future if covid increases.

2.2. As a result of this we have decided to maybe have a welcome week in which students can explore around the campus have 1 to 1 sessions with staff members and get to know the students well. As for the students who join later on the course they are introduced to everyone and any questions which they may want to ask can be asked during this time. Another opinion which was given was to maybe create a group chat in which students can get to know bit about each other even before starting their course. Group activities should take place in the first month to give the shy students a better opportunity to get along with the other student which would then result in a higher sense of community.

2.3. In resopnse to this it is stated to try and fit all the models on one day so that the students do not have to spend multiple times travelling to and from campus which will then allow them to focus more on their studies. As this happens they are more likely to attend university and with the spare time they have they can either rest or spend that time in either completing their assignments or researching and reading what they need to know in order to progress.For those who do not have free time to communicate with their class mates a day can be set up for them to come and sit in the study rooms here at Salford university where they can get to know each other better and complete assignments which then also allows them to ask questions regarding the assignments which they may not know.

2.4. For this problem we have discussed to maybe have a taster session where students can explore the different subjects that are being taught and have a look at possible assignments that can be given. A reading list can also be given to these students where they can read about different subjects and find a subject that defines them the best. A possible meet up before the start of the year can also occur where students can ask general questions to the module leaders, get to know each other and discuss regarding the course and the university. A discussion regarding university transfer can also occur if they are not happy with the university they have chosen to study in.

3. action items

3.1. create a community

3.2. promote the community

3.3. Create a groupchat

4. problems

4.1. Covid 19. As students do not come to the campus on a daily basis and lectures take place online students felt as though they could not get to know the other students well and also could not explore around the campus as much as they'd like. As a part of VUCA it is recognised that covid 19 can be stated as a volatile circumstance. it was stated that nobody knew covid 19 was coming and they were not prepared for the outcomes of this. Online lessons were difficult for these specific people and due to this they didn't feel the sense of community. However, it was stated that if everything was on campus and activities were taking place then it would've been a different situation.

4.2. The next main reason for the sense of community in Salford university being low is due to the face of having a low confidence level. As part of the research it was stated that student went to study in a class where they did not know the people around then and felt a sense of discomfort which for a few students went away after a few months of spending time with the class fellows however, for some students this sense stayed with them throughout their journey at Salford university. This can be argued as a volatile circumstance because you can only know the group you are working with once you have started university. This then leads to a lack of communication between the students which initially results in a lack of the increase of sense in the community at Salford University.

4.3. Another reason why there's little sense of community was due to the fact that they have to travel to and from campus for as little as one lesson. For this reason they prefer no come due to the fact that it takes them longer to travel to and from the campus than spending time in the seminar or lecture. Also, for the students coming in only one day a week they have a full day of timetabled lessons which then doesn't give them the free time to communicate with the class mates

4.4. The last problem which occurred is that students were not interested in the course they were studying and due to that they couldn't get along with the other class mates. A reason for this can be due to different interests and that they maybe have a lack of knowledge regarding the course.