Value for Money
Here at Harper Adams Students’ Union, ensuring students are receiving Value for Money across their whole University experience is a must. Whether that be socialising on a night out in our venue, getting a quality education and qualification, living in campus accommodation, getting involved in events and activities, or having access to support services, HASU believes that every aspect should be good value for money. This year, the President and Vice-President will endeavour to help students by working on two primary campaigns under the Value for Money campaign.
- Cost-of-Living
- 58.61% of students agree or strongly agree with the statement ‘the cost-of-living crisis has negatively impacted my mental health’.
- 80.05% of students agree or strongly agree with the statement ‘I have had to, or will have to, cut back on social events’.
- Students have struggled to pay:
- 59.24% said social/event ticket
- 53.36% said petrol bill/travel costs
- 44.54% said food bill
- 22.06% said both electricity and gas/heating bills
- These figures were taken from both student voice surveys in 2022/23 and the figures are astounding. So, in the short-term, HASU are endeavouring to get the website updated so that students can easily find information on what the SU and University are already doing to help them manage financially, mentally, and physically in the current hardships. Topics of information will include how students might save money with regards to their transport arrangements, food and energy bills, how they can find work opportunities on and off campus and how they can access financial support and advice through HAU. Directions to appropriate sources both internally and externally will be included. Also in the short-term, the Vice-President endeavours to pursue a number of personal projects including creating resources such as hygiene packs and recipe cards/food packs to help students in the immediate short-term.
- Longer-term, both students, the SU and the University need to work together to better recognise and understand the current situations students are facing. The SU will work with staff of the University to see what more can be done on campus to relieve some of the pressures:
- Better food schemes?
- Catering outlets widened across campus closed hours?
- HASU catering?
- Financial workshops to include cheque writing/budgeting/bill paying etc.?
- Period dignity products available in every bathroom for free?
- HASU Forum for jobs available locally?
- SU Transparency
- Over the first couple of weeks of term, SU staff members have been working hard to visit students in course tutor slots to get across several key messages, including the fact that HASU is independent from the University, is a not-for-profit charitable organisation and is therefore accountable for its actions under charitable law. As such, HASU must report its activities to the Charity Commission and be held accountable by them but also by its members.
- Following this, students should be able to see last year’s accounts/spending visually online or via a different media. They should also know what their club/society memberships are going towards.
- In the longer term, clubs and societies should be expected to produce an annual report of their incomings and outgoings over the year. This will be made available on their club/society page on the website. These clubs and societies are led and run by students and so students that are elected into positions of responsibility should be held responsible for the club or society’s actions. The SU Sports and Activities Coordinator will have overarching control of club and society funds though in return, the SU will provide a more structured programme of training and support to members and committee executives.