Voice it to the VC
Students had their say in the latest Voice It to the VC event, where students asked questions straight to Vice-Chancellor Clare Marchant.
Our very own Freya chaired our first Voice it to the VC of the academic year. From gym hours to parking to cost of living, students raised the issues that affect their everyday lives at university. Clare responded openly, sharing what the University is doing and where there’s still work to be done.
Campus Life and Timetables
One of the first questions was about gym opening hours, and Clare was open to looking into changing the weekend hours of the gym. There were follow-up questions regarding facilities on Oxstalls campus, having increased demand. Clare explained that staffing has been challenging this year due to more postgraduate students and fewer support staff. She did, however, reassure students that teaching teams remain fully in place and increased student numbers won’t impact teaching.
Students also raised concerns about classes running as late as 9.15 pm. Clare agreed that evening sessions should be limited, saying the University would look into it.
Student Voice and Representation
A student asked about the new Student Council, which leads student decision-making within the SU. Clare said she plans to meet with the Sabbatical Officers to talk about how the University can support the Council’s work.
Parking and Travel Between Campuses
Parking continues to be a challenge. Clare said she will personally walk the Business School and allotment areas to check lighting and safety, and will speak to the local council if needed.
When asked about transport between campuses, Clare said the University could explore options with Stagecoach if there is enough demand. For the new City Campus, she confirmed that the large car park opposite Kings Square should open soon, which should increase parking opportunities.
Cost of Living and Food Options
Clare reminded students about the Financial Assistance Fund, which supports travel and accommodation costs. She noted that it is often underused and encouraged more students to apply.
Food prices also came up. The University’s Gather & Gather catering contract will end in the next 12 to 18 months, and students will help shape what comes next. Clare mentioned the idea of street food vans or other flexible, affordable options on campus, if there was student demand for it.
Inclusion and Student Support
On trans inclusion, Clare said creating a university where everyone feels they belong is one of her top priorities. She spoke about the need to continue improving facilities and policies that support all students.
She also reflected on the difficulty of communicating around world events, explaining that the University tries to act with care and balance when tensions are high.
For care leavers, Clare said support is in place and encouraged students to tick the relevant box on forms so the University can reach out directly. She also confirmed there will be finance pop-ups for international students, run in partnership with the University’s finance team.
Next Steps
We had so many amazing questions on the night that we had to send some to Clare and the relevant university teams to get their responses and you can see them below. Keep an eye out for more Voice It to the VC opportunities throughout the year. Remember, it’s your chance to speak directly with university leadership and make your voice heard. Thank you to everyone who came along to ask questions, to Clare for her openness, and to our very own Freya for chairing the session so brilliantly.
The responses from the VC
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Theme / Query
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Response
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Why is the Oxstalls gym open for such limited hours on a Sunday (only 3 hours) – could it be open for longer?
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- We will investigate the demand and see if it is feasible to extend opening hours over the weekend for all our members.
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Concern over unfairness of evening classes (6pm-9pm) within PMR IB course….as some students have 2 per week, whilst others don’t. Can we see if this can be changed so students only have one evening class per week?
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- There will be no evening classes in semester 2. Students have already been informed of this. The latest finish time in sem 2 is 18:15 as apposed to semester 1 when the latest finish is at 21:15. Making any changes to semester 1 at this stage would cause a lot of disruption as there are only 5 teaching weeks remaining.
- ALL of this information has already been widely shared with the students.
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Can we improve lighting on the path between Oxstalls and Plock Court (as we are encouraging people to park there and walk to campus)?
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- VC & Director of Student Experience will walk the route one evening soon and report back.
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Why hasn’t UoG installed bidets in its bathrooms to better support Muslim students
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- We recognise the importance of this and are committed to developing inclusive facilities. We will therefore prepare a proposal outlining potential locations, costs and feasibility. This proposal will take place over the next few months and if funding is approved and installation is physically possible, this would likely be carried out in phases.
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Issues faced by international students when trying to pay fees (esp on PRM IB course). Special concern over advice required, but also that the comms between students and Finance team are too slow/late; inaccurate; or too aggressive
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- Pop-up advice stands will be on site w/c 24/11/25 so students can seek advice and support on how to pay
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Why do some courses have lectures on a Weds afternoon….which means that these students can’t play sport?
Courses mentioned: UG & PG Physiotherapy; PMR IB; MBA Global; Business Mgt
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- UoG policy is that no compulsory undergraduate teaching takes place on a Weds afternoon
- Undergraduate Physiotherapy does not have any timetabled sessions on Wednesday afternoons except for one assessment in April 2026.
- Some teaching may be scheduled on Wednesday afternoons as follows:
- - Postgraduate teaching
- - Professional courses including some Apprenticeships where days and times are fixed or impacted by placements
- - Optional modules, or some sessions where other groups are available at other days and times.
- In some rare cases, Schools have approved timetable changes to schedule undergraduate teaching on Wednesday afternoons.
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Why do some lecturers/courses refuse to upload session materials onto Moodle after sessions have taken place. For students with learning difficulties (example given was dyslexia) this is really detrimental and against the agreed RAP
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- The management team of the School are looking into this…and it is hoped that changes will be made very swiftly.
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The questions which we didn't get to on the day:
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Theme / Query
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Response
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Why is the IT department of this University not customer facing? Not everyone is tech savvy enough to sort IT issues through emails and non-direct process!
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Our IT department follows the standard model used across most universities, where support is primarily delivered through online and self-service channels. This approach helps us manage demand efficiently and resolve issues quickly. IT does not currently offer training and development in digital tools. We recognise, however, that not everyone feels confident with digital processes, and we’ll take this point away to consider more deeply with colleagues from relevant departments such as the Library and academic schools.
We are investing in improved self-service tools, and we are also working, though this won’t happen overnight, to reduce the complexity of our systems and adopt more intuitive, workplace-aligned technologies
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Accommodation price in upper quays is going up but quality is still shocking, whats the uni doing?
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Upper Quay continues to offer a very affordable en-suite option for students (£131.60pw in 25/26 compared to £183pw at Oxstalls). Collegiate are the company that manage this site gather feedback from students and use this to prioritise improvements on site. We don't receive much negative feedback regarding Upper Quay, however the Accommodation Team will follow up this query with a visit to site.
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Do you collect data from the progress and success of care leavers and how do you uses that data to improve support?
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We do collect it but at present the data set is too small to be very informative. We are also aware that Students experience of care is very individual and our support that we put in place is also very individual.
The student wellbeing team are starting to send out feedback forms after engagement for all the students we see, so may be able to use this in the future to inform any changes to the service more generally
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Can sanctuary spaces be open 24/7? Security at most campuses are 24/7 so it doesn't make sense why they are locked in the evening.
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No, as a security risk due to their location with a history of non-students abusing the space in ‘after hours’ periods
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If we’re not looking at removing the cost, then we would like to know where that money is going. What are we paying for?
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We weren't sure what this question was refering too so if this was your question, let us know in the comments below and we'll respond appropriately.
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Why does the university not offer any housing/accommodation services for students with families?
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Unfortunately the configurations of our halls of residences, and planning permission gained when our residences were built, have been based on single occupancy rooms. We are not in a position to create family accommodation and then be at a price that would be affordable to students. We therefore share regular updates to all international students who are joining the university with details of the type of costs and availability of private accommodation that they can expect locally. This is to help in decision making when choosing UoG. We strongly advise that individuals travel ahead and secure accommodation before families join them.
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Why can we not offered more options of the remaining tuition fees instalments and frequency like many of the other universities of UK?
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The University has recently benchmarked the numbers of instalments offered, and our payment plan compares well to others, some of whom require full payment upfront, or just 1 or 2 instalments. Overseas students have all evidenced pre-arrival that they have the finances to cover their fees and living expenses; and delaying payments often results in higher debts owed to the University.
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Why is the university so strict as to where the student should live? If the student can live far away and maintain the attendance, why should it be an issue?
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The UK Home Office requires all students studying on taught programmes under a Student Visa to be fully engaged with their studies and attend on-site. Our data indicates that students who live further away tend to have lower attendance, which in turn affects their academic outcomes.
To support engagement and success, we currently allow students to live within a one-hour commute of the University.
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Why do we not get Email confirmation from the university after the tuition fees instalments have been deducted through direct debit from our bank account?
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Students can access their account on line using ‘MyBills’ to check if payments have been received Unfortunately, but in line with most organisations accepting payment by Direct Debit, our systems are not set up to send confirmations of successful payments.
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Why is there not a sanitary pad dispensary on campus? This is something that can help all female students?
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There are sanitary products available for free on every UoG campus. If the product range needs change – please share with the SU who can liaise with the Student Experience team
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With the influx of more international students, what can the university to do help make them feel more comfortable?
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An International Student Experience Group is held where all matters relating to the international experience are discussed (inc. the SU). This group discusses a range of issues and all feedback is considered when considering actions that would help support international students.
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