Beds, Bricks and Higher Education: The past, present and future of student accommodation in England
- Professor Alexi Marmot, UCL
- Dr Zachery D. Spire, UCL
Event Materials
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Student accommodation is a key issue for students, institutions, towns and cities. Far from set in stone, the forms, functions and stated purpose of student accommodation in England have emerged and complexified with history. From medieval times into the present, institutions, students, policymakers, private enterprises, public-private partnerships and housing authorities have grappled with the issue of student accommodation. This ongoing debate continues to reflect on shifts in policy, practice, planning, social and personal attitudes and beliefs towards student accommodation and higher education in England.
This webinar revisit student accommodation in England. We will reflect on some of the key lenses and proposals from extant literature and research on student accommodation. Focusing on theoretical and operational approaches to student accommodation, we will explore the economic, social and educational influence of student accommodation for students, institutions and the wider public. We will examine some of the sharp changes in policy, planning and practice related to student accommodation. We will also reflect on some key drivers including student numbers, costs and pricing of student accommodation, the importance of staff and student relations to student experience and engagement. The influence of student accommodation for students’ access, participation, recruitment, retention and cost of attendance in English higher education will also be highlighted.
While our focus is on England, education and the built environment, we understand student accommodation is a critical concern for students, institutions, scholars, policymakers, public and private enterprises, towns and cities across the world. We hope this is the start of a rich and ongoing discussion related to the forms, functions and stated purpose of student accommodation now and into the future.
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Alexi Marmot is Professor of Facility and Environment Management and Head of the Bartlett School of Graduate Studies. She is an internationally acknowledged expert in the design, management, and use of places for work and for learning. Educated in architecture and town planning, Alexi has spent the last thirty years exploring how people use space, how buildings operate in practice, and how to create buildings that really work for the organisations that inhabit them. During her time at UCL, Alexi has continued to draw on her applied professional knowledge to inform teaching and research in facility management.
Zachery Spire is a Postdoctoral Researcher from UCL. His research focuses on student residential accommodation, student engagement and higher education. Zach completed his PhD at the UCL Institute of Education, exploring the interface of student residential accommodation and student engagement in England. After, his work with Professor Marmot examined the influence of student residential accommodation for student engagement and experiences in global cities. Zach’s current research focuses on approaches to and sustainability of student and staff accommodation in the UK, US and Europe.
