We recently held a priority ballot to decide what our main campaign focus will be for the next year. Your voices have been heard, and we're excited to share the results with you! 

Community leaders from our core Student Communities voted to rank six policy statements on issues that are important to you. The results are in! 

How We Chose Our Priorities 

At the end of last term, the LBSU Student Assembly led to six policy statements being developed. These policies came directly from the feedback we received when listening to students through our community organising work. The policies covered a range of topics that you told us were important.  

To decide which issues should be prioritised we asked Community Leaders from the core Student Communities to rank the policies in order of importance to their members. 

Our Top Priorities 

Employability and Careers (After Studying), Housing, and Part-time Work (Whilst Studying) have been identified as our top priorities. This means that we will be focusing most of our campaign work in these areas. 

• Employability and Careers (After Studying): Students have told us they have difficulty finding relevant placements or internships, and that they’re unsure about job opportunities after graduation.  

• Housing: The cost and standard of student accommodation are major issues, with high rents and poor living conditions often reported by students. International students also face difficulties with guarantor requirements. We will campaign for more affordable accommodation, push for accountability from landlords, and advocate for the removal of guarantor requirements. 

• Part-time Work (Whilst Studying): Many students find it difficult to access part-time work and those who do often face inflexible employers and jobs that don't align with their studies. We aim to increase on-campus job opportunities, ensure students know their rights at work, and work with employers to create better part-time opportunities. 

Our Secondary Priorities 

While these three issues will be our main focus, we recognise the importance of the other issues identified in the ballot. Therefore, Community and Belonging, Timetabling, and Transport will also be a secondary area of focus. 

• Community and Belonging: Our goal is to ensure every student feels part of a community, especially those who are commuter students or have less time on campus. We will continue to develop student leaders in core communities, support the development of groups based on common interests, and work to improve informal spaces on campus. 

• Timetabling: Students have told us that timetables often do not accommodate your busy lives. We aim to work with the university to condense timetables into fewer days and provide more breaks between classes. 

• Public Transport: Buses are frequently used by students but are often unreliable and too expensive. We will work to improve bus services, introduce cheaper tickets, and improve the shuttle bus service between campuses. 

Get Involved! 

We use a community organising approach to build power among students. This means we bring people together to create change on the issues that matter most to them, finding common ground and building community-led solutions.  

Join one of our campaign teams today - this is a unique opportunity to develop your skills, make a real difference on the issues you care about, and build a stronger student community.  

Contact us today at communityorganising@leedsbeckett.ac.uk to find out how you can get involved and make a difference, and sign up to a campaign that interests you here: 

https://www.leedsbeckettsu.co.uk/your-voice/community-organising/