Tekijät

• Research Foundation for Studies and Education (Otus)

Asiasanat

communities, higher education institutions, housing, leisure time, participation, shared housing, student organizations, student unions, students (college), tertiary education

Sisällön kuvaus

The Aalto University Student Union Member Survey examined the student union members' experiences and opinions regarding the usefulness and quality of the services provided by Aalto University Student Union (AYY) and AYY's communication channels. Main themes of the survey included housing, AAY's communication channels and services, and participation in student affairs and activities. The research was carried out by the Research Foundation for Studies and Education (Otus) and funded by AAY.

First, the respondents were asked to provide information about their studies at Aalto University and their current housing situation, and to evaluate their satisfaction with the quality of their current housing. They were also asked about the length of their commute and how burdensome they found it. Views on shared housing were examined with questions on whether the respondents had ever lived in a shared student apartment or shared housing, which factors had influenced their decision to live or to not live in shared housing, and what their attitudes towards shared housing were. The importance of facilities (e.g. club rooms, sports facilities), residential activities, events and common spaces in the vicinity of the respondents' home and in their residential area were investigated. Views on how location contributed to the quality of housing and the factors based on which the respondents made study-related housing choices were also charted.

Next topic was the use of AAY's communication channels. The respondents were asked about the frequency with which they used AAY's communication channels (e.g. AAY's website, mailing lists, weekly newsletters, Facebook, Instagram), which channels they primarily used to look for information about student union activities, and through which channels they would like to receive information on student union services. Further questions focused on general use of social media channels, which of these channels they would like to use to keep in touch with AAY, and the kind of information and content they would be interested in receiving from the student union.

Experiences and opinions regarding services provided AAY were also examined. The respondents were asked which services provided (e.g. rental housing, legal protection counselling, rental recreational facilities, events) they had used in the past six months and how useful they found the student union services. Opinions on the usefulness of several potential services, the opening hours of the Otaniemi Services Office, and the respondents' satisfaction with their latest service point visit were investigated. Additionally, the respondents were asked about their membership and participation in associations within the student union, what kind of student events they attended or would like to attend, their participation in events organised by AAY, and their opinions on AAY's or the Aalto community's student events.

The next set of questions focused on the problems the respondents had faced in their daily life as students, for instance, in matters related to their finances, housing, teaching or facilities at the university. Finally, the respondents were asked to identify the ways in which they thought they could influence student affairs and activities, whether they were interested in acting as student representatives in university administration, and whether they had voted in Representative Council elections.

Background variables included variables related to the respondent's housing situation, student status, educational progression, mother tongue, gender, age group, and identification with a minority group.