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Policy and Research

The Policy and Research department support the Officer team to prepare for committee meetings with University Leadership as well as leading and supporting research undertaken by Arts SU to better know the issues affecting our students. In the past we've released research on the Cost of Study, Decolonising the Curriculum, and Student Housing.

Cost of Study Research Studying can be expensive, particularly when your subject requires you to fund the materials you use. Student expenditure is not limited to tuition fees and we are concerned that UAL students face particularly high costs when it comes to completing their course. We believe that studying at UAL should be accessible, regardless of your financial background, and so are lobbying UAL to address the impact of these additional costs.
Crits and Inclusive Learning Crits are seen as an integral part of the art school experience and have the potential to facilitate great discussions, learning and growth for students.
Decolonising the Curriculum Did you know that at UAL, Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic (BAME) students are 21% less likely to graduate with a 1st or 2:1 in comparison to their white coursemates? And for those who are international students, 45% will graduate with a 2:2 or 3rd.
Housing and Community Research Art students have always been of particular interest to the media in their relationship to housing. Seen as cultural innovators, where art students choose to reside has been read by the media at best as a sign of “the next cool place”, and more negatively, as a sign of coming gentrification. Through this project, we are looking to explore the realities of lockdown living in London, away from the media's binary portrayal of art students either as “gentrifiers” or "suffering for their art".
Student Sex Worker Guide We've compiled a guidebook, setting out in clear terms where students at University of the Arts London (UAL) who are involved in sex work can seek support.

The Policy & Research (P&R) department is led by our Senior Policy & Research Officer. They support the Officer team to prepare for committee meetings with University Leadership as well as leading and supporting research undertaken by Arts SU to better know the issues affecting our students. In the past we've released research on the Cost of Study, Decolonising the Curriculum, and Student Housing.

See our Cost of Study research Read our Decolonising the Curriculum research Find our research on Student Housing

In this area

Policy and Research

Policy and Research News

Policy Digest: March/April 2023

Arts SU's Cost of Living Report: Now Live

Policy Digest: January/February 2023

Arts SU Policy Digest: October 2022

Arts SU Policy Digest: September 2022