Postgraduate Research Students at Durham deserve better
Monday 13-11-2023 - 15:51
In the 22-23 academic year, Durham SU carried out some research with PGR students to better understand their experiences at Durham University. Due to their unique status as both students and staff members, the PGR student experience is often neglected at institutions nationwide. Our research found that Durham is no different.
PGR students reported feeling ‘alone and isolated’, struggling to connect with their peers through a collegiate system designed for undergraduates. They found the support services available at Durham to be irrelevant for them and difficult to access. The cost of living was also a frequently cited issue for PGR students, resulting in them being ‘priced out’ of Durham City when it came to accommodation, and relying on public transportation systems that are inadequate.
The aspects that PGR students highlighted as being great at Durham, however, were supervision quality and research facilities, with supervisors being described as ‘understanding and supportive’. Over 80% of PGR students were satisfied with the research facilities both within their departments and in the wider University.
A common theme throughout the research was the feeling that there was a lack of communication and a lack of opportunity for PGR students to shape their own experience. The recent reintroduction of continuation fees for PGR students is evidence of this, in that the decision came as a surprise to most PGR students, with no opportunity for them to offer feedback.
We’re pleased that the University is undertaking a wide-scale review of the PGR experience this year, and we hope that a lot of the issues identified in this report can be rectified through that process, to ensure PGRs get an experience reflective of the ‘Durham Difference’.
