Focus Groups
31 students participated in 7 different focus groups
International students
- Lack of knowledge and understanding of what the SU does and how its democracy works
- Communication through email does not reach students effectively
- Societies and sports clubs are perceived as being for undergrad and British students which are heavily connected to drinking culture
- International students identify less with the SU as a whole
- Bureaucracy, long response times, and complicated processes
BME Students
- Bureaucracy, communication issues, and how to get support from the SU as a student
- Representing BME students in their diversity and complexity
- Encouraging more connections between societies that represent different cultural groups
- Informal and physical events and spaces to discuss forms of discrimination is needed
- Engaging with societies that represent marginalised/cultural groups
- More transparency and accountability needed
Masters' Students
- The SU is for undergrad and doesn't represent postgrads well
- They struggle to engage with the SU since they are only at LSE for a year
- Lack of awareness of what the SU does and how useful it can be for postgrads
- The ways of communicating are not working
- The SU is disconnected from academic reps
- Students have to make the effort to find out about the SU rather than the SU telling students about them
Commuting Students
- Voting on motions has felt undemocratic because of lack of information and time
- Postgrad students feel less represented
- The SU feels less politically biased than other SUs
- COVID has reinforced isolation for commuter students
- Engaging in societies and sports clubs makes integration of commuter students better
- Information is mainly accessible in the SU building only, it needs wider reach
PhD Students
- Confusion about how PhD students are represented by different representatives and bodies
- They have specific issues like isolation and lack of connection with LSE and the campus
- SU is associated with undergrad students and socialising
- They lack time and career incentive to get involved with the SU
- Lack of connection between different departments and the SU
- Diversity of representation, people who are less visible are represented
LGBTQ+ Students
- Lack of advocacy and individual support
- Performativity of Pride Week and LSE perceived as unsafe
- Lack of support when students start their own campaigns
- Lack of information and communication not working well
- Need to represent more identities, not just one LGBTQ+ officer
- Not enough awareness about opportunities to get involved, policies and work of current officers
Disabled Students
- Lack of information and communication
- Need for disabled students to be a part of the community
- Lack of inspiration of what change could look like
- Fostering engagement to address low turnout
- Need for targeted engagement especially on social media
- Lack of transparency and accountability
Survey
Completed voluntarily by 640 current LSE students.
How well represented do you feel by the SU? Scale of 1-10
Average answer: 5.2
Do you currently get involved with the Students’ Union in any of the following activities?
![](lsesu.com/voice/democracyreview/research)
![](/pageassets/voice/democracyreview/research/Screen20Shot202022-03-3120at2010.20.4820AM.png)
![](/pageassets/voice/democracyreview/research/Screen20Shot202022-03-3120at2010.20.5720AM.png)
![](/pageassets/voice/democracyreview/research/Screen20Shot202022-03-3120at2010.21.0820AM.png)
What, if anything, prevents you from taking part in SU democracy activities?
![](/pageassets/voice/democracyreview/research/Screen20Shot202022-03-3020at2010.20.0320AM.png)
If you could change one thing to improve your democratic experience of the SU, what would it be?
![](/pageassets/voice/democracyreview/research/Screen20Shot202022-03-3020at2010.21.2920AM.png)
Thinking about the range of students at LSE, what barriers do you think there are, and how much of a barrier are they to engaging in the SU’s democratic activities?
![](/pageassets/voice/democracyreview/research/Screen20Shot202022-03-3120at2010.23.3520AM.png)
Thinking about the range of students at LSE, what barriers do you think there are, and how much of a barrier are they to engaging in the SU's democratic activities?
![](/pageassets/voice/democracyreview/research/Screen20Shot202022-03-3120at2010.23.3520AM.png)
![](/pageassets/voice/democracyreview/research/Screen20Shot202022-03-3120at2010.24.0120AM.png)
![](/pageassets/voice/democracyreview/research/Screen20Shot202022-03-3120at2010.23.4820AM.png)
Thinking about the barrier from the previous question, how do you think we can make SU participation more welcoming, accessible, and inclusive for all students?
- improve information and communication (66 mentions)
- encourage engagement (58 mentions)
- improve accessibility (45 mentions)
- improve representation and democratic processes (41 mentions)
- address time commitments (23 mentions)
- increase transparency (22 mentions)
How do you think the LSESU should support students to create change?
- support engagement (55 mentions)
- offer financial support (47 mentions)
- more information and communication (45 mentions)
- create space for sharing ideas (41 mentions)
- campaign and support student campaigns
- offer tools and resources (27 mentions)
- listen to students (17 mentions)
If you could tell the SU one thing about how it can support students to raise issues and shape priorities, what would you say?
Top 3 suggestions:
- social events
- organise more events and meetings like town halls, forums
- create more polls and surveys/do more outreach
What would be the best way for students to hold the SU accountable?
61 students mentioned voting and elections as the best way.
Explore this section: