UCL is the worst University

The UCL administration has never been very good when it comes to considering its students- on the University League Table, UCL has consistently ranked in the bottom quarter for student satisfaction.

Students expressing their dissatisfaction

University is all about- giving students the chance to to learn, develop and expand the horizons in all manner of ways. Here are some examples where the UCL administration has forgotten this.

Ill-placed conferences and events

Was there nowhere else??

The Wilkins building is iconic- part of the logo for UCL, so it’s understandable why the administration often rents out its rooms for various networking events or conferences. However far from consigning themselves to the multiple conference rooms, the administration allows parties in the North and South Cloisters that seem to be every weekend and even in the Flaxman Gallery in the Main Library. Forcefully removing fee-paying students to host exclusive cocktail parties when there is a chronic shortage of social study space seems like a screwed-up list of priorities.

Terrible library hours

UCL coursework deadlines are normally in for Sunday night or Monday at midday- so it’s absolutely ridiculous that the library has the shortest opening hours on Sunday. Starting at 11:00am and finishing at 9:00pm it barely gives student the time to finish (or start) their coursework. If you need to double check a reference just before submission, you’re cooked.

The erosion of extra-curricular activities

In 2010, UCL had two theatre spaces on campus for the use by student theatre productions and other stage based initiatives, Bloomsbury Theatre and Garage Theatre. By the start of this academic year there are now no large theatre facilities and wont be until the beginning of 2018. The closing off of dedicated arts space has put the student arts scene and community in serious peril.

 Exorbitant rental prices

Disaffected students burning the vice-provost (effigy).

What UCL-bashing argument would be complete without the social-cleansing accommodation policy that the UCL bigwigs have now adopted? It is a contradiction that UCL calls itself ‘London’s Global University’- which implies inclusivity- but charges rental prices which out-prices thousands of students from low-income backgrounds a chance of a tertiary education.