The Class Foundation and Global Student Living have announced an exciting new collaboration investigating the relationship between student accommodation, living experience, and student well-being across Europe.
With students across the continent preparing to move on to the next levels of their academic careers against a backdrop of uncertainty it is vital that student accommodation is positioned to provide appropriate support for students. The Student Wellbeing and Living Monitor will seek the views of tens of thousands of students across key European markets to examine the relationship between student accommodation amenities and services and the wellness of those living within different environments. Excitingly this will allow accommodation providers to understand which of their offerings makes the biggest impact on student wellbeing and ultimately supports them towards academic success.
Existing clients of the Global Student Living Index can contact their account manager or email index@gsl.news to learn how to easily link into the study. Others interested in joining the study can register at https://www.theclassfoundation.com/research/wellbeing
This research seeks to measure the impact of student accommodation facilities and services on student wellness – a direct driver in academic achievement.[1] Prior to the pandemic significant progress had been made on student wellbeing and support services. Yet many universities are now reporting “significant increased demand” for mental health support services, according to Universities UK, which represents 140 higher education institutions.
As a think tank bringing together the full range of stakeholders responsible for delivering student accommodation across Europe, The Class Foundation’s mission is to challenge the sector to tackling key challenges. The Student Wellbeing and Living Monitor will build on a ground-breaking pilot survey conducted by The Class Foundation in The Netherlands in 2021 which showed students with access to community facilities and networking opportunities to report a greater sense of wellness. Additionally international students were more vulnerable with regards to their metal wellbeing but where they had access to facilities and support they reported a marked increase in wellbeing.
A far cry from the days of “student digs”, student accommodation across Europe is packed full of facilities from gyms and swimming pools to communal cooking facilities and cinema lounges which provide opportunities for students to interact and build new social connections whilst away from home. Many accommodation providers now take a lead role in the provision of student wellbeing activities and support services which are a regular feature across both accommodation and campus settings.
Frank Uffen, Co-Founder of The Class Foundation said of the new partnership “I am delighted to be partnering with the team at Global Student Living and delivering research that can contribute towards improving the student housing situation in Europe. Understanding the tangible impact our spaces and services have on student wellbeing presents an exciting moment at a time when investment in European student accommodation is continuing rapidly. We know there is more work to be done to ease the student housing crisis in Europe and this research will drive that agenda forward to ensure our products and services benefit the people living within our communities. I am calling on colleagues and partners across Europe to join us and take part in this fantastic research opportunity”.
Tim Daplyn, Founder and CEO of Global Student Living commented “We are excited to be partnering with The Class Foundation on this important project, and expanding our reach further into the European student living space. Our core mission is to ensure that universities, investors, developers and operators have the data and insights they need to deliver what students want and need. This partnership will provide further valuable evidence to support European operators and policy-makers in finding solutions to a chronic student housing shortage that is rapidly becoming a crisis causing significant social and economic harm.”
The Class Foundation and Global Student Living aim to use this data to inform investors on which assets are most valuable. This research will also act as a tool to gauge social value within the PBSA sector, identifying new ways for investors, developers, and operators to improve their market strategies. This data will also be leveraged as an internal, local, and international benchmarking tool for current PBSA assets and planned pipeline developments. The partners aim to work alongside the EU and local municipalities to provide evidence based recommendation on how to support the growth and enable the maturity of the student housing market, which will in turn enhance the student experience in decades to come.
[1] https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3105&context=reading_horizons
