Idea Description:

A 21-year-old student from Gaza, Yasser, has been offered a place to study Computer Science at the University of Leicester starting September 2026. Since 2023, he has been living in a tent under siege in Gaza, facing conditions most of us cannot imagine. Despite this, he has worked hard enough to earn a university offer abroad. However, he has been asked to pay full international tuition fees - around £77,000 over 3 years - with no mitigating circumstances considered.

We are calling on the Students’ Union to urge the university to:

• Fully fund his tuition fees, or

• At the very least, significantly reduce them

This is about fairness, access to education, and basic humanity. If you believe the university should act, please support this by liking and sharing. We need 100+ likes for this to be formally considered - Let’s push for 300+.

To read more about Yasser’s story: http://spot.fund/j3sd42bsc

Idea Description:

Students have shown time and time again that they are displeased with how arms companies are intertwined within our university. There have been several open letters with hundreds of signatures calling for this to end already.

Currently the University of Leicester's school of engineering holds a 7 and a half million pound research deal with rolls Royce who produce the F-35's that have massacred hundreds of thousands of innocent people in Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen and more. This research deal is tied in with other arms companies such as Qinetiq and AWE. Additionally Rolls Royce holds an office in a university building, Space Park Leicester.

Other weapons companies that are named partners at Space Park Leicester include Thales, Leonardo, Airbus and AWE. 3 of which have been supplying the IDF, a military currently under investigation for a plausible genocide, and has already been found to be enacting apartheid, by the highest courts in the world.

Other arms companies are routinely invited for career events at uni of leicester promoting and normalising the idea of killing people on a mass scale. This included a stall by MBDA at a recent careers fair which pictured a missile on clear display as well as a stall by BAE systems one of the largest defense contractors in the world.

The Studens' Union should be lobbying the University of Leicester to make clear actionable goals and a timeline from which companies producing armaments are banned from campus.

This would involve:

Committing to ending contracts with all companies listed in this message upon these contracts coming to an end.

Enforcing the rule already laid out in section 8 of the careers and employability service advertising policy which states:

"In the best interests of the University of Leicester and community of stakeholders, we wish to work with employers and organisations to offer suitable and appropriate experiences and employment activities to students. We do not work with organisations and/or support students to undertake experience or employment which might adversely affect our reputation or compromise our academic freedom or integrity. Employers may be contacted for further information should the organisation undertake any activity in the following areas: a. Environmental damage; b. Manufacture and sale of armaments; c. Manufacture and sale of tobacco products; d. Activities abroad which would be considered illegal in the UK; e. The causing of harm or injury to third parties; f. Gambling/gaming involving money at risk."

Arms companies invited onto campus are complicit in sections a, b, d, and e and there is clear evidence that this is effecting the university's reputation, with many articles now written on the subject. Therefore they should not be promoted by the university in any capacity.

Students are sick and tired of our tuition money continuously being used in this way and it needs to change.

Idea Description:

I have recently found out that neurodivergent students and students with learning disabilities are not allowed extra time in their assignments. I found this out as I am dyslexic and was denied an extension on the grounds of my dyslexia through mitigating circumstances as my dyslexia is "not unforeseen". Although it does make sense that students who have confirmed diagnoses of neurodivergence and learning disabilities are not unknown to the university or themselves, as a result of their brain cognitions, they may require extra or more time to process and complete their work than the rest. Therefore another platform to request extra time on these grounds should be created to offer necessary support to these students. Neurodivergent students, including those with ADHD, autism, dyslexia, and other learning disabilities, often face unique challenges that affect their ability to complete assignments within standard time frames. These challenges can include difficulties with attention, processing speed, executive functioning, and sensory sensitivities. Providing additional time for assignments allows these students to fully demonstrate their knowledge and skills without being unfairly disadvantaged by time constraints.

Granting additional assignment time is a crucial step toward creating an equitable and supportive learning environment for neurodivergent students and students with learning disabilities. This allows our university to be equitable and fair whilst working in alignment with recommendations made by the Government's Disabled Students' Allowance assessments and assessors.

Idea Description:

Food pricing on campus is overpriced. It's unfair and unreasonable to expect students to pay these high prices for meal deals and sandwiches to feed themselves, a basic necessity for students to learn. Something like that should not be taken advantage of, just because all the other nearest food outlets are a 20-minute walk away doesn't mean they are justified in extorting students who are already struggling financially as is. As well as students, it's completely unrealistic to get staff to pay these prices every day for their work lunches, it would be a beneficial move for both students and staff across campus.

Other universities such as Demonfort University are in the city centre and therefore have to compete with local pricing for food outlets such as Sainsbury Local and Tesco Express, making their on-campus food outlets much lower than those on Univerity of Leicester grounds, and much more accessible and realistic for students and staff alike. Just because UoL is positioned a little further away from the centre doesn't give these independent food providers the right to overcharge people for a coffee and make everyone pay premium pricing for crisps.

With enough support, I will carry this through to the academic council and through Leicester 100 to make things more accessible and affordable to everyone, so those teaching and learning don't have to scrape money together to make sure they can afford lunch if they forget to make it that morning or don't have anything in to eat. Stop expecting students or staff that have a long day ahead to pay unrealistic pricing for food, they may be here from 9 am to 6 pm with nothing, forcing them to pay premium pricing for something other students from the area would pay half of that for is unfair for all those subject to it. Our campus is so progressive already, it's time the pricing caught up with the rest of it.

Idea Description:

Dear Students and Faculty members.

We are advocating for a significant extension of operating hours at the Danielle Brown University Gym to address the issue of overcrowding and limited accessibility to gym facilities. Currently, the facility operates from 6am to 10pm weekdays and 8am – 7:30pm weekends. This timeframe is insufficient to cater to the needs of the growing student population in proximity to Danielle Brown. Paired with the gym's current size it is no longer convenient, resulting in excessive overcrowding and longer waiting times. To a busy student who has other commitments these current operating hours are not sufficient.

By extending the gym's operating hours, we can significantly alleviate these challenges and provide students with ample opportunity to utilise the gym facilities at their convenience. Extending the hours would distribute the gym usage throughout the day, thereby reducing overcrowding during peak times. In addition, an expanded gym schedule would enhance the university's appeal by positioning our gym as a more enticing option compared to neighbouring fitness facilities such as Gym Group addressing the concerns of added cost from increased operating hours. Accommodating a broader range of availability would also attract more students to utilise the university gym, fostering a healthier and more active campus community whilst increasing financial gains and student morale. Let us work together to invest in the physical well-being of our students and create a thriving campus environment where everyone can achieve their fitness goals conveniently and efficiently. Together, we can make a significant difference in the lives of our fellow students and enhance the overall fitness culture.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Idea Description:

Leicester City Council has increased the cost of on-street parking by the University by 100% from £4 to £8, for which you can only pay in coins for. With the help of the SU and other students, I want to campaign to the council to reduce this rise. I feel that this is vital considering the current cost-of-living crisis deeply affecting students, especially those already trying to reduce costs of studying at University by commuting.

Idea Description:

Badge or Unique ID cards for part time officers so that students in need can approach us directly and ask for help if needed.

Idea Description:

Hot Drink or Snacks really keeps us awake. Most of us stay late nights in library and at some point we feel sleepy. Library Cafe is not 24/7. If we had a vending machine for snacks or a coffee machine which can be available when cafe is closed. Any coffee machine except starbucks as not everyone can afford it.

Idea Description:

During the national lockdowns over the last academic year, the library changed its opening hours based on the government guidance that was available at the time. As we are all aware, the lockdowns have long since been lifted and so there is no legal reason as to why the library opening hours cannot be returned to normal. The hours of operation prior to the pandemic were as follows: Monday - 24 hours Tuesday - 24 hours Wednesday - 24 hours Thursday - 24 hours Friday - until Midnight Saturday - 9am-Midnight Sunday - 9am-Midnight This is a stark contrast to what the current hours are: Monday - 8am-Midnight Tuesday - 8am-Midnight Wednesday - 8am-Midnight Thursday - 8am-Midnight Friday - 8am-Midnight Saturday - 9am-5pm Sunday - 9am-5pm In total, the library is open 64 hours less per week compared to what it was pre-pandemic. As the university has shifted back to face-to-face teaching, I think that it is only fair that we have the same resources provided to us as previous students did 2 years ago. After all, how can we be expected to perform at the same level as past students, with less resources provided? I understand that many library staff members were made redundant during the pandemic and that this may be used as an excuse for why the library cannot operate the way it used to. Respectfully, that is not an issue that students should have to deal with and, as an educational provider, the University should have been aware that the library is a key building used to assist students with their studies and that regular access to the library would be required once students were permitted to use the building again. With exam season and major assessment deadlines drawing closer, I think that it is imperative that the normal working hours of the library be returned to students, not just for short periods of time like exam season, but throughout the year.

Idea Description:

Bring back the bagel place in the SU

Idea Description:

I believe the students, staff and visitors at UoL would benefit from a Safewalk service where students can call to request someone to accompany them safely on their walk.

At my previous University, we had this service called Safewalk, where pairs of volunteers would be available to accompany students on their walk home, until they reached their car, or the campus train station, or bus, or residence hall. During the day, this was offered by volunteers, and after hours, campus security would take over any Safewalk requests. The safewalk volunteers were pairs of men and women, so the person always felt comfortable.

When not on duty, Safewalk volunteers would wander around campus. Volunteers were usually caring older students, so they had a nuturing and parental protective role in the campus community, making it less of a security position. They cared about the students well-being first and foremost.

The logistics of this could be different for the UoL, but I would propose this is very doable, and would be beneficial to the community, and general feelings of safety in and around campus (and Victoria Park).

Here are some links about the service at the University of Calgary:

https://www.ucalgary.ca/risk/campus-security/your-safety/safewalk

https://www.su.ucalgary.ca/programs-services/student-programs/safewalk/

Idea Description:

Gee's was one of if not the best food outlet in the SU - its price and variety were top notch! It closed down for the first lockdown, but never reopened afterwards! I'd consider eating on campus a lot more if it were to be brought back, and I know a lot of people that feel the same.

Idea Description:

A vast majority of students in the cohort do not know who their course reps are and are unable to identify them/reach out for help etc. My idea is to give all coursereps a lanyard to wear which displays a badge with their name and course and clearly highlighting that they are a course representative. Doing so will really help students identify coursereps and allow them to approach to talk to before or after lectures and this will highly improve the student experience and will essentially make academic representation more professional and accessible.

Idea Description:

As the Plan-It Change society, we are making sustainable and environmentally focused changes within the university and local community. One of our main goals is to educate on eco-friendly waste management, through creating guidelines on the correct way to recycle and how to reuse disposable materials. Food waste can be used for compost, which is an effective way to add valuable nutrients to soil and reduce carbon emissions. For this matter, we want to propose a compost caddy campaign to allow students to have access to compost caddies on campus and in university owned accommodation. As a society we will create clear guidelines and support on what can be composted and how small changes can help the environment.

Idea Description:

The Students' Union home webpage should provide a link to the student magazine and have the latest articles linked below, this would help increase traffic and promote articles, thus helping the magazine to grow.

Idea Description:

Currently a new discord server is underway with now over 130 members in the server. It was created in the purpose to interconnect with one another via finding new flatmates, coursemates and people with similar interests such as societies. Therefore, as one of the three admins submitting this idea. We would like an official status as the official UoL discord server. Because of Coronavirus, this is more needed than ever as the internet serves as a safe space for students to interact with one another in a time of difficult social isolation. We have set rules which of course are discord's rules but also, specific rules for the UoL. The admins have received excellent feedback from the members themselves and we are working to keep improving the server. The reason for the creation was that there were too many WhatsApp group chats for each individual subject, accomodation, etc. Thus, we decided to condense everything, into one large server! It will function much better that may be advertised by the Student's Union and the University itself. Thank you for reading and here is a link to access the server. The server may expire after one day - email me alc61@student.le.ac.uk, if there any issues, concerns or anything worth mentioning. https://discord.gg/HVHZwU5

Idea Description:

I don't know if this has been raised before, but I find it quite shocking that the Part-time Officers, who do so much work for students and the SU, don't get paid. I'm aware that they get a £300 bonus if they 'do a good job' (not sure what constitutes this or who decides it?) but considering Guest Speakers get paid around £300 for just an hour's work this hardly seems like a fair amount to pay for a whole academic year's worth of work. The Part-time Officers are invaluable and often take on big jobs such as planning LGBTQ+ History month or Black History month events, and running their own campaigns, and I think not paying them is wrong and just perpetuates the unethical use of students for free labour.

Idea Description:

The SU should adopt a code of conduct policy which means that officers should behave responsibly when they use social media, both on their official social media and personal social media. Posts on social media by officers should not be to the detriment of student welfare. They should also not post material that is likely to be deemed as offensive i.e. racist or sexist etc. The SU should have a code of conduct, which can be initiated when any SU representative is in breach of this.

Idea Description:

Fruit available at cheeper prices. Salad bar for cheeper option (increase price of unhealthy things like cakes) More healthy options for snacks -like nuts, popcorn, ricecakes, dried fruit and seeds in SU market. Fish based dishes in hot food serving cafes on campus. Maybe falafel and pitta to take away- this works for the high street and has potential on campus. Coucous and rice dishes- more variety with vegetables. In meal deals- source things like feta and olive pots, carrot sticks and hummous, fibre based cereal bars instead of just crisps.

Idea Description:

The Delicious outlet in Charles Wilson building currently sells a selection of newspapers, including tabloids such as The Sun, Daily Mail and Express. These newspapers publish poor-quality journalism that incites hatred and harassment, as well as 'pop culture' sections that frequently objectify and degrade women. Such material has no place on campus.

Idea Description:

It has come to my attention that some outlets across campus (including the medical school cafe) have begun charging extra for using soy/oat/almond milk. This is unacceptable when there are many people following a vegan diet or reduced dairy and those that are lactose intolerant. There should clearly be no extra charge for this service and I believe this should be implemented across all university food and drink outlets.

Idea Description:

I consider that students with kids are put at disadvantage around the campus, especially when it comes to using the Library. They are not particularly welcome if they choose to bring their children with. This is a big issue especially towards the end of the semester, when the assignments are piling up and also during exam period. Therefore, parents need to invest even more money in childcare and extra hours in order to be able to study. I think that a children-friendly room where students can study, while the little ones are playing would be incredibly beneficial, and help them improve their academic performance as well.

Idea Description:

Up until recently, there has only been 1 place on central campus to get free hot water - a single kettle downstairs in the Students' Union, or that was until that kettle went missing. Now, there's nowhere to get free hot water anywhere around uni, which is irritating considering the price of a simple cup of tea is £1.30 from the Library Cafe, and hot water on its own is 50p. As students on a budget, the sensible solution to this problem is to bring your own tea bags or coffee and milk, use hot water on campus and make a hot drink FOR FREE. Until the Union provides free hot water accessible to all students, this won't be a reality. The fact that the union doesn't provide free hot water facilities further shows that they care more about the profit their outlets make than the quality of life for their students. It might seem like a small trivial thing, but on a cold day when you're in uni 9-5, a cup of tea every now and then is the boost you need, but paying for hot water is a barrier that prevents students from doing this. As winter approaches too, it'd be useful to be able to make medicinal hot drinks (like Lemsip) without paying 50p for the privilege. Hot water taps, free hot water from union outlets or kettles in multiple accessible places around campus would be ideal solutions to this problem and would make uni feel more like home. I think that free hot water available to students on campus would be an excellent addition to student life in Leicester.

Idea Description:

To whom this may concern, I have an idea to put hand sanitisers all over campus e.g Percy Gee or entrance to Charles Wilson etc, as well as in the 02 academy. Hand sanitisers reduce spreading of bacteria and instead of having to go all the way to a crowded bathroom to wash your hands, this will minimise time between a hectic timetable. Thank you. Jasmin Hamid Ali, Politics & IR year 1.