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Thousands of students are being welcomed to The University of Nottingham this week as they resume their studies or begin life at university.
The University is laying on a comprehensive range of advice and guidance to help new and returning students to make the most of university life, and encourage those living off-campus to be good neighbours as part of the local community.
A letter and poster — containing useful information and practical tips about living in the community — have been delivered to thousands of returning second and third-year students. The letter recognises the issues students face and the concerns of the community, and reflects collaborative work between the University and its Students’ Union, the Police, Fire Service, City Council, Unipol, landlords and members of the community.
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The poster provides comprehensive information in a format that will help to improve students’ knowledge of their social responsibilities, including security and crime prevention, considerations over noise, landlords, fire safety, rubbish and recycling.
Melanie Futer, Manager, Off-Campus Student Affairs for the University, said: “We all benefit from a thriving city and students bring many economic, social and cultural benefits.
“As a group, students are keen to learn and understand the concerns of the communities in which they live. This is often the first time for many moving out of home and taking on such a wide range of responsibilities, it can be very daunting. But as a first step we encourage students to introduce themselves to their neighbours, and to respect the fact that not everyone works to a student calendar.
“Campaigns are held throughout the academic year to educate the students about their responsibility whilst living in the community. If we work together we can ensure a thriving, sustainable community which is a cleaner, greener and safer place to live.”
Students make a huge contribution to the communities in which they live, and The University of Nottingham enjoys one of the highest levels of student volunteering in the country. Many of them continue to contribute after they have left the University — by donating household items through the University’s ‘Grab a bag’ scheme at the end of each academic year.
These items are then redistributed into the community at the Lenton Community Centre, a summer event which has become increasingly popular among residents.
This year the University is once again working closely with Nottinghamshire Police to pass on simple crime prevention advice, speaking to the students and their parents as they arrive for the new academic year. In recent years this close collaboration with the Police has helped to reduce the number of crimes against students.
Students are being encouraged to follow simple crime prevention measures such as closing all windows and locking all doors before going out, putting all laptops and valuables out of sight, and using ‘Smart Water’ — the free service available to mark their property so that it can be traced.
Melanie Futer said: “Most burglars are opportunists, and a third of burglaries occurring are through insecurities such as open doors and windows. We hope that by offering some simple advice, we can help more students to take responsibility for their possessions and make sure they don’t give burglars any chances.”
Acting Inspector Anwaar Ahmed, of Nottinghamshire Police, added: “Other simple tips include always going out with a friend, keeping money and credit cards safe and looking after your fellow students. Our neighbourhood police teams will be out speaking to the students, as this will be their neighbourhood whilst they are studying at the university.”
Students will be encouraged to take heed of advice under the banner of the University’s ‘Love Your Stuff’ campaign, which signposts students to www.easily-done.co.uk for crime prevention information.
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Notes to editors: The University of Nottingham, described by The Times as Britain's “only truly global university”, has award-winning campuses in the United Kingdom, China and Malaysia. It is ranked in the UK's Top 10 and the World's Top 75 universities by the Shanghai Jiao Tong (SJTU) and the QS World University Rankings.
The University is committed to providing a truly international education for its 39,000 students, producing world-leading research and benefiting the communities around its campuses in the UK and Asia.
More than 90 per cent of research at The University of Nottingham is of international quality, according to the most recent Research Assessment Exercise, with almost 60 per cent of all research defined as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’. Research Fortnight analysis of RAE 2008 ranked the University 7th in the UK by research power.
The University’s vision is to be recognised around the world for its signature contributions, especially in global food security, energy & sustainability, and health.
More news from the University at: www.nottingham.ac.uk/news
Facts and figures at: www.nottingham.ac.uk/about/facts/factsandfigures.aspx