Senate House Update
This webpage has been put together to provide information on Bristol SU services being provided from Senate House.
Bristol SU is changing to become more of a multi-site organisation. Based on student feedback, we're bringing some of the support and services we offer to Senate House from 22 April 2024. We'll be bringing our Welcome Desk, Academic Advice Service, your elected SU Officers and other staff right to the heart of campus. You'll still be able to access events, activity rooms, study space, and more in the Richmond Building.
Latest Updates
22 April
Our move to Senate House has now taken place and our services are available in person again.
We’d love you to come and say hi to us in our new space on the 5th floor!
The foyer space isn’t the final version yet, so there will be further work taking place later this year whilst we make it a more welcoming space for you. We’ll keep you updated on any further closures for this work to take place.
Further information and answers to frequently asked questions can be found below. If you have a question which isn’t answered, please feel free to contact us at bristolsu@bristol.ac.uk
Key Benefits for Students
- We'll be bringing key SU services to the heart of campus - making it easier for student to access advice, learning and development opportunities, SU democracy and campaigns, and your elected officer team
- It'll be easier than ever to pop in to your SU and have a chat with a staff member about something you care about
- We'll be reducing the size of our office space, minimizing our energy consumption, and creating more space for teaching and tutoring
- We'll be in the right place to facilitate our offer of wellbeing and community activities in our other much-loved Senate House spaces
- The SU taking on the space secured the long-term future of two large Senate House rooms for student group activities - which only happens if the SU are the tenants
We've pulled together some Frequently Asked Questions for you to find out more about this change and what it might mean.
We expect to move and be accessible from our new office location from Monday 22 April 2024. Below you can see what you will be able to expect from each location.
What will I find where?
Here is an overview of what you'll be able to find in each space from 22 April:
The Richmond Building
- Bristol SU Shop
- Bristol SU Event Spaces
- Bristol SU Activity Rooms
5th Floor Senate House
- Bristol SU Welcome Desk
- Bristol SU Academic Advice
- Bristol SU Staff team
- Bristol SU Activity Rooms
- Bristol SU Development team meetings
Questions about the change
What is changing?
We regularly get feedback from students that we're too far away, so we're bringing our support and services right to the heart of campus, becoming more of a multi-site organisation. You'll be able to access our Welcome Desk, Academic Advice service and see SU officers and staff on the 5th floor of Senate House. However, we're not moving completely. We'll also keep a small office in The Richmond Building (alongside our event and activity spaces) for staff who need to work here.
When will the change take place?
We expect to have completed the move by Monday 22 April 2024. There will still be some additional work required in the fifth floor foyer / welcome area which we anticipate will be completed during the summer months.
Will there be any changes to the services provided by Bristol SU due to the move?
No! What we offer students will stay the same, the quality of our services will stay the same, but more services will be delivered from Senate House.
What will I be able to find where?
- Bristol SU Shop - The Richmond Building
- Bristol SU Event Spaces - The Richmond Building Bristol
- SU Activity Rooms - The Richmond Building and Senate House
- Bristol SU Academic Advice - 5th Floor Senate House Bristol
- SU Staff Team - 5th Floor Senate House
- Bristol SU Welcome Desk - 5th Floor Senate House
- Bristol SU Development team meetings - 5th Floor Senate House
Will there be any disruption to ongoing events, activities or services during the move?
We're trying to ensure that the move disrupts our usual activity as little as possible. All the services that currently run from the Richmond building will continue to do so until the move over.
The 5th floor of Senate House is now closed in order for building works to take place. We have been able to find alternative space for all affected student group bookings. We are continuing conversations with the university about study space on campus, making it clear that this is a priority.
Bristol SU staff and services will be accessible online or via phone W/C 15 April only. We anticipate services being back to normal from Monday 22 April.
Will there be any changes in opening hours or staff availability?
No. The SU Welcome desk will continue to be open from 9am-5pm in Senate House from Monday 22 April, once we have changed location.
How much is it costing the SU to move?
The University is funding the move as part of budgeted spend.
What is happening to the student space on the 5th Floor?
The fifth floor in Senate House has temporarily been a space available to students, although the University's plan has always been to repurpose the space. If we weren't to take the space for our offices, then it would instead go to another University department. With Bristol SU taking the space, we've managed to retain the use of rooms 5.20 and 5.22 for student group activity in the evening.
We know that there is a shortage of study space on campus and we are actively lobbying the University to find additional space for students to study and to make it easier to find out which study spaces have availability. The study space in the Richmond Building will remain available for students to study, and we're looking at increasing the capacity of this during peak assessment times.
From Thursday 25 April - Friday 31 May the Carpenter Room in the Richmond Building will be able to be used throughout the day, during weekdays and weekends, to help provide additional study space for students.
Will any of the space still be able to be used by students?
Once the building work and move have taken place, student groups will be able to continue to use rooms 5.20 and 5.22 for their activities in the evenings.
How will this affect study space during assessments?
We know that there is a shortage of study space on campus and we are actively lobbying the University to find additional space for students to study and to make it easier to find out which study spaces have availability.
We've pulled together an alternative guide to study spaces which you might find useful.
From Thursday 25 April - Friday 31 May the Carpenter Room in the Richmond Building will be able to be used throughout the day, during weekdays and weekends, to help provide additional study space for students.
What is replacing the SU's old office location?
CALD (the Centre for Academic Language and Development) will be expanding to take over the previous SU Office spaces on the 3rd and 4th floors of the Richmond Building.
Questions about Student Groups
How will this affect student group room bookings?
We have been able to find alternative space for all student group bookings affected by the building work, and we are pleased to have worked with the university to identify additional spaces that can be used by student groups on an ad-hoc basis this term.
Depending on how these spaces are looked after, we hope that we might be able to extend access to spaces in the Hawthorns into next academic year. We have also had confirmation that the CALD seminar rooms will be available for student group bookings in the evenings next academic year.
Which rooms will no longer be available for student group room bookings?
The following rooms at Senate House will no longer be available for student group room bookings. 5.04 (small) 5.05 (small) 5.07 (small) 5.10 (medium) The Gromit room and Hannah More room in the Richmond Building will no longer be available for student group room bookings in the evening. We are actively looking for alternative solutions for groups who previously used those rooms.
Will there be parcel storage for student groups?
Yes, we will have some space for us to receive post and parcels on behalf of student groups. Exactly what is available will be confirmed soon.
Is the Media Suite moving too?
The Media Suite is not included in the plans for the 5th floor of Senate House. We are in contact with Epigram and UBTV about the plans for the media suite and the university have found them an alternative space.
Will the space still be used by students?
Once the move and building work have taken place, student groups will be able to continue to use rooms 5.20 and 5.22 for their activities in the evenings.
Got a question which hasn't been answered? Just get in touch at bristolsu@bristol.ac.uk and someone will get back to you soon.
Alternative Study Space
- There are eight libraries and four study centres that can be used by any student at the University. Want to guarantee a space? You can book up to 20 hours of study desk space a week, and there are group study spaces you can book too.
- Use the University Study Space Finder to check availability.
- There is study space available in the Richmond Building providing a range of different seating options, some PCs and whiteboards available, great views and even a microwave to heat up your lunch on the second floor!
- There are city council libraries all over the city, that have a range of different opening hours (some stay open into the early evening).
