This report looks into the feedback of 1,502 students from 120 different institutions and across 51 different BUCS sports to understand the experience that students are having when participating in BUCS competitions and events.
This report highlights the overall experience that participants are having, the impact participating in BUCS sport is having on their overall higher education experience, factors which are enhancing and detracting from their experience, the role of club committee members and the experience they are having when engaging with BUCS.
Naturally there are areas where, as a sector, we are excelling and areas that require improvement. As part of the report, there are recommendations present for both the BUCS Executive and member higher education institutions.
Will Roberts, Chief Executive Officer at BUCS said: “This report captures vital insights that help ensure we are focussed on what matters to students as we strive to fulfil our mission to provide exceptional student sporting experiences that inspire, develop, and unite. The report highlights the essential role that sport continues to play in shaping students’ university experiences, providing not only physical benefits but also significant social, emotional, and cultural value.
“At BUCS, we are committed to continuously improving the student sport experience and thank all those institutions and students who ensure that we secured a strong response to the survey. This is critical to the ongoing vitality and success of university sport, and we look forward to working with members and students to further the reach and learning potential of the survey in its future iterations.
“I hope that this report will spark productive conversations within institutions and help to further enrich the student sport experience across the country. Together, we can continue to create environments that inspire, develop and unite students, both on and off the field.”
Below are the main summary points from the report.
Positive experience being had by students
Broadly speaking, the experience that students are having currently in competitive higher education sport is a positive one and one that is on the up. This positive experience is one that is being fuelled by the support to their mental wellbeing, the pride felt by representing their institution, the sense of belonging it brings to their institution community and supporting their interaction with a culturally and socially wider group of students.
Although the experience of most students is a positive one, there is progression to be made to ensure that all students are having a sporting experience that inspire, develop and unite.
Improvements in BUCS Play
The survey revealed that engagement with the BUCS Play app was the most detracting factor in the overall student experience with BUCS. The NPS score for BUCS student experience for the overall population is 20, but this falls to 7 for responders who rated BUCS Play engagement negatively. The qualitative data echoes this negative sentiment finding that numerous students had issues along the themes of the app being slow, buggy and difficult to navigate. Improvement to the BUCS Play app in relation to the infrastructure and event section are planned to be rolled out within the 2024-25 sporting season, which aim to improve the user's experience.
The value of club committee members
Club committee members play a critical role in enhancing the student sporting experience within BUCS. The club committee were the biggest enhancer of the student sporting experience with 65.2% of students reporting that they enhanced their student experience. These roles require substantial time commitment from the students involved and their commitment reflects the passion and dedication these students have for their clubs..
Other detractors from experience highlighted
Below BUCS Play, the most significant detractor was how universities promoted their team or sport successes, with 23.6% of students reporting this as a negative factor. Closely following this, 22.7% of students indicated that the standard of officiating detracted from their experience, citing inconsistencies and poor-quality decisions that affected game outcomes.
The full report and list of recommendations can be found below.
