Safe, welcoming and inclusive

It would come as no surprise that safety and security are important priorities for students when attending university and securing accommodation. As the 2009 Universities Australia position paper on Enhancing the Student Experience and Student Safety asserts, “…an absolute foundation for the student experience is the provision of a safe environment for study and learning and living.”

Deakin Res has always prided ourselves on delivering an outstanding student accommodation experience within a safe, secure, and convenient environment. Vincent Wilson, Chief Executive Officer of Deakin Residential Services notes,

In August each year, Deakin Res conducts its annual Student Experience Survey to seek the feedback and satisfaction levels of current residents. Feedback from the survey in 2020 (which had a 52% response rate) was overwhelmingly positive, particularly in relation to our residents’ sense of safety and security on campus, and Deakin Res’ approach to COVID safety on campus. Of course, safety extends beyond just the physical. Emotional and psychological safety, in terms of feeling connected, accepted and confident that others will not shame, reject or punish us, is equally as important and it was pleasing to note that 97% of residents indicated that they felt ‘safe to be themselves’ whilst living at Deakin Res.

Hailey Silva, Burwood resident, notes that safety and security were top priorities in her decision to live on campus. “I was also looking for somewhere that felt safe as a young woman moving out of home for the first time, and res provided that.” Feeling a sense of belonging and comfort in her new home was also paramount, and Hailey notes that “…the opportunities to meet new people and feel included in a community have made my time on res really positive and helped me to grow as a person.”

Interested to know more? The information detailed above is an excerpt from the second in a series of six research papers being released this year highlighting the value of student accommodation and the residential experience. Access the full paper, and the series here as they are released.