27 March 2019 
Scott Murdoch, ICT Support Officer
The shortlist for the 2019 CUBO Awards has been announced, with 26 universities and business partners vying for nine awards to be presented on 4 July during the CUBO summer conference in Swansea.
Launched in 2012, the annual CUBO Awards recognise outstanding achievement in campus and commercial services within higher education. The shortlist includes examples of essential services and innovative work being carried out on university campuses today. The 2019 nominees are:
Best Residence Life Initiative
Cardiff Metropolitan University – In a bid to address the mental health of male students, Cardiff Metropolitan University set up a barber’s chair, encouraging them to share concerns while having their hair cut.
University of the Arts London – UAL’s unique annual programme of 1,500 events, coupled with online initiatives delivered through its Hallslife platform, has driven student satisfaction rates up to 86.9 per cent.
University of Leicester – Leicester’s TEA campaign aimed to bring students together with staff and support services. It led to a significant increase in the number of students seeking help and advice.
Leeds Beckett University – Leeds Beckett ran a successful multi-channel campaign to increase engagement among staff. A new set of departmental values was reinforced through internal newsletters, engagement events, social media and departmental awards.
UCL - Creating a single brand focused on student experience helped UCL build a sense of community across 21 disparate halls. Student satisfaction soared to a record 92 percent as a result.
University of Birmingham – Birmingham’s Christmas digital campaign used animation and personalisation to engage staff and customers of its conferences and events service. The intriguing marketing led to a 48 percent rise in subscribers.
Brunel University London – Brunel launched its Free Sport programme after research showed cost was the biggest barrier to student participation. The number of students taking part in sport has risen by 34 percent.
University of Limerick – Limerick offers students free UL Sport membership during their time on campus. Facilities include a 50m swimming pool, 25m diving pool, gym, classes and a personal training programme.
Manchester Metropolitan University – MMU Sport’s Active Campus programme offers more than 55 free activity sessions every week for staff and students. Participation increased by 10 percent between 2016 and 2018.
Edinburgh First, University of Edinburgh – During 2018 Edinburgh First organised 1,648 events, and accommodated more than 42,000 commercial guests. Conference and Events business has grown by 25 per cent in the last four or five years.
Leeds Beckett University – Leeds Beckett’s Campus and Residential Services has increased contribution to the university by three percent year-on-year, through the development of new opportunities, reduction of unnecessary costs and improved staff engagement.
LSE Residential & Catering Services – LSE Residential Services produces a financial surplus from commercial lettings, supporting the provision of a mix of affordable accommodation. It also funds halls maintenance and supports a new Accommodation Bursary scheme.
Future Lets, Coventry University – Bishop Gate halls fulfil a student’s learning and social needs as well as their housing requirements, with private booths to work in, an on-site gym and a state-of-the-art cinema room.
Newcastle University – Park View Student Village, opened in September 2018, delivers efficient, sustainable and environmentally-friendly accommodation to 1,200 students. Its modular design enabled the project to come in £1.5 million under budget.
University of Limerick – An €8.2m refurbishment of 500-bedroom Kilmurry Village included a new common area, replacing single beds with doubles, and revamped bathrooms. Kilmurry has become one of Limerick’s most popular student villages.
London School of Economics – LSE’s decision to move all four of its Undergraduate Catered Halls to “meal inclusive” has supported positive student welfare, a sense of belonging and a more cohesive community feeling.
Newcastle University – Newcastle’s Smart Carts beat the competition by taking catering to the places where staff and students congregate. Units can easily relocate as the campus expands and demand shifts.
University of Manchester – Reacting to increased competition around campus, Manchester turned a canteen into an indoor street food market, with local traders renting space. Sustainability is key and traders use recyclable, biodegradable packaging.
Campuslife Services Village Team, University of Limerick – The team organise, promote, attend and evaluate more than 130 events every year, mostly in the evenings and at weekends. Thanks to their effort events satisfaction has risen to 86 percent.
David Ward, Residential Manager, Royal Holloway, University of London – New systems pioneered by David Ward have significantly improved students’ experience of arriving at their new accommodation as well as raising standards in the College Post and Parcel Service.
Edgbaston Park Hotel and Conference Centre Team, University of Birmingham – The Edgbaston team turned a building site into an outstanding hospitality business. The project included setting up a new company, recruiting over 40 new staff and training 90 team members.
UCL – Housingadvice.london is a website developed by UCL students working with the Accommodation team. It offers advice and professional guidance to first-year students about to leave halls for private sector accommodation.
University of Sheffield – Sheffield introduced LGBT+ exclusive accommodation spread throughout its residences, so students could live with others with shared or similar experiences. The provision has already been extended twice to meet student demand.
Amber Energy - Amber Energy displays energy/water usage on its portal so students can track their building’s usage. Universities can reward students for saving energy/water directly or through donating a percentage of the savings to charity.
Swansea University and First Cymru - First Cymru links Swansea’s two campuses with its 24-hour Unibus service, supporting 45,000 student journeys each week. In the first term dedicated staff help students navigate the bus system.
University of Manchester, Veg Box People and The Kindling Trust – A partnership project saw a box of locally-sourced vegetables and recipe book delivered to every self-catering student flat. This encouraged new residents to cook together, make friends and eat healthily.
The CUBO Lifetime Achievement Award goes to a university commercial services professional and will also be revealed on Awards Night.
Congratulations and good luck to all nominees, and thanks to everyone who took the time to enter for an award: the body of work presented is a testament to the university sector.
The winners will be revealed at the CUBO Awards on the evening of Thursday 4 July, during the CUBO summer conference at Swansea University Bay Campus. And tying in with the 2019 conference theme of Innovative Partnerships, shortlisted entries for Business Partner of the Year will feature as conference workshop sessions.
