Brianna Dubrey


Student Voice in Designing Student Spaces: A Qualitative Pilot Study

The recent renovation to one of the few study spaces at the University of Minnesota Rochester has come as a surprise to many, as the university’s administration failed to communicate the remodel plans with the student body. The absence of student voice in decision-making has resulted in the removal of independent study rooms, which were vital towards students’ feelings of safety, privacy, and academic success. Team members created a shared semi-structured interview geared towards our research objective and conducted interviews with informed consent and confidentiality of PUBH 3531 students. Four interviews were directed, audio-recorded, and ranged from 25 to 30 minutes. Interviews were transcribed and coded. Findings show accessible study spaces that are designed to meet student needs aid in student success. However, students feel there was a lack of clarity and outreach in the student input process during the renovation and generally prefer the pre-covid study space design, representing the need for more private study rooms. A policy should be implemented that encourages and integrates student input into the design process of student spaces; this is imperative to ensuring students have a safe environment that sets them up for academic success and shows students that their ideas are valued.