University staff pushed to ‘take more students’ while privately preparing for complaints and overcrowding

The University of Warwick urged its departments to “take more students” last year, despite raising concerns that the decision could have “consequences” for its undergraduates, The Boar can exclusively report.

Meeting notes, seen by The Boar, show that departments were asked as early as April to increase undergraduate (UG) intake for the 2025/26 academic year.

By June, the University was already “projected to exceed original UG student intake targets, with nearly 1,200 more students than last year”. Many of these increases were included in “the official student number plan by Finance and Admissions”.

Minutes from an Accommodation Strategic Planning Group meeting on 28 April show that staff were aware that not all first-year students would be housed on campus

While making this decision, the University were aware of the severe consequences an increased intake could have for its students.

Minutes from an Accommodation Strategic Planning Group meeting on 28 April show that staff were aware that not all first-year students would be housed on campus. The same documents reveal that discussions occurred in the same month surrounding the need to offer “reassurance” that students would be accommodated “within walking distance to campus”.

This “reassurance” would however be an empty promise. Many of the 628 first years allocated off-campus accommodation were placed in central Coventry, a bus ride away from the University.

The plan to “take more students” had an almost immediate impact with an “increase of 800 applicants eligible for accommodation” on 22 May, compared to the same point in the previous year.

These statistics triggered alarm bells internally with staff raising concerns “over the numbers”, appreciating they “could have significant consequences for our students”.

Staff began drafting ‘communications’ and ‘pages for parents’ regarding the off-campus accommodation [in June]. Meeting notes also show that staff spoke of ‘managing complaints’ which were pre-empted from students

As concerns intensified, the University began searching for solutions. In June, staff at a meeting said Warwick would “need to go to other partner providers” to house the surplus of students.

Later that month, staff began drafting “communications” and “pages for parents” regarding the off-campus accommodation. Meeting notes also show that staff spoke of “managing complaints” which were pre-empted from students and their families.

Questions were also raised over what support would be “provided to the students who will be residing off-campus”.

At this point, however, prospective students had no clear idea that off-campus housing was a possibility. Mentions of ‘partner provider’ accommodation were buried in the University’s Allocation Principles and not explicitly mentioned to students at open days and offer holder days. There is no record of Warwick’s partner provider system having been used before this academic year.

Not a single first-year found out that they would be given an off-campus bed until after results day, at a point more than two months after internal conversations were had about complaints, and four months after assurances of “walking distance” accommodation.

Almost a month after results day, on 16 September, it was noted that 37 students were still without a room, either on or off campus

Once the situation was revealed publicly by the University, the plans were met with widespread criticism from parents and pupils alike.

The drama was still not over in the weeks before the academic year begun. Almost a month after results day, on 16 September, it was noted that 37 students were still without a room, either on or off campus. They were to be placed in “temporary accommodation” while the University waited to see whether withdrawals would make beds available.

At the same time, however, The Boar are aware that some rooms on-campus had been allocated to international students who had not yet accepted their university offers – meaning rooms were possibly being held open for a student who would never actually enrol at Warwick. The University did not comment on why this was the case.

The University did tell The Boar though that “a small number of students were offered temporary accommodation on campus”, as “we anticipated that a small number of permanent accommodation would become available during Term 1, as is typical each year, due to student withdrawals and other changes”.

University staff also began visiting partner provider accommodation blocks, where those off campus were given rooms, ahead of Welcome Week to distribute welcome packs.

It was noted that they should also send over information about the University’s Residential Community Teams, who run activities and provide peer support for students living on-campus.

[The University] proactively prepare for a range of scenarios, ensuring that robust plans are in place and ready to be implemented when required

University statement

Despite these efforts, affected first-years, many of whom had put Warwick as a firm choice, told The Boar that they lack a “sense of community” off-campus. These students have started their time in higher education with resentment towards the University that they had dreamt of attending.

The University told The Boar in a statement that “they proactively prepare for a range of scenarios, ensuring that robust plans are in place and ready to be implemented when required.”

They added: “Every eligible first-year student received an offer of accommodation in line with our Allocation Principles. This includes on-campus accommodation or within one of our partnership providers, both of which are included in our university-allocated accommodation guarantee.

“This year, we increased the number of on-campus accommodation available to first-year students compared to last year. Due to an exceptionally high demand for accommodation, some students were allocated rooms off-campus with our partnership providers.”