OUSA is hoping to ensure the return of the 24 Hour Study Space for second semester exam time this year.
The initiative, which saw the Clubs and Socs building on Albany Street extend its opening hours pasts its usual 10:30pm closing time, was hugely popular among students, who packed out the available rooms after dark. Keen observers would witness a nightly mass exodus of tired students lugging bags across the road each night as the alarms screamed for them to get out of Central Library, setting up shop in the Study Space and smashing shitty instant coffee in a frantic attempt to scrape a passing grade. This reporter credits the 24 Hour Study Space as entirely responsible for getting me through Labour Law.
The facility proved so popular that OUSA opted to extend its initial 10 day run to a full 14 days including weekends, though the cost of the extra security personnel required to keep the building open put a strain on the OUSA Budget, requiring money to be funnelled from both the Campaigns and Recreation departments. As such, it was not considered financially viable for the student’s association to operate a similar program in Semester two.
However, OUSA President Laura Harris says that the Study Space was never meant to be an ongoing service by the student’s association, but rather was intended as an attempt to prove to the University the need and demand for more all-hours study areas on campus.
While nothing is confirmed yet, Harris says she has been working closely with University staff to explore the possibility of the Study Space returning with backing of Library Services. A Study Space run by the University would be a slightly different affair, with free coffee and noodles unlikely to return. Surveys of students who frequented the centre found that numbers decreased significantly after 3am, so a Semester two centre could end up being more of a late-night facility than a true all-hours space.
Also under consideration are proposals for the University to open up more on-campus buildings for access after 11pm, with St David's being a likely prospect.