Report SUB Survey 2023

The social media campaign about the results of the 2023 SUB Survey is in German. In order to ensure that everyone understands the important insights this survey gave us about students at the University of Bern, we translated the whole campaign to English. These are the most important findings. 

These are the most important insights
These are the most important insights

Translated Social Media Campaing

01.11.23 Feedpost

The report of the SUB Survey 2023 results is online as of today!
The SUB is committed to the well-being of students. For this reason, a large-scale survey is conducted every three years among all students at the University of Bern to capture their interests, needs and opinions  across different areas. The goal is to be able to represent their interests in the best possible way before the university, the canton and on a national level.
The SUB Survey 2023 includes the following topics:- Studying and family- Studying and housing- Studying and working- Mobility and exchange- Campus- Teaching- Well-being at university
The 2023 SUB survey had a response rate of XZ percent. The average respondent is female and 23 years old.
Find a link to report in bio!


01.11.23 Story 1: Well-being at university

Slide 1
About a quarter of respondents reported suffering from chronic or persistent health conditions. Of these, almost 50% have mental or psychological problems. And there’s more to the story:

Slide 2
Additionally, their well-being was assessed according to WHO-5. This scale is used as a screening tool for depression. A score of 50 is the threshold below which further investigations are undertaken.

Slide 3
The result is worrisome: the average score among respondents is 50.79. While the average for male respondents is 55.48, the score for females (48.62) and non-binary (43.17) is well below the threshold.

Slide 4
Do you feel unwell or do you know someone who suffers from mental health problems? At the Universities of Bern Counselling Centre you can arrange a free consultation and talk to trained therapists about your situation.Slide 5There are also the SUB groups @minbalancebern and @neurodivergentesznacht that advocate for mental health at the University of Bern.

07.11.23 Story 2: Discrimination

Slide 1
Overall, around one in ten survey participants has already been discriminated against at the University of Bern. The most frequently cited reasons for discrimination are gender identity, religion, and social origin and position.

Slide 2
Only 4% of students indicated that they had reported the incident. Thus, there is still a lot of room for improvement in raising awareness about discrimination incidents and the effort required to report discrimination incidents.

Slide 3
Better information about contact points and more awareness of discriminatory incidents are wanted. The SUB works to raise awareness with regular events on discrimination issues. You can contact us, we will help you:

14.11.23 Story 3: Sexualized harassment

Slide 1
8% of the survey participants have already experienced sexualized harassment. In most cases, the sexual harassment originated from a fellow student and took place on the university campus in 58% of the cases.

Slide 2
Only one person who stated in the survey that they had experienced sexualized harassment at the university had reported this incident to a contact point.Only 53% of the survey participants were aware of the counseling center of the Bern universities.

Slide 3
On the SUB website you will find offers and information on the topic of sexualized harassment. Since we do not have the necessary counseling skills, the SUB has a triage function, supports victims and informs about contact points.

Slide 4
The SUB replaces the term «sexual harassment» with «sexualized harassment.» This emphasizes that it is not something sexual, since sex requires consensus. Anything sexual without consensus is at most sexualized.

21.11.23 Story 4: Studying and family

Slide 1
50% of the surveyed students with child(ren) state that childcare and studies are still difficult to reconcile. And about 70% have to organize their studies deviating from the curriculum because of childcare.

Slide 2
They would like to see a standardized attendance policy at the university and that absences do not count if one’s child is sick. Podcasts would contribute to better compatibility of studies and parenthood. In addition, they would like to see stronger financial support for student parents and the abolition of the increase in semester fees for their study time extensions.

Slide 3
Are you also a student with kid(s)? Do you have demands that have not yet been mentioned? That's why we have the SUB KiStE - the network for student parents. There you can exchange ideas with other students with kids and make us aware of your wishes and needs.

28.11.23 Story 5: Studying and housin

Slide 1
41% of the students surveyed still live with their parents. Of the remaining 60%, 39% live in shared apartments, 12% with a partner and around 8% alone.

Slide 2
The median rent paid by students who do not live with their parents is 690 francs, an increase of 40 francs since the SUB 2020 survey (CHF 650).

Slide 3
Looking for an apartment? Then take a look at the SUB housing platform!

Slide 4
In addition, the SUB generally advocates for more affordable student housing. You can find more housing options on the info site of the University of Bern

05.12.23 Story 6: Studying and working

Slide 1
82% of the students surveyed were employed during the past 12 months. In comparison, students at the University of Bern have a higher employment rate than the average of all students in Switzerland (73%). The main reason given by students working during their studies is the necessity to finance their livelihood.

Slide 2
Master's students have a median monthly wage of CHF 1150.–, Bachelor's students of CHF 800.–. Male and non-binary students earn better than female students.

Slide 3
Are you looking for a job? Then you might find what you are looking for on the SUB portal «Studijob».Slide 4
Do you have questions regarding the financing of your studies or do you need (financial) support? Then check out the SUB's offers and information on the social fund and the information page on student financing.

12.12.23 Story 7: Teaching

Slide 1
The majority of students are generally satisfied with the teaching content. However, 51% would like to see more podcasts. The majority is not aware that the University of Bern has issued a directive on the provision of podcasts.

Slide 2
The level of satisfaction with the provision of podcasts differs considerably depending on the subject studied. While only 6% of medical students would like to see more podcasts, the share of law students is around 95%. With 63-95%, students in faculties offering hardly any podcasts would like to see  a more comprehensive range of podcasts.

Slide 3
The Student Council of the University of Bern (SR), together with the SUB, has started a petition for compulsory podcasting of lectures at the University of Bern. This was signed by XXXX students. 

19.12.23 Story 8: Gender-inclusive language

Slide 1
Overall, 60% of students support the use of gender-inclusive language at the University of Bern, only 18% of exclusively male students are against it. While a clear majority of non-binary and female students support gender-inclusive language, only 41% of male students do.

Slide 2
The current implementation of gender-inclusive language is found to be (very) good by 56% of males, but only 22% of non-binary persons. This assessment varies greatly depending on the group of people surveyed: only 29% of medical students find the implementation (very) good, but 78% of students at the Faculty of Theology.

Slide 3
In the position paper on equality and equal opportunities (GER), the SUB demands from the University of Bern a critical examination of language and the use of consistently gender-inclusive, diversity-sensitive and discrimination-free language.

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