Results from the Mercator Survey 2010

All results are based on the 103 valid questionnaires filled out by Mercator residents in May 2010.

SERVERY

“Eating together with friends” is the most important factor, followed by “meeting new people”. “Decoration” is not statistically significant, but many people mention it as a point of improvement. Several people mention installing a sound system and playing light music during mealtimes, but this is not realistic by and large.

COMMON ROOM
“Hanging out with friends” is the most common usage of the common room, followed by “study group meetings”. Merrier, colorful furniture is a point of improvement.

GAMES + TV ROOMS

Games room is “liked”, and the TV room is liked “very much”. No significant points of improvement necessary.

WEBSITE

Mercator website is not visited often. The most common reasons for visiting are the Face of the Month section and access to jFood and jPeople.

QSA
It’s liked. Points of improvement are: providing more power sockets, stable WLAN, more workspace.

LAUNDRY ROOMS
Mercatorians are generally happy with the laundry rooms, but recommend getting new machines and having regular cleaning since there is a lot of dust on the floor.

SMOKERS’ LOUNGE
13.6% of respondents actually use the smoker’s lounge, and most of them like it. Respondents are divided on making Mercator a smoke-free college: Yes = 45.6% ; No = 50.5% ; Neutral = 1.9% (the rest did not answer). Points of improvement to the lounge are: better ventilation, air freshener, better lighting.

KITCHENS
Respondents are more dissatisfied with the available kitchen equipment, but many remark they would be okay with what is provided if it would not go missing all the time. Aramark crockery lying about and dirty kitchens are major problems for many respondents. Noise, smoking in common areas, and theft are identified as minor or no problems. Students sharing a wall with their floor kitchens complain about noise – better noise insulation and making the door slam more gently are possible points of improvement.

SECURITY
Many respondents know the Mercator emergency number, and almost everyone knows the porters’ number. Most respondents dialed the Mercator emergency phone rarely, if ever, and mostly when locked out. When facing different emergencies, respondents usually choose the most appropriate contact. No need for further instruction in that area.
The incidents we included in the questionnaire (e.g. open doors, fire alarm malfunctions, thefts) do not accurately predict students’ feeling of safety. That feeling itself, though, is high and does not require further action on our side.

MANAGEMENT
Between 94 and 96% of respondents indicate they know the CMs, RAs, COM, and CO team. The evening opening hours are satisfactory. Possible further improvements are having opening hours on Saturdays as well, and extending the opening hours until midnight. Many do not find the afternoon hours useful. 93% rate the team as “helpful”.
Between 86.4 and 96.1% find the college staff “friendly”, and between 83 and 86% find them “interactive”. RAs, who are rated as “interactive” by only 59.2% of respondents, might need to be more visible, approachable, and sociable. The COM is rated as “interactive” by 65% of respondents, but this is normal since not everyone spends time at the college office☺

SOCIALS
Respondents find college-organized events important and rate them favorably both in terms of number and quality. No major improvements can be envisaged.

HOME ☺
98% of respondents feel comfortable in Mercator College. 1% (i.e. 1 roughly one person) feel uncomfortable, and 1% did not respond. The three-word descriptions of Mercator often feature “home”, “friendly”, and “cozy”. Overall, Mercator College boasts an excellent community spirit and feeling of belongingness: activities with friends are rated high, and almost all respondents spend the majority of their time in the company of other Mercatorians. The atmosphere created by the college staff is often singled out as a reason to feel comfortable here.

special thanks to Ognyan A. Seizov and Lara Vujovic