The 'Student House', the future project that could transform a social club at the University of Alicante

The University of Alicante aims to establish a 'Student House' as soon as possible. To achieve this, the Student Council of the academic institution has presented this proposal in the participatory budgets, seeking community support to bring this project to fruition.

The idea behind this proposal is to utilise an existing space. According to TodoAlicante, the chosen location - if selected - would be in one of the unused wings of Social Club 2, to establish a "physical, welcoming, and versatile" point for associations and open to all students.

The project, valued at 40,000 euros, would serve as a "free, horizontal, and collaborative" meeting point, as detailed in the proposal, where assemblies, informal meetings, workshops, screenings, study groups, and cultural or social activities directly driven by students could take place.

Currently, the project justification explains, the University of Alicante lacks a "stable, centralised, and conditioned" space exclusively for the work of associations and collectives, which "limits the continuity of many initiatives and the possibility of generating a real university community".

Therefore, this 'Student House' would offer a specific infrastructure that "facilitates collective work, activity planning, and regular student participation", representing an investment that would be an opportunity to "strengthen university democracy, highlight the role of students, and dignify the time and effort many people contribute".

In terms of logistics, the Student Council of the University of Alicante proposes a shared management model with "a participatory use regulation, open calendars for activities and simple, accessible reservation mechanisms". Additionally, it would serve as an information point for the CEUA and the rectorate, and a "reference" for the community.

Furthermore, the project aligns with the electoral commitments of Rector Amparo Navarro, who included in her programme the goal of "enhancing spaces for student life and creating the Student House".

The UA will allocate a total of 200,000 euros to the participatory budgets, with a maximum of 40,000 euros per proposal, which will be integrated into the General Budget of the university and must be definitively approved by the Social Council. Voting will remain open until this 15th of October.

Among other proposals presented to the participatory budgets, the installation of lockers for students, incorporating drinking water fountains in the 24-hour room of the General Library, creating outdoor study areas, or implementing noise detection devices in shared spaces stand out.