Students report feeling frustrated after a campus-wide power outage rendered study spaces, including the library, unusable.
At around 3 pm on Thursday, 7th April, a mass power cut affecting 14 buildings on campus (including Falmer House, Sussex House, The Library and Silverstone) led to students being evacuated. As a result, many students’ studies were disrupted at the most crucial time of year. The affected buildings lost power, leaving no lighting, Wi-Fi, or power outlets available, and students were left congregating on the grass outside, unsure of their next move.
One student explained their frustration about losing power and wifi during exam season, saying, “My diss is due on Monday and I was made to leave the library. Many Students, including myself, rely on the library’s resources and computers to get their work done.” They went on to state their belief that “every student affected by this should be able to claim exceptional circumstances.”
With many students working part-time alongside their degrees during assignment season, it is more important than ever that they are able to stick to the schedules they set when they may have had minimal spare time to complete projects.
Another student shared that she went to the library to complete an assignment due at 10 am the next day. She explained, “My house is really noisy, and I can’t focus there. When I moved to the student centre [after the evacuation], there was nowhere to sit, and it was really noisy, but there was nowhere else to work on campus with power and space.”
This builds upon the mounting frustrations that the University seems to be prioritising recommending the student centre as a study space, even when power is available. Other students have reflected on their disappointment that the library is no longer open 24 hours, especially when they are trying to write their assignments, as the late-night workspace has been moved to the student centre. However, the student centre lacks space, resources (such as computers and books), and designated quiet areas, making it less than ideal during busy assignment periods.
A member of the Students’ Union alleged that the power cut was caused by issues at the power plant, suggesting the outage was beyond the University’s control. Internal Comms emailed the student population, informing them that the Facilities and Estates teams are on site and that specialist teams are en route to investigate the cause and restore power as quickly as possible. We are in contact with the relevant teams and will provide a further update as soon as more information is available. They also requested that students avoid affected areas and not attempt to re-enter evacuated buildings.
They proceeded to address the issue as quickly as possible, managing to fix the problem overnight, allowing students back into affected spaces within 24 hours.