ICU apologises for issues with digital systems
Imperial College Union (ICU) responded to an open letter criticising flaws in its digital transformation, shared in the wake of the Union’s rocky move of the Student Group Shop from eActivities to SUMS.
The letter, attributed to “a collective” of students, was addressed to the ICU Board of Trustees in late February, asking for the Union to apologise for “repeatedly deploying inadequate digital systems” and to commit to more transparency and student consultation.
“[T]here are areas where we have not met the standard you should expect, and we have not done enough to bring students with us through this process,” reads the response published on ICU’s blog on 9th March. “We know that is frustrating, and we are sorry.”
Individual student representatives had echoed the open letter’s frustration at a number missing features on the new SUMS-based Student Group Shop, such as the introduction of mandatory ICU approval for new products and resulting delays, or the impossibility of adding product descriptions or images.
ICU said they were “grateful” for student feedback and “actively working” to address ongoing issues, committing to a two-day approval delay for product approvals and promising to improve their communications.
It was also announced that the unpopular “ICU Orders” app, which in September 2025 became necessary for students to obtain discounts at Union-run venues, would be replaced by September 2026.
“We know there is more work to do, and we are committed to doing it,” ICU wrote. “We will continue working to understand better how to communicate with all students and how to consult on future changes.”
