Student hall support team concerned as Imperial propose halving Warden numbers in restructuring

Imperial is set to halve the number of Wardens in its halls of residence and remove Assistant Warden roles altogether, replacing them with a centrally based team of professional out-of-hours staff. Warden roles are performed by volunteer staff  members, not students. 

The proposal, put to the Education and Student Experience Committee (ESEC) this October, sets out a “hybrid model” for the 2026-27 academic year, which the College describes as a structured transition period. 

Under the plan, full-time-equivalent out-of-hours advisers led by a manager would cover evenings, weekends, and closure periods. Live-in Sub-Wardens would remain first responders, escalating to the out-of-hours adviser team, who would be in charge of management and training. 

Wardens, renamed, would focus on community building, events, and local disciplinary matters. Hall Seniors are retained. 

The proposed out-of-hours team would be comprised of dedicated professional services staff, working alongside Sub-Wardens to provide pastoral support, manage more complex cases and strengthen safeguarding procedures.

The College attributes the changes to a rise in the number and complexity of student welfare cases, arguing that relying on staff whose primary responsibilities lie elsewhere is no longer sustainable. Previous struggles with recruiting volunteers to Warden and Assistant Warden positions were also mentioned. Whether these recruiting struggles were due to application numbers or applicant's suitability for the roles was not disclosed. 

Members of Imperial College Union and other key stakeholders have been consulted in the development of the proposal, with the College confirming their feedback has proved essential in the development of the proposal. 

An ICU spokesperson has expressed concerns relating the increased responsibilities and commitments that would be associated to sub-Wardens, as well as confusion regarding details of their consultation process. ICU are keen to continue communications with both live-in-staff and the Student Support team to ensure student views are well represented.

One Sub-Warden told Felix that the departure of senior live-in colleagues could mean increased responsibilities, expressing concern that staff who do not live in halls may be less familiar with residents and slower to respond to incidents.

For residents, the restructuring would change how pastoral support is organised outside normal working hours. Sub-Wardens would remain the first responders, while more complex cases would be escalated to a central team of out-of-hours advisers. 

However, the College's proposed model raises questions about how support would operate across halls, including how quickly advisers could respond to incidents and how continuity of care would be maintained when staff are not based in residents' accommodation.