Elections 2021 - Building a legacy
I am an LLB graduate from the University of Wolverhampton, having undertaken a year of study abroad, and I am currently a Postgraduate Student studying for my LLM Legal Practice Course. I believe that for change to come, actions must be taken. Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, we have been learning how to distance ourselves and keep apart but into the new academic year, we must move forward into looking at how we can come together again. Plans for both during the pandemic and post-Covid are as equally as important as each other, ensuring that we can transition back to everyday life. Throughout my time at the university I have gained numerous transferrable skills, both from my course and during work experience opportunities such as volunteering at Barnardo’s, taking part in a mentoring scheme under the Environment Agency, and being a student representative at City of Wolverhampton Council’s Welfare Rights Service. These experiences gave me communication and advocacy skills which I intend to use to obtain the best resources and decisions for all students.
The pandemic has impacted different areas and members of society differently and to ensure that all students have an equal opportunity to engage with university resources and to ensure that their needs are met communication between myself and the entire student community is key.
All students have different needs and the ability to voice concerns to ensure that these are addressed is vital, this allows for all members of the student community to have their voices heard and receive the best support and environment possible both in the Student Union and throughout the University. The global pandemic has led us to utilise technology and the opportunities it can provide. Below I have set out plans for both during Covid and post-Covid to ensure that we can not only utilise the technology available to use in the short term to stay connected to achieve equality and maintain our diverse student body whilst still needing to remain apart but to plan for the future.
Encouraging diversity and inclusivity within the student body is key to promote a well-rounded and joyful student experience. Representation and equality for all students is at the forefront of my proposal. Below are my plans to achieve this:
Covid –
- Greater interaction with all members of the university community through weekly Q&As with society chairs and committees.
- Biweekly pre-submitted Q&As from students posted on the Student Union Facebook page
- Communications with food banks and local community groups to increase the number of food parcels and support available for struggling students.
- Virtual culture nights, hosted cooking segments from members of different cultures throughout the University and collaborative events to engage all students in cross-cultural events.
Post-Covid –
- Greater promotion of events throughout all buildings on all campuses.
- Culture nights to demonstrate just the diverse nature of the University of Wolverhampton student body.
- Promotion of the use of SU spaces, The Venue always being used for social gatherings and ensuring that all students can regain a sense of community and social interaction.
- Create better links between campuses to ensure that all students can fully attend SU events across all campuses, propose 1 night-bus per hour until 3am on the nights of SU events.
- More interaction and communication with Wolverhampton Wanderers and the use of the Molineux stadium.
- Women-only spaces in the SU
Through doing these I personally aim to listen, understand, and build upon the student experience we all currently have and to ensure that the quality of the student experience is even better for future years. I hope I can count on your vote, and together let’s build a legacy.