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Elections 2010
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Hi! My name is Kirsty Wilson and I’m a third year psychology and sociology student (after a year’s attempt at nursing!). As VP for Campus and Communications I want to ensure that every single student at the University of Brighton is represented. Whether you’re up ‘til five with two hundred party-goers or you’re up at five on your way to placement, there is a Union there for you.
For me, as a first year student living in Falmer halls, the union stood for the parties, the clubs and my next fancy dress outfit. However, as I progressed through my university career, my focuses expanded beyond the purely social, the Student’s Union, once the focus of my university experience, suddenly held less relevance.
It was the times when I couldn’t afford to go clubbing, the times I had that essay due in and the times I was up at 5am headed to a nursing placement that I needed the union the most. It seemed they were no longer visible because I couldn’t be out with them every night. I know now that the union does so much more but I feel that this needs promotion and expansion so that each student can feel that the SU really can be relevant to them.
I will achieve this by:
· Creating a sense of shared University identity across all campuses by improving the University’s communication resources (The Pebble, UBSU.net, Burst Radio, Social Networking)
The recently revamped UBSU.net is a fantastic resource for communication between students and the SU and across the widely-spread campuses. Students have told me this resource isn’t being used to its full potential and doesn’t always provide the answers they need. I want it to be easier to use and to provide the information you want, creating an accessible, useful area for you.
The SU’s Facebook group is a jumble of private adverts. There should be specific areas for these, whilst a UBSU Facebook page could easily provide a platform for useful conversation and information, not only from Union to student but from student directly to the union’s inbox.
Burst Radio is an exciting student-run station with great music and features that as of yet doesn’t receive enough attention. With promotion and help from the SU, Burst could continue to grow, providing a common thread throughout the student body. It is fantastic projects like this that would help to create a sense of university identity that many feel we have been lacking.
· Working closely with the Students Activities team in order to provide social activities that appeal to every student.
When asking students, many feel the SU do well at providing the big nights out that we know and love. What is missing, however, is variation. You should have a wider variety of nights out as well as day and early evening events that allow a wider range of students to socialise and relax in a university setting. There are many students, including international and mature students and those with academically intense courses who don’t see the appeal of these nights or simply can’t go out late on a Wednesday. Does this mean they should miss out on university life? For those of you who can go out, shouldn’t there be a bit more choice? Bringing more students together will create a real University identity.
· To provide alternative social events, including during the daytime and evening.
Unlike many candidates in previous years I am not making overblown promises about building new bars. This is a long, drawn-out process which hits the same snags every year. However there are spaces and venues on every single campus that are not used to anywhere near their full potential. There are bars, cafes, restaurants or even just spaces on almost every campus that close early in the afternoon that could very easily be used to provide a better quality of campus life; leading to a real sense of the University as an interlinked community.
· Reviving the role of Campus Representatives, ensuring I know exactly what issues are important to those studying and living on each of the campuses.
The existing roles of Campus Representative are currently unfilled. In the past these roles have been a bit of a chore due to the outdated way that information was communicated. This seems a waste of a fantastic opportunity. By reinventing the line of communication I will reinvent the role itself and turn it into a swift, easy and effective means of communication with people who can really help.
· To provide various platforms for direct student contact with all SU Vice Presidents, ensuring we are aware of ALL issues, big or small, relevant to you; from the proposed closure of Phoenix Nursery to the price of a panini on your campus.
Students have told me that they feel detached from the SU, they don’t know who does what and whether they do it at all. As VP for Campus and Communications I want to make the actions of the union more visble, allowing students to see want VP’s and reps are doing and whether their doing it well.
I will do this by:
Ø Setting up internet forums on UBSU.net and widly used social networking sites, allowing quick simple ways of leaving comments, suggestions, problems etc.
Ø Adopting an open-office policy where people can drop in to discuss any issues.
Ø Installing suggestion boxes on each campus.
By then publicising your views in the pebble and UBSU.net I can show your views have been heard and provide visible accountability for our response.
If elected I see that my role would be to ensure all students across all campuses feel that the SU is relevant to them and to ensure that mean of communication between the SU and students and amongst students themselves is at the highest standard it can be. In doing so I believe I can help to establish a sense of university identity which currently appears to be lacking.
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