Hey everyone,

Just a quick update - I promised this last night at Student Parliament - that I would announce exactly what my priorities are post referendum, and what projects and tasks I am having to reduce my involvement in to make time to effectively support the aims of the referendum. Here are these lists:

My new project priority list is as follows:

• Student Voice
• Referendum
• Spring term
• Examinations
• Online learning Best Practice
• Academic Year 21/22 planning
• Essex Abroad Graduation
• COVID Learning Big Plan
• WiFi Big Plan
• Student Parent Space
• Supporting closing of the feedback loop

As well as continuing to attend my regular catch ups with both University and SU staff, continuing my support for Student Reps where I can, continue sitting on and representing students on crucial committees such as Education and Senate, but also on steering groups like Bounce Back Education. I will also, of course, continue to carry out my job description as provided in bylaw 4.

In response to the referendum outcome, I have worked with Adrian on restructuring the support of our PG students and Officers and we will now share responsibility for supporting them and PG projects.

However, I also am having to reduce my time committments on some projects to make time to be effectively supporting the outcomes of the referendum. These are:

• One size doesn't fit all - this project aims to make it clear about expectations in the relationship between the supervisor and supervisee and I will continue to work on this, however I will be having to be put less time into it
• Proficio work - Multiple projects all under this banner of working to improve Proficio. Again, this will still be worked on, but I hope to share the load with other Sabbatical Officers as I will not be able to spend time on this every week
• Departmental Common Rooms - most of the work on this has been done by our VP Student Experience and I will continue to support this but not as a top priority
• Renaming GTAs to ALs - the ball is already rolling on this and I expect that I will be able to find time to pick it up and complete it this year, but will not be the focus right now

Some projects, unfortunately, still require huge amounts of work to get started (or are not that time sensitive) - for these, they are being put on hold and will only be worked on if other time reduced projects have been completed.

Further time reduced projects:

• Accessing content early - a project still in its early stages that would ensure the University gives content access to students for their modules earlier based on previous years' content. This is not a COVID specific project and as it is in its early stages, I have had to make the difficult decision to shelve this project. I think it is incredibly important, and would like to return to this project when I can
• Democratic Review implementation - although this is in its late stages, it still has many hours of work left to do to fully implement - as such, any tasks not currently ongoing will have my involvement halted

I hope that this provides clarity about the work that I am specifically doing and how I am reworking my time as a result of the huge democratic decision made by the students of Essex. Please, if you have any questions, email me - vpeducation@essex.ac.uk

Hope you are all well and are staying safe.

Mark, Vice President (Education)