It’s been a really busy few months, with lots going on across the University. Before Christmas, we visited Southend to spend time talking with students and staff about the University’s announcements and what they would mean in practice. We worked through the details of student support and met with UCU to discuss the proposals and explore ways to reduce the impact on both students and staff. Alongside this, I supported VTeam by volunteering at their food bank, attended student voice sessions, and ran a Christmas event for our postgraduate students, which had great attendance and feedback.
Student Support Tool
Since coming back from the winter break, I’ve made great progress on the student support tool. I developed a demo, which I presented to the Vice-Chancellor earlier this week, and I’m really pleased that she’s agreed to support us in securing funding for the project. Over the next few months, I’ll be working on developing the tool ahead of a planned Summer Term launch. Once the build is underway I’ll be reaching out to SCOs for their input, to make sure the tool reflects the issues affecting their communities and is as accessible and inclusive as possible.
Nursing Student Support
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been reaching out to Students’ Unions across the country to build support for our nursing students campaign. We’re now preparing to launch the campaign nationally in the next few weeks. I’m also meeting with officers from Buckinghamshire Students’ Union to learn more about a project they ran to reduce circuit laundry prices for healthcare students. This is something I’m really keen to explore bringing to Essex, as a common concern we hear from nursing students is the cost of regularly washing placement uniforms using on-campus laundry facilities.
Support for New Students
I’m currently working with the University on a new programme to support incoming students who studied BTEC or vocational qualifications rather than A Levels before starting at Essex. These students have been identified as an at-risk group, and the project aims to make sure they feel confident, prepared, and supported as they begin their studies. I’m helping to connect staff with student reps who have BTEC backgrounds and supporting several focus groups to shape the programme based on students’ real experiences.
Student Representative Website
The new student rep webpage has now been built, and I’m currently finalising the wording and information. The website is due to launch in February and will make it much easier for students to understand the role and access resources.
University Announcements and Ongoing Changes
The team has spent a lot of time supporting students through the closure of the Southend campus and the planned redundancies. We’ve been pushing for clearer communication and better support throughout this process, and I now sit on a steering group focused on protecting the academic experience during the changes. Last week, we attended Senate, where we raised the importance of keeping student priorities at the centre of any potential restructures. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be putting together suggestions for the University’s senior leadership and will continue meeting with them regularly to raise the questions and concerns students have shared with us.
Other Updates
Alongside this work, I’ve welcomed students from our January intake, led campus tours, and helped run a writing retreat for postgraduate research students at the start of the new term. I'm also working on a PowerPoint slide to go at the start of all lectures to highlight different student services and increase the visibility of support.