November’s Update

Amara Relf, Equality & Liberation Officer:

This month Amara has been working on breaking barriers and making university life more accessible for all of our student community. She has introduced a permanent clothes swap in Essentials, which includes baby clothes for our students with children, and worked with our Dance Societies on making shows more accessible and inclusive, with a particular focus on sign language interpreters.

She’s also been working collaboratively with the LGBTQ+ Society on ‘ Fix the Cistem’ Trans+ inclusive policies. Finally, she has been working to recruit the Liberation Student Committee! Keep an eye out for some great events coming soon.

Felix Ejessu, International & Postgraduate Officer:

This month Felix has attended many University Board meetings, these are places where the Exec bring your feedback and voice to the table to influence policy. This included the Library Board, Graduate Board, International Board, Pro VC International Board, and Unipol Board. He has been speaking with the University about PGR networking events and international student experience.

There are also plans to contact GPs and the NHS to develop a good working relationship and allow local GPs to hear student feedback. Keep your eye peeled for more information on this as it progresses!

Lucy Hart, Union Affairs & Communications Officer:

Lucy has been working hard to engage you in talking about spiking this month. This has included the spiking survey, running stall activity to educate you on safe nights out and giving out bottle spikeys.

She has also been working on a number of community based projects, this has included:

• Working with the University sustainability team, exploring a closer relationship with Leeds Beckett SU on events that include Reclaim the Night.
• She has also been connecting with local government officials including local Councillors, MP’s and the Vice Chancellor about her ‘let’s talk about students’ event – keep an eye out for this event and our other events in the Let’s Talk series.

She’s also been developing key connections and meeting directly with our community – including an NUS guarantors day and meeting with Alex Sobel, read more about that here. She has held drop in hours with nursing, medical and midwife students, and met the BMA (British Medical Association) x NUS x RGSU (Russell Group SUs) to discuss how we can lobby the government around improving healthcare student experience. On top of this she has been working hard to make sure that your Better Forums policies are implemented, including the charity donation points for UK med (in place from 4th Nov – 13th Dec) and the Student Parents Policy which has now been brought to a working group.

Furthermore, she has passed two policies at the recent Better Forums including one on changing LUU bye laws to fit with changes of the NUS democratic structure and encouraging LUU to lobby for an alternative higher education funding model which does not rely so heavily on student fees.

Lydia Shale, Activities & Opportunities Officer:

Lydia has been working hard in collaboration with the University to bring you a discovery module for Club and Society members. This is a great opportunity for all of our members to develop their professional skills. She has also been working hard on creating inclusive spaces for our communities, this has included the development of mixed gender Netball and Football teams. Outside of activities she has made sure that there are wheelchair accessible spaces in Terrace, Old Bar and The Winter Tent!

Shivani Gug, Education Officer:

Shivani has been working on celebrating your student voices and putting them into action. This has included the Education Assembly, celebrating diversity in the Reimagining Higher Education Conference – on the topic of decolonisation and excitingly, University Challenge! Thank you and good luck to all of our applicants so far.

She also successfully resubmitted a Content Note Guide policy in Better Forums in collaboration with Iliyana the AHC Undergrad Faculty Officer. This means that there will be a brief content note ahead of certain modules, so if there’s any sensitive subjects in that module or bit of teaching students will be aware of it before they see and access that material. AHC has already adapted it and has a content note guidance and this good practice that she will be introducing to other faculties.

This month Shivani has presented a report in the Senate that she created as a result of the feedback from all the Faculty Officers to inform everyone of the student experience in each faculty from the students themselves. The Senate is the University Governance board with a focus on academia, it is chaired by the VC and has the Deputy VCs, University Secretary and key academic staff within the University.

Within her role she also sits on Council, the highest governing body of the University and the Taught Student Education Board (which has a more educational and wellbeing focus. They are spaces where she is able to influence educational and wider University policy. In these spaces she is looking at University wide education related projects like curriculum redefined which explores making changes to the current curriculum and looking at the use of AI with regards to assessments in the University.