Make Stirling Smarter, Not Harder
As our university experiences one of its biggest transformations since its opening, it’s vital our Union and student community keep pace, and that our interests are protected.
To that end, if elected Union President, I aim to do the following:
Accommodation
- Work with the new tenants’ union and the university to help students get value for money in accommodation. Negotiate for ensuring good maintenance and reasonable accommodation pricing, prioritising lower-priced student accommodation
- Create feasibility study for student housing co-operative building
- Introduce opt-in for student life cards in student accommodation welcome packs, offering advice on everyday household and community tasks like banking, laundry, and cooking
Transport
- Commit to leading robust and constructive dialogue with First Bus and Stirling Council to improve bus services for students
- Campaign to reinstate and promote shuttle bus, or suitable alternative, travelling from Hillfoots Road to Pathfoot Building
- Increase bicycle rack areas, particularly in student accommodation places where they are currently absent
Accessibility and wellbeing
- Support mental wellbeing services and activities for students in the Union and university. Create weekly group walk set-up to encourage gentle exercise, networking and open discussions with students
- Ensure disabled students’ ability to use campus facilities is supported in ongoing university redevelopment
- Develop and promote access to sensory rooms, including at exam times
- Trial quiet hours in Union spaces and commercial outlets at regular intervals each week
Student life
- Trial regular Citizens’ Advice presence for students, offering advice and support in areas like work, housing, and immigration. Explore similar venture with housing charity Shelter
- Push the university to expand racial and gender diversity of key figures in curricular materials to create more rounded perspective
- Implement gender-neutral toilets policy agreed by students. Expand gender-neutral selection options in bureaucratic systems such as online forms
- Continue Brexit legal advice sessions. Push for Erasmus+ funding, or a similar mechanism, to be extended beyond 2020 by either the university, Scottish Government or UK Government. Push for reinstatement of post-study work visa, scrapped in 2012, to help integrate international students into the Stirling community
- Add additional signposting on campus, especially for Cottrell Building
- Create standard vegan and gluten-free options on campus catering outlet menus, expanding on currently available options
- Aim to create microwave ‘heat and eat’ station on campus for students to heat own meals, of similar nature to Edinburgh University
- Explore new commercial ventures for the Union, helping raise valuable funds to support student services
Democracy
- Establish regular e-voting system in General Meetings, with one vote attributable to one member via student ID
- Create mechanism to allow General Meeting votes to be registered in absentia
Environment
- Support action to make the Union carbon-neutral
- Hold competition encouraging students to reduce waste, for the benefit of their halls, in similar vein to Inter-Hall Energy Competition
- Increase electric vehicle charging port spaces, with view to including at least 2 per car park
About me
MSc student in TV Production, graduate of Journalism Studies and Politics at Stirling, Student Ambassador, Communities Officer, charity volunteer, game show contestant and pizza delivery driver.