Hi Everyone!
I am Calum Brown, your current VP Education at the Students’ Union. After an amazing year representing students, I am passionate and determined to seek more effective change for the whole student body by running for Union President.
As well as passion and determination, consistency is also key for effective change. If elected to a 2nd year as a Sabbatical Officer, I believe I can continue to deliver this through the following areas:
1. Ageing Accommodation:
- Fight against rising rent costs over the cost of living as increasing prices does not make sense for ageing and neglected accommodation
- Pin the University down to where their priorities lie with accommodation, whether new or upgrade old
- Explore partnerships with external providers to make sure it is tailored to students, not profit
2. Develop Our Discipline and GBV Policies:
- Lobby the University to invest in more Investigative Officer’s to speed up discipline process – currently cases are months behind
- Integrate a separate, independent and professional organisation to investigate sexual violence in the University’s discipline cases
- Seek implementation of a Gender Based Violence module for all new students, like the St Andrew’s University model
- Support the Help Not Harm campaign in a restorative approach to minor drug and alcohol cases
3. Increase Our Inclusivity and Accessibility:
- B&B style accommodation for postgraduate students who travel to University for work and studies from afar
- Help remove the stigma that classrooms cannot be used. If it is empty, you can use it and the tech inside!
- Re-implement the students’ rights to their ARRUA provisions
- Integrating permanent Hybrid Learning options, keeping education more accessible
- Lobby the University to cut ties with the companies, that they invest or partner, who have links to colonialism and imperialism
- A New Vision for Education: Push the relevant Govt departments for student funding to cover the cost of living. Students should not suffer by choosing further education
4. Modernise Our Mental Health and Wellbeing:
- Complete the Student Mental Health Agreement between the Union and University
- Create a parachute group for students who choose to drop out of university, helping them in their next stage of their journey – informed by students/ex-students
- Increase and renovate the Wellbeing Space in the library
5. Strengthen Our Sustainability:
- Support the Careers Service to either remove fossil fuel companies from its events or offer an eco-alternative for every fossil fuel company invited
- Ensure our Union shop products are ethical and sustainable
- Increase sustainability in our education, from our classrooms to our module content
- Implement the Sustainability Working Group within the Union
6. Transform Our Travel:
- Protect the student discount for over 22-year-olds whilst looking to increase their discount. The Government are subsidising cost of new U22 free bus travel
- Bring back the Campus Shuttle bus for our students that need ease of access around Campus
- Implement consistent and accessible subsidised travel funding for placement students