Hey, I’m Tash (she/her), I’m a 4th year Social Policy student, and I’m running to be your SU President! My manifesto is simple - I want to put the student back into Students’ Union. To do that, I have 4 priorities:
1. Transparency.
Over the past 2 years, the already shaky relationship between the university and its students has all but collapsed. A lack of communication, misplaced priorities and a blasé attitude from the university has left students in the dark and with no support. The Vice-Chancellor has a responsibility to represent the students of Stirling and support their best interests. I strongly believe that you cannot represent students without knowing your students. If elected, I’ll be introducing annual meetings with the Vice-Chancellor and other university leaders, specifically for students to pose questions and make their voices heard. It will keep our leaders transparent and accountable, and places students at the heart of every decision.
I believe that at the core of leadership is transparency. To lead with integrity, windows - not doors - are essential, and I'm committed to improving the visibility of every leadership position at Stirling. That’s why I’m also pledging to improve Union communications, to inform students of what we’re doing as Sabb’s and how we’re representing you.
2. Advocacy.
At the core of this role is the need for student advocacy, and I’m committed to taking student advocacy back to its roots. Fighting for students’ rights to high quality education, housing and support is at the very centre of my manifesto and will be behind every decision made during my tenure. To ensure that I’m representing the current feelings of students, I’ll be holding weekly drop-in sessions in the places most convenient for students- the Atrium, accommodation, Sports Centre. I’ll come to you.
3. Safety.
Ensuring that students are safe in every aspect of their university journey is paramount. We have a long way to go to reassure students that Stirling is fundamentally safe - for me, that means increasing transport links at night, updating reporting processes, expanding lighting in dark areas of campus, and offering more training and education. Whether it’s a night out in town or a late night in the library - the best nights are the ones that end safely, and that should be every night.
4. Health & Wellbeing.
I’ve seen first-hand how physical and mental wellbeing can make or break a student’s experience. Not only that, as a student, I’ve experienced the failings of student services that have left me with nowhere else to turn. I’m committing to ensuring that student services are easily accessible and fundamentally work as they should. I’ll be working alongside the Student Services Hub to offer pop-up stalls in the atrium, for ease of access and for greater visibility. I’ll also work towards improving the Personal Tutor program to reflect the needs of students more accurately.
Simply put, I want to go back to basics. Vote Tash to put the student back into the Students’ Union- and the university.