Nisha's Term One Update

As we come to the end of Term One, the Sabbatical Officer team shares their highlights from the academic year so far. From lobbying the University to collaborating with the Careers Service, Active Lifestyle and Sport and Hall Life to heading up liberation campaign months – it’s been a busy one! 

Inclusivity and building a sense of belonging on campus

As part of my manifesto, I promised to help build a more inclusive campus where everyone can feel like they belong. I planned to do this by hosting more events aimed at underrepresented groups of students. So far this term, I have attended and spoken at Royal Holloway’s Black and Global Majority Staff Network event ‘Decolonising the University: A Conversation with Professor Jason Arday’. The event examined the necessity for and challenges around decolonising higher education institutions and curricula, as well as providing examples of best practice.

I also attended and co-organised a Transgender Day of Remembrance vigil where we honoured all the transgender people who have lost their lives due to anti-transgender hatred and violence. The service included a reading of the names of the transgender people who have died this year due to hatred and violence, after this, there was a few minutes of silence and quiet reflection time before there was an opportunity for people to share their experiences. The event was hosted by Sam, our LGBTQ+ Community Officer and the LGBT Society.  

Focus on student feedback

I have also been seeking feedback from underrepresented groups of students so that I can better understand their experiences and identify areas for improvement. I have used multiple methods to get this feedback from students, one being the WCD Executive. This is a meeting that I chair, and all the student Community Officers attend. This meeting allows for feedback and student voice to be incorporated into campaigns and projects that the SU is working on.

I have also started conversations with Sport (ALS) about making the gym more accessible to women and people with disabilities and we have produced a plan to get feedback from students on what they would like to see changed. We have launched a feedback survey during Disability History Month which is aimed at disabled students. The purpose of the survey is to find out what disabled students want to see from Sport. We have also produced a feedback survey for women which will be launched in the new year. Once we have the survey results, we will use them to inform the accessibility plan. We will also contact the students who have shown interest in the focus groups to come along and help influence the plan and provide feedback.

Enhance/expand Mental Health support and raise awareness

When I came into the role, I wanted to raise awareness of mental health and enhance mental health support on campus. Therefore, I ran a week-long campaign just before reading week called Wobble Week. The idea behind the campaign was that some students would still be feeling unsure about things and not fully settled yet, and this was another week with events/activities where they could make friends if they still haven’t. It was also an additional opportunity to provide students with some more education and support around university life. The week hopefully helped students settle into university life and create a sense of belonging. The campaign was a success, and the week was filled with lots of fun events from pottery painting, Pets as Therapy and school rep study sessions to anxiety management workshops run by the University's wellbeing team. Hopefully, this campaign week will continue to be run in the future. 

I have also started a new initiative called Coffee Catch-Ups. These sessions are run in collaboration with the Student Wellbeing team and our Advice Centre and take place fortnightly on Wednesdays for anyone feeling lonely, wanting a chat or to get some advice. These sessions provide a safe space where people can come together, it's also a way of bringing the Wellbeing and Advice teams to students, helping to make wellbeing support more accessible.

Merry Christmas from the Sabbs!

As we reach the end of this term, we want to take a moment to reflect on a jam-packed and exciting term. It’s time for a well-deserved winter break! Whether you’re planning to relax and recharge, spend quality time with loved ones, or revise, make the most of this time for self-care.  

For those with assessments in the Spring Term, best of luck and check out Sharanya’s (VP Education) blog on the assessment period! You've got this, and your efforts will pay off.

Wishing you all the best winter break!