Tuesday 03-12-2024 - 14:18

Hey Everyone,

It’s been a minute since you’ve heard from me, but that’s because the past few weeks have been hectic! I wanted to take a moment to share some updates on what I’ve been working on and give you a glimpse into what’s ahead.

We wrapped up stage one of the housing campaign, working closely with other Scottish unions and NUS. The results so far have been promising: 

• Rally at Parliament & Support from some MPs and MSPs: We rallied in support of students’ rights in the Housing Bill, with several MSPs and MPs contacted. A few have already voiced their support backing our push for scrapping guarantors, regulating PBSA (Purpose-Built Student Accommodation), and including student-focused measures in the Housing Bill.  Eilidh an editor and Journalism student from Our amazing student magazine the Edit was present to cover this event and you can read their blog on it here. 
• Engaged over 100 students on campus: We’ve gathered feedback on their housing experiences, highlighting common struggles students face.
• Rent Guarantor Scheme: Discussions are underway with the University Executive Group to introduce this scheme at GCU, and I’ll soon be presenting a document showcasing its success at other universities.
• Housing Rights Event: Held a session with the GCU Accommodation Adviser Aaisha Saeed, where students learned about their rights as renters in private accommodations.
• Glasgow Student Housing Co-op: I joined this group to promote long-term, student-friendly housing solutions. If you’re interested, you can join too!

     

Fight For The Night March

We organised the Fight For The Night March at Glasgow City Centre in collaboration with Strathclyde Union and Glasgow Uni Union. Planning began in October, and the turnout was incredible, even on a rainy night. A huge shout out to our Women’s Network Officer, Chloe, for showing up and representing! It was so empowering to see women show up for this cause. The 16 days of activism against Gender-Based Violence is still on and you can find some way to get involved even just by reposting.

Disabled Students Expert Panel

Last week, we had our first meeting of the Disabled Students Expert Panel, a partnership initiative with the university set up by the Disability Review Project Board. This panel gives students with lived experiences of disabilities a platform to voice their thoughts.

Key topics discussed included:

• Accessibility on campus.
• The need for quiet spaces.
• Consistent training for staff to ensure a more inclusive approach.

It was inspiring to hear students share examples of lecturers going above and beyond, like asking if they’d prefer the lights off. We’ll continue pushing for more of this across campus.

Quiet Room Awareness Campaign

I’ve been collaborating with Erica, the Neurodivergent Network Officer, to raise awareness about the (makeshift) quiet spaces currently available on campus. We’re also gathering feedback from students to advocate for a permanent quiet room as part of the campus masterplan. If this is something you’re passionate about, please share your thoughts during the consultation process!

Gender Equality in Sports Week

As part of Gender Equality in Sports Week, I teamed up with the Sports Council’s Social Media Manager, Caoimhe, to engage students on campus. We asked:

• “Name a famous female sports personality.”
  Students mentioned incredible athletes like Serena Williams, Jessica Ennis-Hill, and Simone Biles amongst others.
• “Name a sport where Scottish women are excelling.”
  Answers included sports like football, with players such as Erin Cuthbert representing Scotland internationally, and curling, where Scotland has a strong reputation, especially with the success of Eve Muirhead and her team.

The responses were fantastic, showing both enthusiasm and pride in women’s achievements in sports!

Academic Rep Gathering – December 4^th

Tomorrow’s Academic Rep Gathering will focus on student experience, academic discussions and a workshop where GSBS staff will engage with reps. Alongside that, we will touch on harm reduction and safe nights out, especially as we approach the festive season. Looking forward to the conversations that will unfold!

What’s Next?

We’re gearing up for stage two of the housing campaign. In preparation, NUS created a toolkit to write to your MSP about the Housing Bill. More updates coming soon! Also, keep an eye out for me on campus next week. I’ll be running a poll on assessment de-stress techniques—there might even be a bean bag waiting for you to sink into, along with some coffee and snacks.

Through this assessment period, remember to prioritize self-care and don’t let anxiety overwhelm you. Wishing you all a Merry Christmas in advance! 🎄

Tom Tom
Vice President GSBS

VP.GSBS@gcustudents.co.uk