TB184

President’s Report

Purpose: To inform the board on what the President & Sabbatical Officer team have ben working on since the last Trsutee Board meeting

Recommendation:That the trustee boardnotes the report

Summary:To provide an update to trustee son the work of the Sabbatical Officer Team, demonstartign that we are a student led organisation. It provides an overview of key activity since the last board meeting.

Financial impact:None not already agreed

Student impact:It deomstartes that the Sabbatical Officer Team are representative of students and working in their best interests.

Risk:Discussed within each section if appropriate

Contact:Kira Cox

Questions – When discussing and asking questions about this paper, trustees could consider:

  1. Has adequate explanation been given on benefits, risks, alternatives or if nothing were done?
  2. Is the impact for students sufficiently explained and is there enough of an impact to take any proposals forward?
  3. How and when will you know if any benefits have been achieved?
  4. What will be the impact be on any partner organisations or departments both with in Liverpool Hope and externally?
  5. Could there be any unintended consequences of taking a particular action, leading to problems that will need to be resolved later?

Kira Cox, President

The main responsibilities of my role include being a member of the University’s Board of Governors (University Council) and Academic Board, chairing the SU Board of Trustees and being the main representative for our student groups. I also support the strategic development of the Students’ Union and ensure that students are engaged and their views are represented.

Since the last trustee board I have:

  • helped with the promotion and running of the second refreshers fair we’ve held
  • met with our BUCS regional contact to discuss how they can further support the development sports at Liverpool Hope University
  • was elected NUS delegate (Women’s place) by a cross campus ballot of students
  • attended a regional gathering to discuss best practice and helping each other out within the Merseyside region (with Liverpool Guild, Liverpool SU, Chester SU & Edge Hill SU)
  • began a monthly drop in session at the Aigburth campus for students to further feedback to their student’s union
  • attended the NUS advisory group meetings which allow us to feed into the work of our national union more
  • continued weekly meetings with the Dean of Students and monthly meeting with the Pro Vice-Chancellor
  • helped promote the SO elections in order to increase the turnout, as well as announcing the results

Pranay Shakya, Vice-President Education

The main responsibilities of my role include supporting the university’s course representatives, representing students on academic issues and organising the Hope Star awards.

Since the last trustee board, I have:

  • been working on the plans for the course rep association model
  • organising the Hope Star Awards, which will be held on 23rd March
  • worked with Initiatives of Change, to host a listening roadshow for students to give their views on Brexit
  • hosted the Global Leadership Workshop with over 50 students attending
  • collaborated with the university to do a campus wide survey about students’ academic experiences – ‘Tell Us’

Ayo Akinrele, Vice-President Welfare & Community

The main responsibilities of my role include representing the welfare needs of students to the university on issues such as housing, finance, mental, physical and sexual health. As well as supporting our liberation campaigns and championing equality and diversity with our organisation, and the wider community.

Since the last trustee board, I have:

  • travelled to Israel/ Palestine with the Union of Jewish Students
  • actioned the ‘BME Leadership Matters’ motion by hosting 2 workshops about BME leaders and the importance of them
  • spent hours working at the Creative Campus to ensure students there feel equally represented
  • helped promote the SO elections in order to increase turnout
  • actioned the NSS Boycott, as passed by executive council and at forum
  • planned for Look After Your Mate training in collaboration with SDW which will take place on Wednesday 22nd March
  • supported the LGBT+ officer with running of events during LGBT+ History Month

Forum Policy

For the information of the Trustee Board, please see below a brief summary of policy motions passed at SU Forums for the academic year 2016/17.

  1. October 2016: There was one policy motion.

“BME Leadership Matters” –

  • The Students’ Union, led by the President, will run a series of workshops and events to promote BME leadership as the priority campaign for 2016/17.
  • The Students’ Union will produce and publish a statement condemning all forms of racism and pledge to tackle this with a thorough plan of action. This will be done before the end of the calendar year.
  1. December 2016: There were three policy motions.

“Liberations Celebration” –

  • Mandate the LHSU and the LHSU president to ensure that a full day of events is run during the history month of the liberation campaigns and that these events are advertised widely around the university and not just via email. This full day should include screening of relevant movies and/or documentaries, guest speakers and joint projects with local community organisations.

“Chilled Water on Campus” –

  • To lobby the university to provide accessible chilled water machines throughout each building, in the same way as all other universities in Liverpool do.
  • To lobby the university to reduce the price of their own branded water

“TEF Off” –

  • With the recommendation of the executive council, the students’ union will not contribute to the university’s TEF submission
  1. January 2017: There were two policy motions.

“Sanitary products for all” –

  • To lobby the university so that sanitary products are made availablein majority of toilet facilities around the campus including adapted toilet facilities which would make the accessibility of them all inclusive and trans inclusive. (not just available in female gendered bathrooms)

“NSS Boycott” –

  • On the recommendation of the executive council, LHSU will both fully, and immediately participate in the NUS NSS boycott.
  • To run a campaign to encourage third year Liverpool Hope University students to boycott the National Student Survey.
  • The campaign will be resourced as a Union-wide campaign, led by the Sabbatical Officers.
  • The Students’ Union shall make use of it’s social media platforms to persuade all third-year students to boycott the NSS.
  • Direct emails will be sent to all Liverpool Hope University third-year students informing them of the campaign and the importance of their participation.
  1. March 2017: there was one policy motion.

“Transgender and Intersex Students in Sport” –

  • Mandate the LHSU and the LHSU president to ensure that a protective policy is put in place at Hope so that no sports team can turn down transgender or intersex students from training with them or compete under external association’s guidance.
  • To push sporting agencies linked to Hope to become more inclusive with sports by amending their policies in order to push equality in sport and reduce the need for “evidence” to prove gender.

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