BBKSU OFFICER REPORT
Hana Faber – Women’s Officer. SU Council Autumn 2016
SU Restructure
As detailed in my manifesto, the majority of my time in the Union this year is committed to the SU Change Process that we instigated last year. This means that both in my roles as Chair of Trustees & as a member of the SU Turn Around Board I commit hours each week to the operational considerations required to meet the commitments we have made as part of this project. We are currently running our in-depth market research project with the expertise of Redbrick Research to give students the opportunity to voice what they care about, and to ensure that the changes we make will impact student support & student opportunities in a meaningful way that reflects the current study body at Birkbeck. We have worked hard to formulate a new dialogue with the college,that we are pleased to say has been supported by the University, which will hopefully make it easier for our relevant campaigns & policies to reach the right people and to generally raise student voice in the areas we care about.
While many decisions will be shaped by the market research, we are preparing to overhaul both structural & governance-related elements of our SU. The timelines for some of these changes have already been put in place, as an officer I am keen that student interests are remembered at every stage of this process, and that members are not short changed for representation or ability to organise in favour of perceived efficiency.
Activities
The work required for the restructure did not stop us from co-ordinating activities for our members this year. Throughout the summer I supported our Clubs & Socs as I handed over to our new comms & activities officer. While the Union will benefit from the strategic work, our team is also committed to ensuring that our current students are still able to self-organise where possible, despite the reduction in our administrative power.
For the third year in a row we provided a fresher’s fayre that hosted dozens of our student groups, with a range of external exhibitors, that gave away multiple freebies (and endless popcorn) to thousands of students at the beginning of this term. In the same time-frame we also co-ordinated with the college to ensure a SU presence at their revised orientation day, as well as attending welcome lectures/events where possible to reach as many students as possible. I also committed time to supporting the planning & execution of our other activities (the most popular of which was our student bar crawl) that we curated for students to promote a social presence on campus.
We are currently considering further events & activities where we have the resources, including an end of year social & a “refreshers” event in early January to welcome new & returning students in the new year.
Equalities & Education
Following my work on the college’s Strategic Equalities Review Group last year, I founded the BBKSU Equalities Forum – to be convened by our Equalities leads – this year. The forum will be for all students to raise issues as well as a space for students to organise when necessary. The college has commented that the forum is going to be considered in their Equalities planning, which will make it a stronger platform for student voice. As the college progresses with SERG, I will be campaigning for a working group with student representation on it to ensure that student facing policies reflect how our students experience University.
I have also begun investigating the college’s work on inclusive teaching/assessment practises to establish how Birkbeck students can benefit from a college commitment to fair and reasonable assessments, as well as their plans for improvements to timetables etc. to find out where strategies have been created to reflect student voice. This compliments BBKSU’s commitment to engaging the college on the topic of the TEF & NSS – specifically how the college intends to match its promises of access to education with an appropriate amount of academic support & whether college efforts to improve student satisfaction scores will be driven by their commitment to students rather than an interest in our fees.
Women’s campaign
The Women’s campaign has been working with our societies to create a programme of activities for March (international women’s month) where our student groups will be encouraged to commit to an event in the format of their choosing designed to support, engage and/or celebrate women. Some of our societies have already committed their time to this project, I’ll be working to confirm the calendar of events by mid-January. The program will also include sporting activities for/including women; with our Comms & Activities officer I hope to create events that will encourage women to form committees for teams in the next academic year.
Recommendations:
Council notes the formation of the BBKSU Equalities forum as both an opportunity for students to voice their needs & concerns, & a platform for students to organise on the Equalities issues that impact their Birkbeck experience.
Council formally recognises the need for representation for the varying student voice throughout both college & Union structures.
I’d also like to take this space to formally thank former BBKSU General Manager Rob Park for his contribution to our Union, our members & for shaping & supporting my time as an officer here. Through the changes at Birkbeck over the past few years it is clear (through articles, committee papers & the nature of the current re-structure etc) that Rob’s commitment to student opportunities has played a key role in both the survival & growth of our SU & the protection of our autonomy.