Hi!
I am Ben, the current President and Speaker of the Debate Society alongside being a 1st-year student studying Joint Honours Politics & International Relations
I am a dedicated, open-minded and creative person dedicated to student representation and improving the services students use and this is why I want to run the Societies Chair to be able to improve and support Societies, increase student participation with societies and help new societies integrate smoothly into the Union and University.
My Keys Aim include:
- Lead a review into two key areas of Societies: Membership recruitment and Administration. This review would seek to see how we can improve how societies can recruit members, specifically from certain key groups such as international students but also would look at how we can improve the processes that Societies have to go through in setting up new societies, filling out forms and meetings with the Union staff.
- Improve Society Presence at other campuses. I will aim to encourage societies to engage with members across the full range of campuses of the University including those based not just at Derby but those in Buxton and Chesterfield. Whilst societies will not be able to travel to the far campuses, I will support societies in how they can engage with students from all campuses through online platforms and University-wide events.
- Support Struggling Societies. Another aim will be to support societies who are struggling such as in membership recruitment, marketing events or just feel they are over/underworked. This may be offering advice based on experience or holding one-to-one meetings with the society committees and the Union of Students in how those societies can improve and become even better!
Alongside these key aims, I will also work year-round to help you improve societies, tackle issues that you have as they appear and also increase the amount of opportunities available to you including easier access to joining societies and improved relations with the wider community
More about me:
Ever since the start of Sixth Form, I have been representing students and improving student union services for 2 years - this academic year is now the 3rd in the founding of the Debate Society promoting free speech and equality to all of our members. I am extremely dedicated to serving students and making services better, I have achieved this at my previous student's union by leading a review into improvement which made 27 recommendations ranging from increasing the number of elected positions, implementing conflict resolution procedures and renovating the way students were represented. At this Union, I am now leading a review into the General Election campaign and seeing how the Union can better support students here in future elections.
But more specifically about the role, I am putting myself forward for - Union Societies Chair. What have I done so far? During just the first semester, I and the society have co-led a campaign, with the Union, to get students registering and going to vote in the previous General Election, we expanded and grew giving our members many chances to develop and learn and now we are also in the process of hosting events in relation to the Union of Student Elections! Our society has expanded, grown and exceeded initial goals. Our society, as a whole team, has achieved a lot and because of this, I want to put myself forward as the Union Societies Chair to support others and celebrate their achievements and show the importance of societies at the University.