Manifesto for VP Welfare
Emily Jones, Student Liaison for Pool and Snooker Society 2020/21, studying Digital Marketing at Kedleston Road. Passionate about student welfare, I am running to further help student experiences at university and to develop current methods of inclusivity.
For me it is essential to participate actively within the student body and I shall continue to do so into my final year.
About me
Previous experiences through education and the working environment have been essential for me to improve social anxieties, helping me to understand mental welfare and their effects.
Being within a Committee as a Student Liaison means I am aware of current resources as well as being approachable to the student body and handling high-pressure situations with correct procedures to help encourage those to seek guidance and help when necessary. Kind, caring and keen to listen is a few of my strongest beliefs to be successful in this role.
Academics
The first year of university proved to be challenging, learning life skills, understanding my degree and building friendships, all whilst handling my own Mental Welfare, all so essential to really benefit from the university.
With the knowledge I have now, for other students, I want to be seen as a source of realism, approachable and helpful with transitioning to the university. I wish to benefit current and future students within the position by ensuring they connect, educate and balance themselves in the most positive and valuable way.
Into my second year, I have become more independent, used resources available to further my understanding of my degree, built long lasting friendships and created a calm environment to balance this with my Welfare and I wish for other students to progress positively in the same way, currently and in the future. We need to be connected to truly understand the hardships many students face now and in the coming years.
Involvement
Joining the Pool and Snooker society allowed me to venture outside of my degree and build friendships around the university. Communicating and listening to members inside and outside the society created a form of approachability, this indicated to me, many saw me as a friend, someone to confined in and trustworthy.
As time went on, members of the society elected me as Student Liaison because of the passion I have to be there for those who need and ask for it, my role did not make me who I am, it was a role made for who I was and have always been.
Welfare
The increase of Mental Health and Welfare in students has hit an all-time high due to Covid-19 and increased depression and anxiety. This is something that should be taken seriously and should be further developed within the union to ensure on the return to all campuses students mental health and welfare is considered seriously.
Time as a Student Liaison for Pool and Snooker, I was made aware resources were difficult to find and more students were less likely to speak to the wellbeing team for a variety of reasons, finding time, finding it unapproachable and not seeing their needs as important, making it essential we focus on identifying opportunities to enhance a welcoming environment.
I found student roles such as Liaison created an imperative step of accessibility to students who felt uncomfortable to approach the universities wellbeing team, as well as those who couldn’t find the resources available. Using my role, I directed students to necessary resources available while maintaining non-bias and highlighting the president of the pool and snooker in red flags involving student wellbeing.
As current, this is not a time to relax on wellbeing, we need to fund more into wellbeing schemes and prevent further students who may be struggling with wellbeing, mental health and invisible and visible disabilities from feeling alone and unable to cope.
Manifesto Points
Being VP Welfare, it is my highest priority to begin steps within the union to help change current methods and highlight the University Of Derby as a prestigious education facility aimed to improve current welfare issues within the education system and become one of the top compassionate universities for student welfare and my manifesto points shall reflect this.
- Introduce voluntary Student Liaisons working with the Union throughout University to ensure approachable and well-informed Student representatives for new and current students to create guidance for correct resources and events and using funding to enhance quality of services through University and ensuring the President works with me to incorporate this.
- Build a strong social environment, bridging the gap between campuses and integrating all students, and highlighting events happening on all campuses to keep all students informed and allow students to access each campus seamlessly. This means for those who have bonded within the student body, not being subjected to socialising at limited times based around timetables.
- Lifestyle campaigns, helping current students and future students understanding of budgeting, living away from home and resources available for those struggling financially, preventing students from handling a healthy work, life and education balance alone working with VP Activities to achieve this.
- Develop current support and accessibility throughout campuses for unrepresented groups, LQBTQ+, Invisible and visible disabilities, BAME and other minorities to ensure a comfort movement, allowing them to personally highlight what could be improved and making sure it happens.
- Developing and introducing further support plans for financially independent students relying on self-funding and Parent Students to ensure they can benefit from the full university experience without feeling alone in their journey.
My aim for running as VP Welfare is to redesign the structures currently in place to highlight current issues and change them to suit the student body and the current issues surrounding Covid-19. I wish to work with all roles within the union to dissolve the bridge and build a strong, connected and resourceful environment to help combat loneliness, anxiety, depression and stigmas around mental health and minority groups.
This year has taught us all, it’s time for big changes and there is no time like the present to implement them.
Thank you for reading and I hope you see me as the best person for this role. Let’s do this together!
Emily Jones,
Candidate for VP Welfare