Lucy's April Round Up
Hi everyone! Please read on for a round-up of what I have been up to in April x
#BetterByU Campaign
You might have seen the launch of the #BetterByU campaign which launched on the 19th April. This is a campaign led by a team of Academic Officers at Unions nationwide with the aim to tackle Essay Mills and Contract Cheating head on. As a group we are concerned by the effect these vile industries are having on the sector and on you, the students.
Often these companies prey on the most vulnerable actively seeking them through targeted ads and private messages, pressuring students to pay for their service. Which could have a dire impact on the student landing them in disciplinary procedures, being blackmailed for more money, and could even lead to them being suspended from their course.
During the launch week we talked about our asks of the Government, the University Sector, and from Social Media Providers. The next step for the campaign is a letter sent to each of those groups raising awareness of the campaign and asking for their support.
The bottom line is that these industries can not be allowed to continue, and we will do everything we can to make sure they are stopped.
Students United Against Fees
Yesterday, the Officer team took part in the Students United Against Fees day of digital action. This campaign aims to form a partnership between Student Unions, Universities, you, the students. We believe that the Governments failed handling of the Covid-19 pandemic has meant that despite their best efforts, universities have been unable to deliver the value you are paying for. We want to government to step up and take responsibility by compensating all students. This needs to come from the government as if this pressure falls on the universities shoulders it could bankrupt many.
Head over to our socials to read some of the student experiences from this year and why they support this campaign, and head over to https://www.lsesu.com/suaf/about/ to find out more about our priorities.
Finally, if you would like to get involved in the campaign then sign this letter https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx... This letter will be sent to the government and the more signatures collected the more pressure that will be placed on them to make real change!
Student Reviewer Training
Student Reviewers are students who support the university in developing new courses and evaluating the quality of current ones. Essentially, they are the voice of students in this process and make sure courses are the best they can be for all students!
This month I attended the training session for incoming Student Reviewers. I was blown away by how on the ball they all were, how quick they were at spotting areas where the course could be improved, and at how seamlessly applied their own student experience to different courses. I am confident that they will continue to make really positive contributions and I believe that your university experience is in good hands.
Campus rep meetings
This week we have started having our second semester campus rep/academic rep meetings. These continue to have a positive impact on our reps, as they get to meet other students from a range of different courses and discuss issues that matter to them.
I have to say, that I am proud of our Campus reps who have done a great job in chairing these meetings, making sure everyone has the chance to be heard, and raising awareness of their own campaign goals.
Rep Awards 2022
This year, we are launching our Brand-New Rep Awards!
We will be awarding 5 Institute Rep of the Year awards (one for every institute), and once all Institute awards have been judged, selected nominations will go to a second round of judging to choose the overall Rep of the Year!
Nominations open next week and you will be able to nominate any rep you feel has been amazing this year.
I’m so excited to see all of your nominations!!
I think that’s everything for this month’s round-up. As always keep an eye on my Facebook account for updates/news/campaigns as and when they happen.
Lots of Love Lucy xx
