By Zoë Crowther, Students' Union Correspondent
The candidates for full-time officer positions and chairs of SU networks are campaigning across campus, with voting now open until 9pm on Thursday 14 March this week.
Every student who votes get ten per cent off in Balloon Bar for the whole of March. You can find where to vote by following this link.
The results will be announced on Friday between 6-8pm in the Balloon Bar.
Full-time officers are employed by the SU to represent students on a number of issues, as well as collaborating with student networks, societies and campaigns and lobbying the University to make changes.
Network chairs work part-time in a voluntary capacity and are responsible for running representative networks, ranging from Women's Network to RAG, Volunteering and Sustainability.
Here is your summary of the candidates for the full-time officer positions:
Union Affairs Officer
This role represents students in terms of how they interact with Bristol SU through democracy, communications and services, and leads on support for societies, volunteering and RAG.
Image: Bristol SU
Current Union Affairs Officer Stanford helped to set up the SU Living Room in Senate House, opened in December 2018.
CANDIDATES:
Beth Mulley
- Creating a Room Booking App
- Reviewing our democratic procedures
- Creating an accessible campus
Julio Mkok
- UoB/Bristol SU App
- Free washing in halls and opening up lecture halls as study spaces during exams
- Achievement grants for societies
- Ensure SU presence in all Faculties
Max Langer
- Build a single-use plastic free campus
- Sign the SU and University up to zero suicide pledge
- Reform the Annual Members Meeting
Nachan Fujiwara
- Travel grants and more free activity spaces for societies
- Revising deadlines for application to hardship funds
- Streamlining election process with an app to encourage a higher turnout
Postgraduate Education Officer
This role represents postgraduate taught and research students on academic and welfare matters.
Image: Epigram / Cameron Scheijde
Current officer Shubham Singh recently held a consultation on whether grades should be announced during the graduation ceremonies.
CANDIDATES:
Chris Brasnett
- Wellbeing service awareness of postgraduate specific issues
- Academic diversity and undergraduate to postgradute retention
- More study space for postgraduates.
Jackline Some
- More workspaces and study spaces for postgraduate students
- Campaign for fair pay and contracts for Postgraduates who teach
- Campaign for the university to increase support for post-study work visas
Martha Herrera Bonilla
- Work towards a fairer assessment design
- More flexibility in choosing units and changes to timetables
- Create workshops for better integration of international and home students
Vaibhav Gokhale
- Install sleeping pods in libraries and study centres.
- Provide increased support and tailored guidance to International students in light of post-Brexit visa restrictions
- Fight against the rising tuition fees by continuing the Boycott NSS campaign.
Undergraduate Education Officer
This role represents undergraduate students on academic and welfare matters.
Nasra Ayub, the current Undergraduate Officer, recently organised and held a panel event on 'Being Black in Academia' in an effort to champion diversity across academic careers.
Image: Bristol SU
CANDIDATES:
Hillary Gyebi-Ababio
- Address the lack of diversity in the curriculum
- Supporting all students both financially and academically
- Campaign against the upcoming differential fees policy
Michael Natzler
- Introduce Reading Weeks for all Faculties
- Sustain increased University support after Welcome Week
- Make resits more accessible and less disruptive for students.
- Reinvigorate office and PT hours and create a structured feedback and development plan
- Collaborate on bigger issues such as climate change to Brexit and mental health services
Mehul Pasari
- Improve the quality of feedback
- Lobby University to provide free bus service facility for all students to far away venues during exam time
- Make more libraries 24 hours during exam season
Student Living Officer
This role represents students on accommodation, finance, and wellbeing issues, as well as on their interaction with the local community.
Current Student Living Officer Vanessa Wilson worked with the University and other groups on the Mental Health Strategy, and has collaborated with the BBC for her housing campaign 'My Rent My Rights.'
CANDIDATES:
George Bemrose
- Ensure that wellbeing support meets the needs of the diverse student body
- Prevent rent increases above the rate of inflation
- Work with University to reach their goal of being Carbon Neutral by 2030
Karan Gupta
- Free Laundry
- Lower rents
- Free bus to Coombe Dingle during exams
Millie Mark
- Inform and support students about private renting
- Improve availibility and access of mental health services
- More student involvement in environmental and sustainable causes
Ruth Day
- Push for a diverse and accessible counselling service
- Cut the rent in halls and work on setting up a housing cooperative to provide cheap student accomodation
- Food bank donation point in every residential Village
- Clearly labelled and greater choice of halal, kosher, vegan and vegetarian food in Source cafes.
Tom Parry
- Improve access to and awareness of mental health services
- Promote STI testing and provide free condoms
- Lobby the university to reduce cost of halls and give advice on accommodation issues
Sport and Student Development Officer
This role represents students on sport, exercise and health issues, as well as on issues relating to students' personal development.
Sports Officer Ginny Troughton launched the This Girl Can 2018 campaign, and has worked to expand the #WeAreBristol community and engage a diverse range of students in sport.
CANDIDATES:
Amy Brook
- Improve funding and support for intramural leagues
- Ensure the University continues to work towards providing a regular bus route to Coombe Dingle
- Increased recognition and support for clubs that don’t compete in regular fixtures
Antoine Macquet
- Review the Performance Sport system
- Increase the accessibility and inclusivity of sport at all levels
- Emphasise sport's role in bettering mental health
Marlo Boyd
- Same support for postgrads as undergrads
- Cross-collaboration between sports clubs
- Promote participation in competition and volunteering
Equality, Liberation and Access Officer
This role represents students on equality, diversity and widening participation issues, and ensures that all students’ voices are represented within the SU and University.
Current ELA Officer Sally Patterson set up a working group to review the University's sexual violence procedures, and recently launched Bristol's first Interfaith Week.
Image: Epigram / Niamh Rowe
CANDIDATES:
Catreya Mably
- Launch study into disability at uni
- First year reps in societies and networks, promote mental health and SU to first years
- Tackle Post-Brexit Britain
Jason Palmer
- Diverse and competent wellbeing counsellors
- Tackling sexual violence and promoting support for victims
- Push for an academic oriented response to the BME Attainment Gap
- Reducing clashes with religious holidays, more culturally and religiously diverse food, and increasing prayer spaces on campus
Lois Plummer
- Diversify the university
- Improve the experiences of students with marginalised identities
- Reduce hate crime, victimisation, micro-aggressions and other forms of abuse
International Students Officer
This role represents international students on all aspects of the international student experience.
International Students Officer is a new position for 2019-20, with the aim of improving the experience of international students in both academic and pastoral matters.
CANDIDATES:
Adriana Molinares Gomez
- Individual mentoring system for international students
- Increase the number of tours offered by AFT Bristol in partnership with the University
- Organize social events for international students at the beginning of term
Duaa Alim
- Provide safe space, equal education, inclusion and better Representation
- Provide support for mental health, accommodation, finances & Visas
- Brighter Future Prospects and Career & Postgraduate Oppurtunities.
Hadya Shawky
- Making University more affordable
- Improving international students' experience
- Better career support
Julius Ogayo
- VISA policy favourable to all
- Calling for reduction of high tuition and accommodation fees for international students
- Increase in University Bursary opportunities for international students
- International students' portal for employment opportunities
Shailaja Tallam Laxman
- Support in navigating different styles of teaching and learning materials
- More information about the right to work and help for international students to find part- time jobs and internships.
- Skill swap sessions for people to get together and swap skills, knowledge, history, and cuisines
Srusti Thakur
- Employ students to provide 24 x 7 pickup and welcome support upon students' arrival
- Extra-curricular activities celebrating festivals of different nations and English speaking sessions with students of different nationalities
- Organise "Getting the best out of supervision" course for all students
VOTE FOR YOUR FULL-TIME OFFICERS AND NETWORK CHAIRS THIS WEEK BETWEEN 12-14 MARCH.
Featured Image: Epigram / Zoë Crowther
