Getting political!!

Hi guys,
A couple weeks since my last post, and needless to say myself and the other two Sabbaticals have been rather busy.
We have all attended part of the NUS summer training programme which helped develop our skills and also allow us to network with other Sabbaticals from across the country whilst sharing good practices.
Myself and James, the President, attended a course called Active Political Leadership which got us thinking about how we can best get the views of students and represent them to the university.
Being a Sabbatical Officer, we need to think about how we represent you on a local and national scale, and the big debate in the UK at the moment is that of top-up fees. As a Students' Union, we know that in the recession, money is tight for evereyone and so the proposed lifting of the 'cap' on top up fees has not welcomed by students across the country. Rest assured, that for anyone with younger brothers or sisters, we will be campaigning on your behalf this year.
The course itself was hugely beneficial and I certainly took alot from it.
Since being back from Sheffield, I have been working on Student Reps and organising the training and how we can make it even better for students so there is more scope to affect changes on your programmes.
We have been busy welcoming new members of staff as well with a new design team joining the union and hoping to get young student designers involved in what we do.
This year is going to be a very exciting one, and you can be sure that we have a few ideas in the pipeline to ensure that all students know who their Sabbaticals are, and how to contact us.
Looking forward to seeing you all
With affection
Scott xx

Summer 2009

Hi to all new and returning students!!

What a Summer we have had so far preparing the arrivals programme and all of the other useful and enjoyable activities and services we have to offer.

I have been working hard to ensure that the Student Representation continues to evolve, whilst our two new sabbaticals James (President) and Hannah (VP Comms) have been finding their feet and are really hitting the ground running with all of their plans for the next academic year.

We have been having lots of fun filming the Fresher's DVD and have been busy welcoming many new members of staff to the team whoi will be striving to make your year the best it can possibly be.

Myself, James and Hannah are about to embark of NUS summer training as well, so that we are ready and equipped to run the campaigns and voice your opinions in the most effective way.
There is so much that I, personally, am looking forward to. However I am particularly excited about the new E-petition system which will allow every student, whether they be on Talbot campus, Lansdowne or at a partnership college, to tell us what they want or think about anything and everything.

There is lots for everyone to be excited about with the SUBU also taking part in the Students' Union Evaluation Initiative which allows Unions to take a close look at how they operate and find ways to improve the service they provide to their members.

The Students' Union is here for the students, and we want you to come and talk to us as we will come and talk to you.

This has the potential to be one of the best years we have ever had, and as many famous philosophers have specualted, you get out what you put in and we are much the same.

Good luck and I am looking forward to seeing you all in September and October.

Scott

xxx