My Journey as SU President - Affairs and Community

As the Student Union President for Affairs and Community at Cardiff Met Student Union, I have had many exciting experiences that allowed me to make a positive impact on the student body and the campus community. Through this role and taking various responsibilities, I have developed a diverse set of skills and abilities, which are crucial for personal and professional growth such as Event Organization, Student Representation, Time Management, Communication, Delegation, Adaptability, Collaboration, Conflict Resolution, Listening, Leadership.

I would like to take this moment to outline my work and successes achieved during my time as your Student Union President: Affairs and Community.

AS A STUDENT GOVERNOR, I was entrusted with representing the student body in decision-making processes within Cardiff Met University.

My first and utmost responsibility was to be the voice of the students, understanding their needs, concerns, and aspirations, and then conveying this information to the board of governors.

I actively engaged with fellow students through surveys, casual meetings, and one-on-one conversations to gather their feedback and concerns. I collaborated with the school reps and part time officers, and other stakeholders to ensure student interests were considered in various discussions and policies.

Additionally, I initiated and led various student-led initiatives, such as promoting mental health awareness, advocating for more sustainable practices on campus, and organizing events that fostered a sense of community among students.

Through these actions I have influenced the 2023 strategy for student experience and in this new design I have worked to ensure that Cardiff Metropolitan’s academic experience will be of the highest caliber.

AS A CHAIR FOR BOARD OF TRUSTEES, my job has been to provide strong leadership, guiding the board in defining and reviewing our mission and strategic goals. I first open discussions, encouraging active engagement from all members, while ensuring their roles are well-defined. Collaborating with the Chief Executive Director on strategic planning aid in securing funding for our initiatives on finance and stakeholders.

After a year of governance experience under my belt, I utilized good governance to ensure that the organization is being run correctly, with clear goals and reinforcing our position as a critical friend to the university.

I further cemented the use of my experience and knowledge through my involvement with the recruitment of a new Chief executive Officer, who brought with them a new set of goals and directions for the SU. This key moment became a suitable time to review the structure, governance, and democracy and processes in the Organization – to ensure we maintain relevance to our members. Through researching past, current and existing democratic structures, I provided input into the design of our new democratic systems. With these launching in the academic year 2023/24, I am thrilled to of contributed in their direction to ensure our members will be able to more accessibly enact change.

For further information on these exciting new changes please check out this following video:

Cardiff Met Students' Union on Instagram: "This week we celebrate #TrusteesWeek, with this years’ theme - Making a difference in changing times ?? Check out what your trustees do to …"

There will be a lot of changes going to happen for the students in future. Chairing Cardiff Met SU’s trustee board has been an incredibly fulfilling experience and has enabled me to develop such an amazing set of skills.

A full break down of our governance review, undertaken by our partners at the Good Governance Insititute can be found here:

https://www.cardiffmetsu.co.uk/governancedemocracyreview/

AS A STUDENT ENGAGEMENT LEAD, I have encouraged students through a number of physical and digital channels to increase student participation in extracurricular activities within both spheres of academic and sports. The following are examples of the activities I worked on in partnership with our students to deliver and further foster a community here at Cardiff Met:

Diwali: - After the Pandemic, students were waiting for an opportunity to engage themselves more within the university, specifically international students as they were more likely to experience isolation.

Following student feedback, I looked to deliver a celebration of the Diwali event which allowed a cultural exchange between our members. By communicating with key university staff and identifying student leaders, everyone from across the Cardiff Met student community was able to get involved.

I organized for the event to start with our students doing pooja and followed this with a fashion show which I created with the aim of providing an opportunity for students to showcase their culture to their peers and educate them on different aspects of cultural dress.

I was incredibly happy with how many students attended our event with over 350 students joining in the festivities. After the Diwali event, I am happy to see that our students contacted our societies team to begin their own societies such as Insomnia, and Pan Africa and more.

Diwali 2022 (cardiffmetsu.co.uk)

Through Organizing International Nights and celebrating the diversity of our campus community, I took the initiative to organize International Nights, highlighting the rich cultures, music, and traditions of our international students. These events provided a platform for students from diverse backgrounds to share their heritage through music. By fostering cross-cultural exchanges, we have created a more inclusive and harmonious campus environment, which has led to the enrichment of the overall student experience.

AS A STUDENT VOICE LEAD, through undertaking research into the student experience and working collectively with our members. I created several initiatives to address issues and ensure our members are thriving during their time at Cardiff Met:

Cost of Living.
Post Pandemic, Students are struggling with the cost-of-living crisis, Student Accommodation issues, Travel, and transport issues locally and nationally.

I have been working at the university to reduce the cost of living on the campus. After listening to the students, I looked out across the sector to see what good practice was being undertaken elsewhere. I then looked to incorporate this into our Cost-Of-Living committee

I was a crucial member of the committee, and through my actions and those on the committee we have sought to provide free period products, Discounts on travel/transport, Commuter kitchen, Food on Campus, Vending Machine, Free Graduation Gowns.

The Students Jobs strategy is still in discussion and the Students Union will continue to support the university in achieving the aims of the Students' Job Strategy in the academic year 2023/24.It has been heart-warming hear from our students their positive thoughts on the new facilities and vending machine on the campus.

For more details on the actions we have undertaken, please have a look at this link:

Cost Of Living (cardiffmetsu.co.uk)

Commuter Kitchen.

Students did not have a place to keep/reheat the food on Campuses.

Through the student feedback, I worked with the estate’s team to create a space to further support students studying and socializing on campus.

I would like to thank the estate team for their collaboration in the design of the commuter kitchen. Through this project, we further supported the installation of a microwave and a refrigerator. I'm delighted to see that our Commuter kitchen has become a place for our students to relax, socialize and re–energize.

Thank you for your continual feedback on the commuter and whilst we as an SU will continue to keep on addressing the cost-of-living crisis's impact on students, we're happy to hear that onsite cooking appliances have helped keep food costs down.

24/7 Library and IT services.

During the Pandemic students had an issue with access to both the library and it suite. Both of which are vital learning resources necessary to engaging with their studies.

I raised this issue with the Library and IT services team and through open discussion we created action plans to address the shortage of learning resources and give increased access to the library and IT suites, with opening hours now being 24 hours 7 days a week.

I was thrilled to see the enthusiastic response from our members to the new opening times and thank you to our friends at the university for their hard work and dedication in this matter.

The Students’ Unions Annual General Meeting (AGM)

One of the most significant responsibilities I have undertaken is chairing the AGM for students. The AGM serves as a platform for open discussions, decision-making, and policy setting. Facilitating this event required strong leadership skills, impartiality, and the ability to manage diverse opinions. I am proud to say that the AGM took steps in fostering a sense of unity among students and empowering them to actively shape their university experience.

Engaging with HEFCW (Higher Education Funding Council for Wales)

Working with HEFCW has been a crucial aspect of my role as Student Union President. Collaborating with this governing body has allowed me to influence higher education policies and funding decisions, ensuring that student welfare and development are prioritized. By engaging with HEFCW, I have advocated for increased support for student initiatives, financial aid programs, and improved campus facilities

Conclusion:

My journey as the Student Union President has been an unforgettable chapter in my life’s journey.

Through my roles as Chair and Trustee for the Student Union, Student Governor at Cardiff Met, organizing student engagement events, representing the student voice through my role, and chairing Annual General Meeting. I have been able to positively impact the lives of students and contribute to the growth and development of our campus community.
 

It is my hope that through my efforts as a student leader, I have further shaped the academic experience of Cardiff Met students for the better – and laid a foundation for other students to create their own direction for the SU.

 As my time in this role comes to a close, I look forward to seeing the continuous progress of our Students’ Union, university and the bright futures of the students I have had the privilege to serve.