Hi, I’m Cassie Coakley, current Vice President Activities for the Students’ Union and now running to be your new President.
Already being in the role as a sabbatical officer this year, I feel I would be the best candidate, having established relationships within the Students’ Union, The University and, most importantly, students. I am passionate, hardworking and strive to represent all students equally, fairly and honestly, driving our strong and dynamic Students’ Union to give the best student experience possible.
Three things I promise to enhance as your president are:
• Campus life
• Inclusivity and accessibility
• New, unique opportunities to boost employability
In regards to campus life, I will focus on areas such as active lifestyles – having a 24/7 gym and more healthy food available on campus, and creating space for more storage across venues for sports and societies. I would like to provide more relaxed study spaces such as a late night coffee shop for students to feel simultaneously comfortable and productive during late nights. Another theme I would focus on is making our campus greener. We are very lucky to have a stunning campus, however, we not only need to make it greener in appearance, but also maintain this greenness by looking after our environment and thinking about sustainability. We need to enhance the space, make it grow and develop alongside our students.
In terms of inclusivity and accessibility, I will address barriers within mental health, such as needing more readily available counselling services, better information in spotting signs of fellow students struggling, and working with charities such as Mind to make sure students don’t feel overwhelmed and alone with their struggles. I also want to enhance support for international students, both academically and socially; from handing in work and understanding the support the SU provides (e.g. extenuating circumstances, library support, translating and proof-reading) to embedding new approaches for an easy settling and cross-cultural exchanges. Finally, I want to work in partnership with the University to create more inclusive curriculums, providing the choice to learn and read work from across the globe, bridging the black attainment gap, and representing the globalised and diverse world in which we live. To develop the accessibility on campus, I propose a Student Union app. Being able to send and process Activities, Campaigns, and Academic Rep paperwork all online, and having our venues and their services at the touch of a button. As students we are busy focusing on work and classes, recreationally, we can make processes easier.
Finally, creating new, unique opportunities to further develop students. University is more than just a degree – which can be achieved at any institute across the country. It is experiencing those unique extracurricular opportunities that give you the skills that no one else has, allowing you to stand out from the crowd in the job market. With new, unique opportunities, we can improve students’ employability following graduation. This can include new online courses, internships, and skill building – working with national organisations to create those opportunities.