Friday 22-01-2021 - 17:49

With elections open and the excitement of finding your next officer team just around the corner, it’s a surreal reminder to us, that our time in office is flying by and will be up before we know it. We took some time as a team earlier this week to sit down, re-focus and set some team priorities. There are so many things we want to do, so many things we need to work on and so many battles we need to fight, but it’s becoming increasingly apparent that there may not be enough time to do it all. We of course will be working on our personal goals and projects within our remits and as mandated by our manifestos, however, have outlined five team priorities which we deem essential to work on for you, with the remaining six months we have.  

No Student Academically Disadvantaged 
With Bee sadly leaving the team next month, it is important that the rest of the team are equipped and prepared to continue to fight for you on all academic matters! After the recent rise of the student-led petition, which has become one the Union’s most signed petitions to date, we hear you, we are going to fight to ensure no student is academically disadvantaged. We will also call on the University to protect your academic performance for the rest of this year, and for the University to acknowledge the detrimental circumstances you are being forced to learn in. We will be launching our campaign, alongside the national movement, to implement a ‘No Disadvantage’ Policy. We will be working with Academic Reps and the wider student body. Watch this space for how you can get involved in the push to get this passed. 

Give Striking Students A Good Deal 
We will continue to support the rent strike against the Uni for as long as our members want us to, and will continue to apply pressure to the University to bring them to the negotiating table. The sooner the rent strike ends, the better it is for all involved. We are confident that the University is now ready to listen to you and will help students get access to the highest levels in University management. 

Better Mental Health Provision 
We believe that the University’s mental health provisions are inadequate; they are not understanding the needs we have. You shouldn’t have to pay to get timely support; good mental wellbeing should be available and accessible for everyone. We will be pushing University to implement specific changes to tackle this as soon as possible. We can’t wait to share the details of this soon. 

Listen to What You Want for the Governance and Democracy Review 
We will ensure that students get more than just a final vote regarding all the changes to our governance and democracy structures. We will make sure student feedback opportunities are available for all of the new proposals and changes to our existing models, that are being brought forward. This will ensure that not only those already engaged have a say, but that we also pull in students who feel on the outside of the process. We want the union to be relevant, accessible, and eager to listen to every student, and our proposed reforms aim to make sure students from all walks of university life can reach us and have a significant impact on what we do. 

Give You A Say on How Your SU Runs 
It is coming up to election time, which is the best time of the year! It is so encouraging to see everyone not only stand up and run to make a change but to also see the support around the candidates, from campaign teams and those who ask questions at hustings to all the voters supporting the manifesto points they want to see actioned. The final priority of ours is to encourage, inspire and motivate the next group of leaders, to help make the change you want to see. There are so many long-term projects that are important, ones that we unfortunately do not have time to finish during out time in office, now is your time to start making the changes you want to see. Run to lead your union and represent your fellow students. Fight for what you believe in. Nominate yourself, or a mate here: https://lancastersu.co.uk/articles/2021-election-nominations-now-open  

We as a team are here to help you understand the roles, support your manifesto writing and answer any and all questions you may have.  

Thank you for sticking with us throughout the pandemic, your support and enthusiasm are what keeps us going. We’re feeling motivated and inspired to fight for these important matters with and for you. As always please do get in touch with any questions or queries you have!  

With love, fist bumps, and a misting of hand sanitiser, 

Oliver, Bee, Shannon, Amy, Atree & Paul