Sabbatical Officer Manifestos 2015

VOTING 10TH-12TH MARCH

Check online for all the candidate candidatess’ manifestos

Nominees for Charities and Community

Why me?

• Originally from Fraserburgh, I have a wealth of knowledge of both the City and Shire.

• Being highly organised, I manage to juggle having a parttime job, with being an active member in HerCampus, The Aberdeen Law Project, Student Show and I lead a pretty hectic social life.

• I’ve been involved in the Aberdeen Student Show for four years, with last year raising over £80,000 for local charities.

In my administrative role I was part of the Sponsorship Team and I’m currently in the Vice President Role in this year’s production.

• I’ve fundraised for Childreach International for 3 years, taking both a Team Leader and committee role in 2014.

How I’ll make a difference • ‘re-branding RAG week’ – I aim to make RAG week more appealing and inclusive, getting not just the students involved but also the wider community.

• ‘Business sponsorship of students/groups ’ – I endeavor to create a mutually beneficial scheme whereby business’ can sponsor a student or a group of students who are partaking in charity work.

• ‘Accessibility of volunteer work ’ – Working in partnership with local charities shall secure students with worthwhile volunteer work, which will both be fulfilling and a CV booster for all participating students.

• ‘Linking AUSA Charities with Charity Societies’ – A link with charity societies, such as UNICEF and Childreach, will create a dialogue for the two. This shall enable us to interact and exchange ideas, for example conduct training on ‘how to fundraise’ and how to get fully involved in the charity sector.

What I’ve Done • I’m the 2014/15 External Events Officer for the University’s charities committee- member of the most successful Raising and Giving team to date! Over the last year I’ve: • Worked tirelessly to deliver numerous fundraising events from bungee jumping (off a crane in King’s pitches) to charity ceilidhs to bag-packing!

• Got extensive experience of working within the Charity and Communities organisation, understanding what works and what doesn’t!

• Gained a sound knowledge and understanding of the ins and outs of the role I’ll be going into.

What I’ll do • Building on the excellent achievements to date - I want to raise our ambitions even further. My ideas centre on strengthening connections between the local community and the University’s students by • Creating a volunteering database- making it more accessible

for students to find out about volunteering opportunities and get involved.

• Starting new yearly events e.g. Charities’ fashion event; • enabling societies and Sports clubs to start their own charity events – delivering a more sustainable, widespread impact for local charities; • Using your views – using Student surveys to democratically understand how you want to be represented; • maximising awareness of the new Charities Trademark (RAG) Why Callum?

• Proven track record in working within the Committee • Key member of the most successful ‘RAG Week’ Team • Start delivering impact and getting on with the job from day one.

Social: • Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/calluma2 • Twitter- https://twitter.com/Callumlallison

Nominees for Welfare and Equal Opportunities

Housing in Aberdeen is in crisis and we need a sustainable alternative to the private rental market. This should come in the form of student owned accommodation and better representation for student tenants. Through collective action we can do so much to put the needs of students first when it comes to housing.

• Our current support services are great but we can do more to support people with mental health issues. I would create a Mental Health and Wellbeing Society to challenge the stigma around the issue.

I WILL: • Reignite the Housing Co-Operative • Ensure that student housing issues are represented at every level in Aberdeen • Start a Mental Health and Wellbeing Society EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES Whether it’s staff or bouncers on a night out, students are

continually victimised. Club staff need consent and bystander intervention training and our lecturers need equality and diversity training which has proper student input.

• At AUSA, we’re currently going through a democratic review and the future of our Equality Forums is under threat. The work that the Forums do around liberation should be at the heart of everything we do.

I WILL: • Introduce consent training for nightclub staff • Get better equality and diversity training for University staff • Ensure that equality and diversity are a core value of AUSA MY EXPEREINCE: • VP Equal Opportunities 2013-14 • NUS UK/Scotland Delegate 2014 • Introduced ‘No Platform’ Policy • Held first training session for Equality Officers

Please don’t shout - I’m sure we can sort this!

My degree is sociology, and I am currently doing a masters in research at school of education. I have spent two years studying the sociology of international peace processes, including extensive feminist phenomenological interpretation within that.

My field work involved listening to people who work in peace processes at local, national and international levels.

I have also done 3 years as chair of a peace charity working with muslim women.

Currently, I am part of the UN Association, in Aberdeen.

I have been invited to speak against violence against women

PARAMOUNT BAR

RESULTS PARTY

meeting, for a christiangroup in April 2015.

I would be honoured to be considered for a welfare and equal opportunities post, bearing in mind my work experience and university education.

My teaching experience includes PGCert TESOL, and I have taught many different nationalities.

I have three children – one with learning difficulties who was expelled from school at 15. It’s an ongoing role!

I embrace all faiths, values and beliefs.

I love people!! (You can find me in the pub on Fridays) Please vote for me – thank you.

Nominees for Sports President

Hi there! My name is Megan Burgoyne and I’m running to be your next President for Sport at AU. I’ve been actively involved in University sport for the past 5 years, having sat on the Lacrosse Club committee for 3 years, being Club President for 2 of these. My personal passion for sport has driven my involvement at AU, regional and national levels. If elected, I will provide a positive, active and friendly support network to all sports clubs within the Union. I’m extremely passionate about the sporting community here and of teamABDN success!!

My manifesto is summed up by 7 key areas I believe to be essential for the development and success of sport at AU. • To create links between National Governing Sporting Bodies and clubs to provide pathways for students to gain sporting qualifications • To work with clubs to create a structure for more inter-club

and intramural activities to increase participation • Create opportunities for students to participate in non-competitive sport and physical activity • Ensure all University facilities are fully utilized • Increase awareness of the importance of mental and physical wellbeing by promoting the principles of healthy body healthy mind campaigns • Strengthen relations between clubs, the sports union, the Sport and Exercise team and ASV to enhance the teamABDN brand to create a more united sports community at AU • I will continue to work with the university to appoint a Director of Sport and ensure the student voice is an integral part of the strategic development of sport

Increase participation across all sporting clubs.

• Help make clubs attractive to all students - not just those who want to play competitively. Sport should be fun, social and inclusive.

• Promote Scottish Student Sport events in all clubs so everyone has a chance to compete no matter their level.

• Promote accessibility and affordability to all students who want to play sport.

• Make Tours available for all clubs and students.

• Increase funding and support for intramural teams.

• Maintain and strengthen relations with alumni e.g. through Alumni Sports Day. Improve communication between the Sports Union and all sports clubs and students.

• Make myself as available on a regular basis to listen to and work with others to create solutions to the challenges that

students and clubs may have.

• Be the voice of the student body in relation to sport and represent fairly ideas or views brought to me by students and clubs.

Aid top level sportsmen and sportswomen to help them achieve their potential.

• Offer as much support as possible including coaching and facilities.

• Attract young high level athletes to study at our University.

• Develop scholarship opportunities.

Maintain the high level of sporting facilities available and propose new projects to enhance them.

• Maintain and develop the Under Armour sponsorship • Lobby for improvements to sporting provision including new tennis courts and new equipment for sports clubs.

Nominees for Education and Employability

Improving Education • MyCurriculum: push for a better system for registering at the start of term, earlier exam timetables & improved MyAberdeen interface.

• Personal Tutor system: working to ensure efficiency, relevance and appropriateness for your studies and your future development - we need to ensure it is able to help all students including mature, EU & international students.

• Improve the Class rep system further by enhancing the support & training given by tailoring training to undergraduates & postgraduates.

• Improve SCEF by ensuring it is better for all – we need to ensure that all feedback for courses is accessible, is accurate and is asking the right questions. I want to push for a fairer and wider method in gathering feedback that is accessible by reps, students and staff to act upon it sooner rather than later.

Improving Employability • Expanding careers & employability programmes within AUSA to make students aware of part time jobs and graduate opportunities sooner • Encourage the university to make it policy for all subject areas to offer employability themed lectures and awareness material to third and fourth years so that no single opportunity passes a student and leaves anyone disadvantaged.

• Working with the Careers Service to improve & boost the career mentoring scheme to allow for wider participation and improved graduate opportunities • A more accessible STAR Award so that all students can work through the levels and be accredited for what they do.

Improving Your Student Experience #afullereducation

Education • What is a personal tutor? I want to provide greater clarity and offer personalised support to the personal tutoring program.

• International, mature, part-time and local students are underrepresented. I propose more induction events, earlier awareness of deadlines and a guaranteed point of contact within the university to help students thrive at Aberdeen.

• I plan on introducing 5 credit courses containing technical and vocational skills such as coding and SPSS amongst others. These courses will provide students with a wider skill set and add value to their degree.

• I will fight for guaranteed face-to-face feedback for honours students to help students achieve their best in these crucial years.

Employability • Equality and diversity should be at the core of our employability endeavours: I will promote scholarships for BME and

LGBTQ+ students on campus.

• I aim to create careers events tailored to students’ individual and departmental requirements.

• I fully intend to expand the alumni mentoring program, making it more subject-specific instead of the limited and exclusive industry orientated mentoring system currently provided • I will endeavour to increase the online presence and accessibility of the careers service to better convey the opportunities available to us Don’t Price Us Out of Education • I will campaign against rising house prices by implementing a house price freeze • Access for EU and International students to the hardship fund • A basic print credit for all students • Fighting course costs by aiming to reduce prices of: textbooks, field trips and lab equipment

Nominee for Societies & Student Activities

Experience: • Current President for Societies and Student Experience -2014-2015 • President of Politics & IR – Society of the Year 2013-14 • Organizer ‘Student Leadership Conference’ ‘Paws against Stress’ ‘TEDxUnionTerrace’ • Founder and Organizer ‘Leadership Academy’ • Re-Started Aberdeen Student Radio and Granite City TV (our Student TV) What I want to do: • Increase AUSA Presence on Campus • Increase promotion of society events on Campus • Create ‘Societies Handbook – How to run a Society’

• Stronger Student Media – Aberdeen Student Radio, Granite City TV • Expand Leadership Academy – more Workshops, more Speakers, more Support • Improve Finance and Bank Account issues (seriously!)

• FUN events – let’s get a Bouncy Castle!

• Re-Structure Societies Union committee – more specified roles • Improve Communication and Representation of Societies Union Committee and Societies • More recognition for Volunteers with e.g. V for Volunteering wall & other recognition scheme • Support Societies and Student activities in time of transition and New Building Project

Nominee for Student President

Experience: • For the past year I’ve been the President for Welfare and Equal Opportunities, giving me a deeper understanding of the Students’ Association and areas needing further development.

I’ve worked on several projects, including puppies on campus and self-defence classes.

Your Union • Ensure services in the temporary building are accessible, with a social space and awareness about where we’re based.

• Put students’ needs at the heart of the new union building plans, keeping you updated on its progress.

• Listen to what you want and how we can improve your time in Aberdeen.

• Make sure you know who your officers are and set up Sabb Surgeries.

• Keep Equality and Diversity at the core of everything we do.

Your Support • Work with the university to improve training of personal tutors, ensuring you’re properly supported and provided with

relevant information.

• Increase awareness about mental health issues and how you can be supported.

• Work with the Student Advice Centre to increase awareness about our services for students at Foresterhill.

• Lobby the University to release exam dates sooner.

• Over 1000 students at Aberdeen University self-define as disabled- I will run a campaign raising awareness about invisible disabilities and support we can offer students.

Your Safety • Build on the work I’ve accomplished this year: • Launch We Get It campaign.

• More self-defence classes.

• Increased lighting on campus.

• Greater awareness of campus security.

Find out more: facebook.com/GennaForStudentPresident

Housing The rent in Aberdeen is too damn high, and it still keeps going up. I am going to lobby the university for a rent cap in university-owned halls of residence to ensure prices do not continue inflating.

Students who rent private accommodation are often charged illegal fees, sometimes hundreds of pounds. I will target letting agents who charge these fees and further advance the Student Tenants’ Union to give students the power to act against landlords and letting agencies.

Sustainable Transport The city’s bike infrastructure is a disgrace. I will run a targeted campaign to improve bike lanes between Hillhead, Foresterhill and King’s Campus. I will also lobby for cheaper student bus fares.

Nominees for Environment and Ethics

We need a person who’s been engaged with E&E issues for the past 4 years. We need a person with the know-how to make them a priority. You need to vote Laura to make it happen.

Here’s how we’ll do it.

MY PLAN • I will fight for affordable living and lobby against Aberdeen’s landlords’ market and • Campaign for tenants’ rights to fair and stable rent and lower living expenses and bills.

• Work on the development of a Tenants’ Union.

• Implement free workshops on money saving skills, efficiency measures, switching suppliers and more.

• I will raise the profile of social responsibility through a better communication platform and • Lobby for transparency in how the University invests its money.

• Lead a campaign against limitations on free speech and student monitoring.

• Raise awareness of local activism, sustainability and seasonal food events.

• I will promote sustainable development by focusing on transitioning to a modern low carbon campus and • Make sustainable energy a priority when redesigning the new Student Union building.

• Improve the waste management system of our offices, outlets and Catering Services.

• Encourage reducing-reusing-recycling and local organic agriculture by increasing the activities of the Student Garden, Swap Shop, Bookends, Becycle, and other student groups.

MY EXPERIENCE • Worked with Resource Efficient Scotland and Sustainable Futures • Advice Centre Assistant at AUSA • Marketing Intern with the University of Aberdeen To find out more, please visit tinyurl.com/vote4laura

Room of Requirement Many of the things we own are used only for a few minutes or days every year. I will set up a ‘stuff’ library, the “Room of Requirement”, where you can borrow items like tents, power drills, sewing machines, tools, or video cameras for free, saving you money and giving you access to the things you need.

TO SEE ALL OTHER CANDIDATES IN THIS ELECTION PLEASE GO ONLINE www.ausa.org.uk/elections

Urban Farming We have access to some great land for gardening on campus, but this is currently vastly underused. I will secure funding to start an urban farming project that will engage students as well as the local community, and will provide us with fresh produce right on campus.

Humanitarian scholarships Aberdeen University should be promoting its values across the world. I will lobby the uni to create more humanitarian scholarships.