For those of you who sat January exams, I hope they went well and that you receive the grades you aimed for! As we dive back into deadlines, coursework, and all things academic, I want to remind you all that your Students’ Union has your back. We want to support you in making the most of your student experience here with us by providing the best opportunities for you to get involved with. To mark the beginning of this new year as a halfway point of my term as President Exeter, I have reflected on all that I have achieved so far and am looking forward to the new projects that I’ll be prioritising for the remainder of my time in this post… so here’s a little update:

As some of you may remember from last term, Charlotte (SU President Welfare & Inclusivity) and I held a Progress & Inclusion forum to discuss all things EDI (equality, diversity & inclusion) related. This was a great opportunity for us to engage with your raw feedback which we will be responding to at our next forum later this term (dates to be confirmed). Seeing the success of this collaborative work with Charlotte, I will be continuing to work in collaboration with your other SU Presidents throughout the rest of this term to create more student-facing opportunities like this.

Now, who doesn’t love a coffee catch-up? My next collaborative project is with your SU President Falmouth, Ben, and together we will be hosting our ‘Spill the Beans’ socials. Join us for some sweet treats and hot beverages on the 25^th of February in the Exchange lecture theatre from 12-2pm. We’d love to meet with you and hear how we can better represent you as your university SU Presidents.

Also taking place this month, to celebrate LGBTQ+ history month this February, the SU have organised a wide range of activities and events to be more inclusive of our student community. From talks hosted by sexual health clinics to social opportunities like speed friending, we are working closely with our Liberation committee and our Pride society members to schedule opportunities that celebrate our LGBTQ+ history, which all are welcome to join.

Just before Christmas, it was raised to me that little has progressed regarding the sport’s pitch development that previous SU President Exeter, Joe Rigby initially strived for during his term in 2019/20. Realising the neglection of this proposal within the University of Exeter’s 2030 Sport’s Strategy, I have made it my key priority this term to achieve significant progress with this development. Tell me what you think, is there still a demand for sport pitches at our Cornwall campuses? Let me know in an email or drop by the office – I am keen to take on board any thoughts you have on this!

Our annual Sustainability week is on the horizon, set to be for the week commencing the 21^st of March. Working alongside our Green committee and Leela Channer, our Environment & Ethics Officer at the SU, Ellie (SU President Student Experience) and I are in the process of creating a diversity of functions to educate the importance of living a “greener” lifestyle. We’ll have screenings of the beloved David Attenborough series, vegan/vegetarian cooking and DIY repair workshops, and so much more including pub quizzes and beach cleaning projects, working in collaboration with some of our societies.

Finally, having your voice heard is really important and if you’re a finalist, you’ve got the chance at the moment via the National Student Survey. It’s an opportunity to reflect on your whole time at Uni and it would be great if you could take five minutes to complete it. Previous students also filled it out and the comments are read by the Vice-Chancellor and staff from your course. 

This is just a snapshot of some of the key things I’ll be working on this term, but there is so much more going on behind the scenes that I’m incredibly excited to share with you as they unfold! But for now, based on this summary update, there are lots to look forward to this term and I can’t wait to continue the work that I love! Please don’t hesitate to contact me or drop by the office if there is anything I can support you with – I would love any excuse to get out of university meetings and be more student-facing to meet with you. All the best with your studies this term!