Welcome is the start of the academic year at university, the opportunity to meet your community, get to know your students' union, and find out more about all of the activities you can get involved in.
The Falmouth and Exeter Students’ Union is a non-for-profit organisation focused on improving the university experience for students at Falmouth University and the University of Exeter in Cornwall. We are here to act in your benefit and represent you.
You are represented by your sabbatical officer team. They are students who are elected into their role to lead the students' union for a year. The Presidents and Vice Presidents make decisions on the future of your union.
Welcome to The SU
Your sabbatical officer team 2023/24
SU President Falmouth
Hannah de Oliveira Whitlock
Hi, I’m Hannah! I love the outdoors—cliff jumping, adventuring, and camping bring me a lot of joy. Working with my hands in ceramics, bookbinding, and other physical crafts alongside photography are very important to me and help me to be connected to myself and everything around me. Considering the difficulties of modern living, I strongly believe in the significance of unassessed creativity, physical making and exploration; something I wish to focus on during my time as Falmouth President.
I aim to spark meaningful dialogues and inspire constructive change. I believe that communication is a fundamental mechanism that enables connection, understanding, knowledge, empathy, education, information and the preservation of our cultures. So, I’m always up for a chat n a cuppa hot milk.
h.deoliveirawhitlock@thesu.org.uk
SU President Exeter
I’m Connie, your President Exeter for 23/24, I’m a spirited person who loves the ocean and you’ll often find me on the beach or in the sea! My background is centred around community organising and collaboration, I strongly believe that meaning can be found within our relationships with others. This belief has made me an empathetic person with a drive to create change in our communities. I find the ocean to be a magical and calming place, it rejuvenates me and allows me to decompress - something that’s necessary in our busy lives! I enjoy spending time surrounded by loved ones, usually sharing a home-cooked meal or laughing in nature; these relationships sustain and nourish me. With a care for our Earth and all inhabitants, I hope to encourage and uplift our diverse community to thrive and generate change.
connie.chilcott@thesu.org.uk
SU Vice President
I am Orestis, a passionate individual hailing from Athens, Greece. With a background in Fashion Marketing, I combine my love for visual communication and storytelling to create impactful work that addresses societal and cultural issues. I find that I can express my inner thoughts, morals, and culture best through the art of writing.
Cooking is one of my many passions, where I find joy in experimenting with flavours and creating delicious culinary experiences. I also enjoy sharing a glass of wine with friends, as it brings people together in moments of warmth and community.
Driven by my desire to make a difference, I am not afraid to push boundaries and think outside the box. Through creative endeavours, I strive to raise awareness on matters that deeply affect and interest me. By employing innovative approaches, I seek to ignite meaningful conversations and provoke positive change.
o.collinsalamanos@thesu.org.uk
SU Vice President
Hi, I’m Phil and I’m your Vice President for 2023/24! I am a climate activist and a creative, and I love being part of nature. You will most likely find me in the woods, experiencing the changing seasons and enjoying the company of trees. My love for the world translates into climate activism; I have spent countless hours organising in the community, from people’s assemblies to direct action. The relationships we form in this time of crisis is so important, and I believe that we can build resilience rooted in love if we work together. I’m always up for a cup of tea and I love to hang out in the allotments on the campuses, so don’t hesitate to come up and have a chat!
philgreen@thesu.org.uk
How can I get involved with The SU?
With everything we do being about students, you can definitely find a place where you belong with the students' union. From our student trustees deciding on the future of the union to our course representatives, every part of the students' union is created to benefit you, our students and members.
From learning to surf to knitting, our sports clubs and societies are a great place to start when you come to university. You could even create your own and lead a committee to build your skills for your future career.
Welcome 2023 events
The best way to meet new people and get settled at university is to explore the range of opportunities available to you. At The SU, you are the centre of everything we do, if students are interested in it, so are we!
Budget now, save yourself the stress. Getting your money in line now will benefit you when it comes to planning out the things you want to do this year, whether that looks like travelling over the winter break or comfortably ordering a special celebratory drink when your assignment results come up. You can get free budgeting help from our
Advice team.Taking care of yourself
New place, new housemates, new course, new people: this is a busy time that can be overwhelming. You don’t have to make friends and feel sparkly the whole time.
You can find lots of helpful platforms and links in our mental health resources but if you need more help, you might want to talk to the student support team.
Your questions answered
How do I get tickets for events?
Most of our events are free and won't require tickets but if an event does require tickets, this will be written on the individual event page. Visit the event page in the listing above these questions to find out more about the activities you're interested in.
Welcome Week officially starts from Monday 18 September 2023 with lots of students moving into university owned accommodation from Saturday 16 September 2023.
When is the Welcome Fayre?
The Welcome Fayre is on Wednesday 20 September 2023, from 12pm until 5pm at the Penryn Campus. We are hosting a quiet hour for neurodivergent, shy, or noise sensitive students from 11am until 12pm, where you can have a personal tour with a member of our student staff.
Who can come to the Welcome Fayre?
The Welcome Fayre is for Falmouth University and University of Exeter Cornwall students only. Any non-students will be removed from Penryn Campus by security. Exceptions to this rule include:
- Carers of students attending the event
- Pre-registered commercial stallholders
I'm not a first year - can I come to Welcome events?
Absolutely! We would love to see you! Any of our students can come to any of our events.
I'm a postgraduate student - are there any events for me?
Yes! All events are open to all students, but we'll also have events during Welcome and throughout the academic year specifically aimed at helping postgraduate students meet other postgraduate students.
I'm an international student - are there any events for me?
Yes! All events are open to all students, but we'll also have events during Welcome and throughout the academic year specifically aimed at helping international students meet other international students.