Joshie Christian, VP Education
YOUR Student Voice – Have your say in big university projects!
This fortnight, I want to share an opportunity for every student to get involved in just a little bit of Student Voice! You can have your say on a whole range; we’re designing some massive new buildings, planning our new Academic Calendar, working on new policy around exams and assessments, and more!
Adding your name to this form is like signing up for a mailing list – we will pass your email address to university staff, who might ask you to give feedback on your experience with a specific issue, invite you along to a consultation meeting, or set up a dedicated session to do some student co-design. Anything you receive will be optional to engage with; you decide whether you have the time!
Hartley Library Transformation Project (with Union President, Emma) – Improving the insides of the Hartley Library, adding more study space, reorganising the collections, looking at everything from the bookable rooms to the quiet floor policies.
North-East Quadrant Project (with Union President, Emma) – A massive new building on campus, B75, is destined to be the new home of Medicine. Will have new study space and teaching rooms, plus there are still decisions to be made about the grounds, outdoor spaces, and all sorts of other details…
STEM Labs Project (with Union President, Emma) – Planning the new laboratories on campus, kitted out as a shared lab building for all our FEPS and FELS students.
Generative AI Working Group (with VP Education, Joshie) – A group that investigates the usage of Generative AI (such as ChatGPT, Copilot, etc) across the university and discusses the policy and procedure surrounding AI in education. They would be keen to hear reports from students about how they use Generative AI.
Academic Calendar Implementation (with VP Education, Joshie) – A series of groups that are organising the details and implications of the changes to the academic calendar. They need students to consult on the impact on assessment schedules, to help design the communications that we post around the changeover period, and more.
Advancing Assessment Project (with VP Education, Joshie) – A large university project looking to change and improve all sorts of things about your assessments, from AERs in exams, to deadlines, rubrics, project briefs, errors on exam papers, marking processes, essay feedback, and much much MUCH more!
PAT Project (with VP Education Joshie) – We are working through a new set of minimum requirements, expectations, and regulations governing what your academic staff are expected to do as a Personal Academic Tutor.
Rubber duck thought:
I asked the rubber duck on my desk what events he’s planning to attend over the next week – he said he’s looking forward to the light switching-on ceremony for the Winter Festival, and wants to remind everyone of the vigils we are observing during Transgender Day of Remembrance next week, as we close out Transgender Awareness Week.
He also asked me; What does Quackademic Weapon do to get in a festive mood? He puts up his Christmas Duckorations!
All the very best from me,
Joshie Christian – VP Education
Emma Brown, Union President
Our Winter festival is coming next week, and I will be dressed as Santa (my secret identity)! We’ve got a load of festive events, including festive karaoke, roller disco, and a Christmas party.
But if there’s one thing you shouldn’t miss, it’s the Winter Lights Switch On – gather outside SUSU Building 40 from 17:20 on Thursday 20 November, as we light up the iconic Christmas tree and campus lights. We’re starting Christmas a little early, because you need the festive cheer to get you through your coursework!
We’re exploring potential refurbishment ideas for Building 42 and want your input. Check out our concept designs and fill in the short feedback form. We’re doing this to fix the outdated building, add more storage for clubs and societies, and more multipurpose spaces. This is an early stage, and nothing is fixed yet – which means your voice can make a real impact.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve visited Avenue, Boldrewood, and Winchester School of Art, and I want to hear more from students outside of Highfield campus. Email me president@soton.ac.uk if you have suggestions for your campus, whether that be better bus routes, more SUSU involvement, food prices, and more.
We want to hear more about how we can improve SUSU outside of usual academia hours (aside from all-nighters in the library) – this includes the potential of clubbing and more live music events! If you have a suggestion, just send it our way. The more voices we hear, the more resources we can put into making that change happen.
See you all at the Winter Festival! Ho Ho Ho.
Ge 'Sparkle' Gao, VP Communities
Our Anti-Fraud Awareness Project has been making great progress! Over the past few weeks, we’ve completed data collection and in-person interviews, and I also joined Sabbs On Tour to visit students across Highfield and Avenue campuses. These conversations were incredibly insightful — and a stark reminder of how serious this issue is.
We’re now moving into the bilingual anti-fraud video production stage, aiming to deliver key messages in both English and Chinese to reach more students. If you’re interested in getting involved — whether that’s helping with filming, acting, or sharing your own story — please get in touch via vpcommunities@soton.ac.uk!
Meanwhile, our Club Exploration Project is also going strong! More societies have signed up for filming, and our goal is to produce videos that truly capture the spirit of each club on campus. I’m really excited to share that our first episode, featuring the Salsa Society, has already reached over 5,000 views! The Salsa members were full of energy and passion — a huge thank-you to them for their amazing support.
Looking ahead, we plan to release at least one episode each week, showcasing the diversity and creativity of our student communities. Our social media expansion is also progressing well — we’re collecting more data and exploring platforms like Xiaohongshu to connect with a wider audience. If your society would like to be featured next, or if you have fun ideas for community content, please reach out via vpcommunities@soton.ac.uk — I’d love to collaborate!
Travis Arthur, VP Sports
The Movember ambassadors and I have been working hard to ensure we raise as much money for Movember as possible. At the beginning of the month, we hosted a stall to encourage students to shave off their facial hair, spreading the message about Movember. Still to come this Movember: 6-a-side football tournament, a 24hr cycle competition and an inside-out day (where students wear their clothes/sports kit inside out to raise awareness and money for Movember). Sports clubs and other societies have also been encouraged to host their own events and challenges to raise even more awareness for this great cause. In addition, I have been working with other sports sabbatical officers across the country (over 30 of them) to collaboratively make an impact, having currently raised approximately £300,000.
I have been working with the Sports Executive Committee to ensure that everyone within sports clubs can be represented. This is being achieved through WhatsApp communities, Teams channels and in person meetings with all sport categories. Some of the things they have been working on include the Team Southampton Awards, making The Stag’s better, and grant round allocations.
I hosted the recent Sport and Facilities Forum – this allowed committees and other members to ask Southampton Sport and SUSU any questions that they may have and suggest any improvements. I also asked the students some questions to ensure they got a say in some current projects.
For the Team Southampton Awards, I created a thorough option list, mixing different price levels and experiences. After consulting the Sports Exec and other student panels – ensuring students have as much of a say as they can – the planning for these awards has started.
The badge scheme, which was introduced last year, allows recognition to clubs who deserve it by awarding them badges: community, inclusivity, engagement, sustainability and wellbeing. I am now working with the activity coordinators to ensure this recognition is noticed, ensuring students are made aware of these achievements.
Toby Page, VP Inclusion
Another fortnight down! Getting into the routine of it now – don’t forget to keep trying new things, going to new clubs & socs, and making new friends.
So, what have I been up to?
The Gender Expression Fund
Another week of movement with the Gender Expression Fund. I’m still working on all the documents to bring the GEF back, bigger and better than ever.
If anyone has opinions on how the GEF should be run, please send me an email. I want to incorporate as much student feedback as possible.
You Make Change
I’ve worked on my first two assigned You Make Changes. Everything submitted by students go straight to the Sabbs, and we work to make your ideas happen. So if you have any university improvements you’d like to see, head straight over there to let us know!
Sabbs on Tour
I attended this year’s very first Sabbs on Tour! We talked to a ton of students, listened to some feedback and gave out a ton of goodies. We were in Building 42 on Highfield, and it was so lovely to see such a vibrant and alive campus.
Aside from that, I’ve gone to WSA for an open day and seen the beautiful campus, continued to collaborate with the VP Communities on spreading fraud awareness, and worked towards many of my other projects.
Over the next fortnight, I’m looking forwards to the first Sabbs on Tour on Avenue, working towards wrapping up my GEF work, and continuing work on my big projects.
Have a lovely fortnight!
You Make Change Updates
You Make Change update: Thank you as always for your ideas and queries. We look forward to receiving more submissions in the next two weeks!