Support - meeting the pastoral needs of students
Employability - helping students be the best they can and realise their aspirations
Community engagement - we need to support the local community and give students an opportunity to contribute
To ensure employability is at the forefront of all programmes. The university needs to adopt a real-world perspective. By that I mean teaching and assessment, including learning outcomes, need to develop key skills such as critical thinking and writing skills. These skills need to develop intellectual capacity and prepare students for their post-university lives. I know Solent university has had excellent results with its real world learning framework, we can learn from that. I also believe academic departments need to be using placements much, much more. Not just years away in industry, although this is great, but embedded throughout courses. This requires more robust engagement with local employers, not just employers based in London (an issue in the business school). I also want to see the university bring in more guest speakers from industry, at university and departmental levels. Academics should be supported in making this happen, for an example more funding. Online platforms are a great opportunity to bring in speakers from all over the world. There needs to also be more focus on developing practical skills, such as interviewing skills and networking, to help students gain employment. Southampton University is a powerful brand, I want our students to make the most of this.
Student representation is always a challenge in universities. I worry about tokenism, on the part of the university. My experience of the business school, where I am a student, has been very positive but my sense is higher management are not always as attentive to the student voice as they should be. I worry about cuts to student services and the considerable mental health needs of the student population. I believe the VP role needs to get the needs of students higher up the agenda. Covid only serves to exacerbate all of this. As an international student and a mature student, I am also worried that these two groups are often overlooked, although I am committed to representing all students from all backgrounds. My main approach to the role will be to act as an advocate, to campaign for increased student services and offer more support to academics who I believe are under a lot of pressure to do more with less. I would like to see a more robust system of support for mental health, disability, those with caring responsibilities and international students. This needs to be the role of an expanded service including a wider range of specialists.
This question was also asked to Libby Evans, Rostislavs Popovs, Savanna Cutts, Elliot Morris, Galyna MandraAnswered by Gladys on 24/02/21 11:19
