Iona Bateman

Hi everyone, I'm Iona, a second year Physiotherapy student running for Union President. As a mature student with a disability I’m passionate about advocating for my peers and ensuring that we have the best experiences at Southampton, leaving with the additional skills required as future leaders and change-makers in the world.

I have previously volunteered as course rep and Faculty Officer for FELS and worked on the Co-Design Panel, Student Advisory board, EDI committee and as a widening participation intern. These experiences have helped me to develop a strong network and working relationship with staff and students across the breadth of the university, enabling me to hit the ground running as your president.

Co-design projects have been a great success and I will enhance this further with solutions to developing issues being led by the students who are directly affected. Similar to the student-innovation projects currently on offer, these will be based upon emerging issues proposed by the student body to address in creative and innovative ways with support and mentorship from university staff, empowering students to proactively solve the challenges which impact us most.

The cost-of-living crisis has had a heavy impact on studies and shows no sign of easing. The university has provided a wide range of support and I want to ensure this continues until we see a reduction in financial pressures. This includes pushing for cheaper food on campus and a pot of smaller amounts of emergency funding that can be accessed quickly in a crisis when students may be stressed and completing lengthy application forms/providing evidence for hardship funding is a potential barrier.

Having faced adversity myself, I’m familiar with the incredible range of wellbeing support available, but with long wait times for counselling and national increases in student anxiety, I will work to increase capacity and accessibility. Working with the sabbatical team and wellbeing services I will press for additional counselling provision and increased capacity for regular, free wellbeing events throughout the year, including innovative support such as animal therapy.

Reverse mentoring by students paired with university staff from lecturers to decision-makers at senior levels would be an opportunity to directly communicate the student voice into every aspect of university life. This would ensure that a diverse range of opinions are considered when planning activities and strategy implementation, increasing engagement and providing additional career-enhancing skills for students.

Many students face waiting times of 2+ years for neurodiversity assessments to access additional support including DSA funding and reasonable adjustment for assessments. I would push for the university to provide fast-tracked diagnoses and interim support for students who face academic challenges due to undiagnosed conditions.

I love being a Southampton student and value the incredible opportunities I’ve had during my time here, but I want to work with you all to make it even better, increasing inclusivity across our diverse student population and encompassing all campuses. As your president I’ll take your voice forward in decision-making with innovation and co-design at the heart of every project.