Isobel Porteous - Union President

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Photo of Isobel Porteous
  • Boost our bus system!
  • Ensure students feel safe out and about
  • Balanced timetables - breaks between lectures and exams!
  • Protect our societies - give them more spaces for events!
  • Less hassle with housing - students deserve better from landlords

Why vote for Isobel?

As Union President, I hope to solve as many of the widespread issues facing students as I can. Below are some of the issues that I would be tackling:

  • Improve our bus network: Have you ever struggled to get your bus home after lectures, or had one drive by you because it was too full? Crowded buses are just one of the many issues with our buses. If you vote for me, I will advocate for:
    • Increasing the frequency of U1, U6 and U1N so students can get to lectures and socials more reliably, whether that’s making 9ams or getting home safely after nights out
    • Extending the U6C route to run to NOC during the day, not just evenings and go into the city
    • Reviving the U9 so students who live in Shirley and Bitterne can get to campus faster - currently Unilink barely runs these buses, which needs to change!
    • Ensuring that Winchester students have their bus passes subsidised and raising the issues with the U7 with the university
    • Fighting for better prices- fares have risen to £2.60 for one trip, which is too expensive for many students and risks limiting access to lectures and safe travel. I will push for student discounted fares and cheaper annual bus passes.
  • Help students feel safer in Southampton:
    • More frequent SUSU safety buses- more buses, earlier operating times and more nights running until 4am.
    • More streetlighting on dark, busy roads (and the common!) to help students feel safer walking at night.
  • Protecting our societies:
    • Giving societies first access to room booking at the start of each semester, to help with securing event spaces
    • Keeping buildings open later so more events can be run
  • Fixing housing issues:
    • Lobbying for the university to take legal action on behalf of students when landlords or estate agents fail to uphold contracts
    • A housemate matchmaker tool! Updating the current system so students can find compatible housemates.
    • Improving the guarantor finder scheme so more people can access housing
  • Stopping bad lecture and exam timetabling!
    • I will fight to reduce the number of trips between campuses per day and reduce module clashes so students can tailor their degree without impossible journeys.
    • Ensuring students have at least a day between their exams and preventing coursework deadline clashes– particularly for joint honours students!
  • Studying and student wellbeing:
    • Move exams before Christmas!- With the changes to the academic year that have been announced, it makes sense to move some exams before the winter break, to give students more spaced out exams and a proper rest.
    • Put more plugs in lecture theatres so students can keep devices charged easily during long days on campus

And so much more that couldn’t fit here! If any of these issues resonated with you and you want to find out what other issues I want to help solve…

Vote for Isobel to be SUSU President!