To answer 1), I want to introduce a whole new range of policies that make Sabbatical Officers (and student leaders) much more accountable to the students who voted for them. This includes new processes like the ability to recall Sabbs and student leaders who aren't doing their jobs; new events like President's Question Time where students can hold me to account; and new structures like the Scrutiny Committee which holds Sabbs to account on a more individual basis. I'm also looking at other means of holding officers to account and this will be one of the things covered by a "Your Voice, Your Choice" consultation, where I'll actively seek students' input on how they want Sabbs to be held to account. As for Union staff, I'm loathe to give you a concrete answer without knowing the HR processes that already exist.
As for 2), I am very aware of the "clique" in SUSU. In my time at Southampton, I have seen the divide between those who understand how SUSU works and are embedded into the Union, and those who are not. The problem is that SUSU tries to engage those who aren't engaged using the experiences of those in the "clique" - what I want to do is go and talk to those who aren't engaged with SUSU and find new ways to communicate information to and get feedback from them. It's vital that we change the culture of SUSU from being a Union which expects students to come to it to engage and be heard, into one where it goes to all students to find out what they want.
This question was also asked to Shanelle Webb, Emily Dawes, Lii Mohamed, Tom PethickAnswered by Matt on 25/02/18 11:06