Omuwa Ayomoto

Context:

Facilitating the development of relevant job fairs by encouraging Bournemouth University to advance their pre-existing relationship with companies for potential graduates. However, in terms of testimonies given most job fairs set up had employers who weren’t hiring. Therefore, working closely with BU to evaluate the relevance of these professional organisations.

Progress:

The BU focus on your future event took place between 11th October and 22nd October 2021 and included an online jobs fair. However, this event had been organised whilst I was still very new to my role and therefore I could not have a large influence on the organisation of this. However, as part of the Student Opportunities Team I took part in creating a presentation that focused on students gaining extra-curricular activities. It is hoped that a further jobs fair will be ran in Term 2 where I would like to support BU Careers in hosting this and pushing for it to be ran face to face and include many hiring organisations.

Additional to the Focus on Your Future event, I hosted my own event – “Mind your Business” as part of Black History Month. This event promoted entrepreneurial development and business growth to promote business longevity and I engaged students with a business panel on 18th October 2021.

Context:

One major issue BU students have faced this year is an active outdoor life. Furthermore, to implement this policy. I will be working with SportBU to foster activities that will be used to develop relationships between pairs from various backgrounds.

Progress:

One of the elements I am looking at is the transport links between Talbot and Lansdowne Campus and Chapel Gate in order to help students use the sporting facilities. I have started to speak to students such as clubs and societies committee members on the need for the transport link and will be developing a survey to find out more about their opinions.

I had worked alongside Tolu and the Student Opportunities Team to create an outdoor event with Beryl Bikes- The Beryl Bike Scavenger Hunt. However, this saw low engagement so we will be re-running this event in the Spring term. This event will allow students to get outside and do some physical activities whilst also meeting new students.

Context:

This is limited to care or construction work or an un-paid internship. I want to work with Bournemouth University to provide jobs within the campus for students to aid sustainability.

Progress:

I will be creating a list of small businesses around BU/ Lansdowne and would like to create job opportunities for students and create a physical fair so that students can come and speak to these organisations to enhance the paid part-time job opportunities that are available for BU students.

Policy Actions:

• SUBU should consult students when arranging the new funding structure

Progress:

I attended my first awarding committee meeting this month and reviewed the clubs funding applications. The process was seamless and easy for cubs and societies to follow. We however noticed that lots of clubs were not reading the guidance document to help them fill in the form so have suggested that committee members attend some funding workshops to help them understand the process better and in turn hopefully receive more funding.

Policy Actions:

• SUBU to lobby the university to provide support for students in light of Brexit such as offering extensive support with Visa applications and reaching out to other universities across Europe to form partnerships.

Progress:

There has been no progress on this policy. I will continue to look into the actions of my predecessor such as the scope for a Brexit support page on the BU or SUBU website and an international student survey to support this policy implementation.

Policy Actions:

• For SUBU to establish an official SUBU Discord Hub.
• For SUBU to create an online version of the SUBU building on Discord with different threads allowing students to find out information.
• For SUBU to use Discord to provide an informal and friendly social space which doesn’t have set start and end times meaning students can chat whenever they want.

Progress:

The implantation of the official discord sever sits with the responsibility of the SUBU comms team who completed an impact assessment of the involvement in a SUBU server. There are a number of potential risks that were highlighted which will need mitigating to provide a platform safe to use for all students. The impact assessment was reviewed by the SUBU senior management team.

It was decided that SUBU would continue to support the student in developing the unofficial SUBU discord server that is already in place. An official one where SUBU has limited time constraints on staff already, plus the additional risks involved in moderation and censorship it provides, even if those are minimal, is not something we can fully commit to right now. This also provides students the ultimate flexibility in having a community led server.

Policy Actions:

• Departments need to work together more coherently around sabbatical manifestos and instead of working to one, each department should be trying to consider all the manifestos of those elected
• To ensure all departments have all the sabbatical officers’ manifestos incorporated into their departmental plans
• All sabbaticals must work together after their election on a joint priority campaign document to guide all departments, setting out a coherent plan for policy, ironing out any inconsistencies across manifestos and setting out a clear work agenda for staff and students

Progress:

SUBU has created a new strategic plan, which includes a department team action plan. Includes aligning manifestos of current officers, more robust structure to ensure departments are working towards new SUBU direction and supporting officer progress

Policy Actions:

• SUBU to conduct a review and conversation around how it’s activities, structures, societies, and stakeholders, can help deliver SDGs meaningfully
• SUBU should prioritise information and action around the UN Sustainable Development Goals up to 2030

Progress:

• We have included the SDGs in our volunteering hub and every role is matched to an SDG
• We are currently looking into doing the same with al SUBU events list on the SUBU whats on page.
• We are currently running our Sustainability Challenge which allows students to create a sustainable idea to help make BU more environmentally sustainable.

Context:

I am working with the Student Opportunities team as part of the Clubs and Societies awarding committee where I take part in reviewing the funding that clubs apply for. I have an insight into the funding that clubs use and am here to support students in clubs and societies to join them and to take part in activities, also ensuring that the clubs are using their funds in the correct ways to benefit their members.

Progress:

• Attended awarding committee meeting
• Noticed some clubs aren’t suitable for remote students- e.g student in Yeovil who applied for hardship fund.

Context:

I would like to increase students knowledge around sustainability and to ensure students are aware of sustainable characteristics of organisations when they apply for jobs.

Progress:

• No updates on this yet.