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You Said - I Did - Part 2

Bianca Holland |

Email from 12/12/25

Hi Course reps!!
 
Its Bianca, the Education and community officer 😊
From emails y’all have been sending me to our sub-council and student council meetings, valid concerns have been raised, and I have been working with you guys in addressing them and taking action!
Soooooo, I thought I would repeat the You said I did email, part 2!!
Just a reminder these are based on emails I have been sent personally, or people have talked to me about, so if you sent something to the SU inbox and it’s not mentioned here it’s because it has not been forwarded to me!
I have split this one up into issues raised through Sub-Council and issues raised through anything else.
Sub-Council
Action:
  • BH to contact accommodation management regarding Upper Quay issues.
  • Address Upper Quay issues in upcoming meeting and push for improvements.
I did: Alongside 4 course reps we collated a document outlining the issues faced at upper quays. I emailed the head of student experience and head of accommodation at UoG with the document, and they have escalated it to the owners of Upper Quays. I am now waiting on a response. I plan to meet with the owners of upper quays myself to further discuss these issues. The executive team at the university is supportive of students in this matter and will also be lobbying on student’s behalf.
Action: Launch survey on N bus reinstatement.
I did: Currently I am creating the survey and trying to get a hold of the director of stagecoach.
Action: Promote FCH drop-in session.
I did: The SU team put the Drop-in session on the SU site and I put it in my email to course reps on the 25/11/25.
Action: Monitor OFS developments and NSS guidance.
I did:
Action:
  • BH to draft a policy for Student Council to campaign locally, regionally, and nationally against the OFS proposal.
  • Contact OFS for clarification and reasoning.
  • Coordinate with other universities and student unions.
  • Create and distribute a petition; members to share widely.
  • Engage local MPs for support.
  • Policy paper to be written by BH and submitted before Student Council meeting next Tuesday.
I did: For all the background please read my blog. Link
I drafted the Policy alongside 3 school reps. This policy was read at Student council and the Policy was passed y'all! Congratulations! Policy link
This means we can now start our process of petitioning writing letters and campaigning against the OFS and what they’re doing to discounting not only the app but what they’re doing to post 92 institution like ours across the sector
I’ve already started reaching out to other universities, Winchester and Bath spa are behind us and I reached out to someone from WONKE which is the SU News hub. It’s a lot of smart people who published smart things about topics that affect university students and student unions and he’s willing to help us create this campaign. I have let the Gloucester MP know of our petition and we will be having further discussions.
The University of Winchester wants to write a letter to the OFS we will be joining them in this.
I will likely be meeting someone from the OFS on the 16th of January and following that we will publish our petition and our letter to the OFS and department of education.
Just so that they know it’s coming and can respond accordingly.

Still looking for 2 more volunteers to be part of a working group in which we write this together amended together to ensure we’re getting our points across, the guy from WONKE and the university executive team will help us with the facts and more technical parts, don't feel like you have to do it! 
Action: BH to email guidance on completing the NSS and follow up on revalidation workshops.
I did: Currently Drafting an easy NSS Guide. 
Action: BH to support a student in raising revalidation concerns at ACL meetings.
I did: Emailed that student
Action: Investigate FCH module changes and communicate plans clearly.
I did: Emailed both heads of school and asked them to discuss a plan that can be given to the geography students.
Action: BH to raise room booking issues with Estates and explore better systems.
I did: I still need to reach out to those who brought it up to get the exact issues. But I have emailed estates saying this issue is coming their way.
Action: Organise meeting with nursing and physiotherapy reps to discuss placement costs and reimbursement.
I did: Meeting Nursing on Friday at 4pm!
Action: Investigate the feasibility of Apps Anywhere for remote software access.
I did: Research into it and Plan to bring it up at Academic Affairs Committee
Action: Follow up on career support gaps for biomedical and education courses.
I did: having to wait to bring it up at Academic Affairs Committee
Action: BH to explore ways to improve SU visibility and communication.
I did: I plan to put this in the next Sub-council meeting agenda to ask students how they want to receive information.
Action: Raise concerns about study space availability and international student support with university leadership.
I did: Talked to Library and estates about this and they will be carrying out an audit of all study spaces and libraries, what facilities does each library have, how many collaborative study spaces, silent study spaces are at each campus. I noted to them that each campus will have a different need, some are more collaborative due to nature of their course and some are more individualistic, so hopefully they take this into account.
They are also doing an inventory and see what can be done for signposting.
On the international student support bit, I will be putting in a meeting to discuss this with Iffat the Welfare and Diversity officer as she is doing great work on this already.
Action: Address assessment bunching and teaching quality issues with relevant ACLs.
I did: I brought this up at my meeting with the executives and they have taken it away and will get back to me, I will bring it up again in relevant revalidation workshops, academic affairs committee and academic board.
Action: Investigate clearer guidelines for module delivery and pre-reading requirements.
I did: Nothing yet because I need to read through the minutes to remind myself of what courses had these issues. I know it was BCSS the most, I will be bringing this up to head of school quality department.
Others
Blackfriars
I am following up on the issue as have not heard back regarding if maintenance have permanently fixed the gates. Tbh might go down this weekend and try the gates myself.
Dace Rooms
I was told that one of the Dace rooms have been temporarily turned into a teaching space, from my conversation with the executive it seems they cannot be moved. So, I have asked that Dance students be given automatic extensions on their assignments with them still being able to claim EC1&2 if needed. They said they would take it away and discuss so I will be following it up.
Jolt x Architecture
Had a meeting with AC of Architecture and Jolt to discuss the students potentially doing a project
Jolt X Creative Subjects
Jolt has asked that we do creative subject working groups to discuss what students need from JOLT once thy leave the uni, I have been getting responses form the creative groups and we will host these in the new year.  
Landlord Group
I have been liaising with local landlords who rent to students to great a landlord student forum.
City Campus
I have entered into conversations with the county library to see what can be done about potentially having them receive books for our students so that students do not have to go to Oxstalls to collect textbooks.
If you think I have missed anything please get in touch!
 

 

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