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You Said, We Did

The student voice is at the heart of everything we do, as we are run by students, for students.

We want to ensure our members have more opportunities to get involved, have the best possible academic experience and feel supported, so listening and responding to your feedback is important to us.

Below we have outlined some of the work we’ve been doing based on your feedback, but we are continuing to make improvements. If there are things you’d like us to work on and prioritise, please send in your ideas via our democratic system.

Education

You asked for more scholarship opportunities:

We have worked to secure more undergraduate student research internships as part of the University’s 125th Anniversary celebrations.

You said that the Student Rep sign up process was too long:

We made signing up easier and since September 2024 have recruited over 1700 students to represent their classmates!

Volunteer and Elected Reps asked for more support with Committee meetings:

We are now providing briefings for elected reps ahead of College Committees to help them be best prepared to represent you!

You wanted earlier access to your university schedule:

We have worked to secure earlier than ever release of timetables.

Reps told us they wanted to celebrate their successes more:

We re-launched Rep of the Month and revamped Rep Awards with new awards and better prizes, with over 200 nominations being summitted in 2024!

You asked for more scholarship opportunities:

We have worked to secure a postgraduate widening participation scheme for masters students worth £250K.

Representation

You said Part-Time Officer roles should be paid:

We introduced paid Part-Time Officer roles in 2024, which has provided Part-Time Officers with more dedicated time and resource to represent and support marginalised communities.

You asked for a more diverse range of activities:

We have delivered an extensive programme of Officer-led events, including cultural events, LGBTQ+ events, activities for students with disabilities, commuter events and much more.

Housing

You said you wanted more support around housing to make more informed decisions:

We built a Housing Hub to offer key information regarding each stage of the renting journey

We promoted Marks out of Tenancy giving students the opportunity to leave reviews about their property.

You said you wanted more support regarding living in your home:

Our Community Wardens provide advice and guidance on protecting your property, managing waste and many more issues.

Student Activities

You said you wanted to try out student group activities before joining:

We established our popular Give it a Go scheme where you could experience different student group activities.

Student Group committee members asked us to simplify the finance process:

We developed a new digital system where groups can more swiftly process their finance requests and manage their accounts.

Support

You asked for Cost-of-Living support:

We have launched and sustained several funds that students can apply for to support with costs relating to sports, graduation and general living expenses.

You asked for Cost-of-Living support:

We run the Community Pantry scheme to provide students with food parcels and a weekly Community Breakfast  offering students a free meal to start their day.

You asked for Cost-of-Living support:

We have continued to run the Selly Express offering free transport between campus and Selly Oak.

You asked for Cost-of-Living support:

We have built a brand-new Money Matters Hub housing lots of key information to support students


Latest Student Deals