Ellie Keiller - President

Hello, I'm Ellie and I'm the President of the Guild (a fancy way of saying Students' Union) this year. I was also President last year and I am really excited to have been re-elected to serve as your President for a second term: I can’t wait to work with and for you all again. As President, I will be leading and supporting the rest of the officer team, and together we’ll shape the direction of the Guild throughout the year. Whilst working on fulfilling my manifesto again and following up on Your Ideas, I will also be representing you to the university, sitting on lots of boards and committees and making sure that your voice is heard in university decision making. In addition, this year, I will also be developing the Guild’s next strategic plan which will lay out our aims and objectives for the next three years. I want to make sure that the Guild’s vision for itself reflects your needs and interests. One last thing: just like last year, I was elected by students and I'm here for you. So check out my social media, message me, arrange to see me or pop into my office when I’m around.

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Officer Question Time Videos

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My Manifesto

Ellie Keiller - President 2017-18 Manifesto

Officer Action Plan - Progress Reports

The below outlines progress against key points in my Officer Action Plan. Click each heading to collapse / view progress updates. If you have any questions regarding these, I'd be happy to discuss. Please feel free to get in touch using the 'Contact Me' section above.

Complete

Have President office hours every week

Progress Status

100% Complete

There are 2 hours set into my calendar for every week that I am in the Guild i.e. not on annual leave or working away. I will communicate the times via a Facebook status / social media post every week. I will not always have them in my office, I will make sure that some of these happen in the membership area and I will use my office when privacy is needed.Autumn 2017

Ongoing

Introduce a sports and activity participation bursary

Progress Status

40% Complete

I have submitted a bid to the NUS’ new activity fund to fund this in the Guild. I will look for more sponsorship if this is not successful.Autumn 2017
I am also very keen to ensure that students who wish to use this fund are respected and when they are being means tested are not forced to jump through hoops… This means that looking through how best to do this is taking some time as the expertise is hard to track down.Feb 2018
I have now pulled together examples where this occurs in other Universities and have written a paper which I hope to present very soon (asking for a fair bit of money!)March 2018

Complete

Allow students to job share a part time officer role

Progress Status

100% Complete

This will be an option in the Term 2 elections. We are just working through the regulations and framework around this.Autumn 2017
This is now an option for term 2 elections for all part time roles.March 2018

Complete

Have online manifesto tracking

Progress Status

100% Complete

You’re looking at it ;)Autumn 2017

Ongoing

Pay Student Staff the living wage

Progress Status

90% Complete

We are looking at how this will be affordable. Due to the fact that the Guild put nearly £3m back into the pockets of student staff last year, and due to the ethos we have that ‘If a job can be done by a student, give it to them’, we are looking to find approx £48k to fund this.Autumn 2017
The Finance Committee of the Guild (which is a sub committee of the whole Trustee board) received a paper in November which outlines the financial implications and the possibilities of achieving the above figure. They were not able to come to a decision and it will now be referred to the whole Trustee Board meeting in which I will aim to influence discussion in line with this manifesto point. Jan 2018
The Guild Trustee Board have assessed this paper and the financial situation and have decided that at this stage, without considerable changes (which cannot be implemented quickly or all at once) the Living Wage cannot be paid to student staff. A blog post / statement will be released soon outlining more details on this and how the Guild can work with student staff going forward. March 2018

Ongoing

Get rid of the £5 card limit in Joes

Progress Status

20% Complete

We are looking into the affordability of this.Autumn 2017
This has involved meeting with banks who charge the Guild (and all organisations) a percentage of their sale when someone uses card. We are trying to get this cost down and will continue these negotiations. If this does not work for this year, I will ensure that it is written in the Guild Budget for next year that it is affordable. Jan 2018
This has involved meeting with banks who charge the Guild (and all organisations) a percentage of their sale when someone uses card. We are trying to get this cost down and will continue these negotiations. If this does not work for this year, I will ensure that it is written in the Guild Budget for next year that it is affordable. Jan 2018

Complete

Offer more vegan and gluten free options

Progress Status

100% Complete

There will ALWAYS be a vegan and gluten free option in Street Kitchen and we are in the process of developing more menu items with these on in Joe’s. I also managed to get some Vegan and Gluten Free snacks into SPAR. Nak’d bars and bites are now stocked there. Autumn 2017
We now have a gluten free curry option on the weekly specials menu for Joe’s Bar March 2018

Complete

Campaign the University to stop charging for Hot Water

Progress Status

100% Complete

I have not yet worked on this. Autumn 2017
The University now do not charge for hot water. They do charge for paper cups however. Please see this blog for more information Jan 2018

Ongoing

Campaign the University to introduce microwaves on campus

Progress Status

60% Complete

I have NEARLY got a microwave into the Learning Centre. Working with the RRO, we now have 3 industrial microwaves and a dedicated student kitchen in the Guild. Autumn 2017
This is a nightmare but I will not give up. The University want to know who will clean them, PAT test them and are concerned for student safety. Meanwhile, the Guild microwaves station for you to use is very popular and working just fine… March 2018

Complete

Ensure that the Strategic Plan focuses on students

Progress Status

100% Complete

I have ensured that all the strategic planning is done using information that you and prospective students have told us. I have also ensured that members of GOG will sit on the working group for this and not just the full time officers. I will represent students on this group too.Autumn 2017
Along with other officers, we have worked with the consultants to ensure that the plan does not focus around the 18-21 year old UK student experience but instead ensures that the Guild, including our campaigns and events, caters for all UoB students. March 2018

Complete

More study spaces and more satisfied students

Progress Status

100% Complete

I have worked with the University to open the Harding and Education libraries back up as study spaces. After many discussions with the University leadership a Study Space group has been set up. Adam will attend this and we will work together to continue to improve through that committee. Autumn 2017
You can see all the work that we’ve been doing on study spaces here…. (https://www.guildofstudents.com/blogs/blog/Ellie%20Says/2017/12/06/Study-Space-Update/) This is marked as 100% complete but it is and will be ongoing work! March 2018

Complete

Run a Vice Chancellors question time event

Progress Status

100% Complete

I have agreed with the Vice Chancellors Office that this will go ahead in Term 2. We are currently working on setting a date. Autumn 2017
The date for this will be on the 25th January. I am currently in conversations with various journalists who may be able to chair it. Jan 2018
Vice Chancellor’s Question Time happened and was a great success! Here’s to hoping it can be done every year… if you want to watch it back https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_ADsBP3Vmk March 2018

Complete

Keep the postgraduate role

Progress Status

100% Complete

We are currently undergoing our officer review which looks to ensure the officer team structure is representative of the student demographic and/or needs of students. I have ensured that keeping the PG officer role is included in that, it is not yet confirmed what the review will seek to do. The report will now need to go through out Trustee Board and University Council to be finalised. Autumn 2017
This has been confirmed and has been launched in the elections announcements (December 2017). This also sits alongside a brand new full time international officer and part time trans officer. Dec 2017

Complete

Stand up for students on national issues

Progress Status

100% Complete

Following the General Election campaigning and voter registration drive, I have and will continue to Lobby MPs on issues that affect students. This will be ongoing throughout the year but I will use every opportunity I see to make the student voice heard. Autumn 2017
We are submitting a consultation to the Office for Students around Quality of Education and I am also writing a paper on Freedom of Speech at Universities for submission to parliament. I continue to represent you to the NUS and in recent meetings have discussed the cost of food and drinks on campus, fair-trade and ethical issues that we must discuss and their democracy and inaccessibility to students. Jan 2018
I am submitting a response to a Government select committee around Vice Chancellors pay. This is marked as complete but will be ongoing work as things arise! March 2018