Aims and Objectives of President and Vice-President 23/24
Here at Harper Adams Students’ Union, we are committed to promoting good health and wellbeing amongst students studying at Harper Adams University. While the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal of Good Health and Wellbeing focusses on national and global populations, HASU wants to concentrate its resources on campaigning for good health and wellbeing amongst its own population of students. The President and Vice-President, amongst other planned events for mental and physical health awareness campaigns, will be working on:
- Social/Informal Learning Space
- Students are using the library as their primary space for both socialising and learning informally. This is creating an overuse of space, making it difficult for the library to be correctly used, i.e. for academia.
- 84.7% of students use the library for informal learning.
- 54.84% of students use the library to socialise.
- Students want the library to be quieter and a space created on campus for those wanting to learn informally and socialise.
- Therefore, a short-term plan to include the refreshing of the SU Hub (the space on ground floor Faccenda outside the SU office) is required while a longer-term plan will consist of working with senior management and relevant University departments to get this space on the campus masterplan. Students need to be consulted with regards to what this space looks like and how it will best serve the needs of current and future students.
- Additionally, students have reported not having sufficient space to socialise in their halls of residences. Again, the SU intends to work closely with relevant Senior Leadership members in the University to determine if and what can be done to better accommodate students’ requirements in halls. Any considerations for new buildings need to be designed and constructed with both students’ needs and wants.
- In the meantime, the SU will work with relevant departments to construct a resource indicating to students where they might work/socialise throughout their time at Harper. All students require appropriate spaces to study quietly alone or in groups.
- Equal Opportunity
- This campaign aims to promote good health and wellbeing through the empowerment and inclusion of all students, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status. HASU is hoping to encourage a feeling of belonging and engagement through numerous activities and events aimed at underrepresented groups.
- The President is aiming to get a reformed Harper Forum up and running to present students opportunities to spark business innovation, engage in debate/discussion and challenge ideas presented by external speakers. Ideally a society will be developed to take over the running of these events. Speakers/presenters should be from all walks of life and cover a range of topics across the courses provided here at Harper as well as topics that require some barriers to be broken down.
- Academic representation fits under this heading too; all students should have their voices heard with regards to their academic studies. Speak Week! A chance to gather student voice on a large scale regarding large issues. Educational Champions – training to be delivered and ECs to be encouraged and engaged throughout the year to make the best impression across their cohorts and change/progression over their year.
- Period Poverty
- Many menstruating people struggle to afford sanitary products or don’t have them to hand when the need arises. This year, the President is committed to implementing a free-vend system further across campus than has already occurred (currently free-vend machines exist only in the SU toilets). In fact, getting any vend-system in ALL female toilets is a must this year.
- In the short-term, HASU want to work with the University to ensure a commitment is made to supply sustainable free-vend products in all facilities that are accessible to women/people who menstruate. Workplace schemes supplied by companies such as TOTM and Grace and Green should be explored.