After a hiatus taken over the Christmas holidays, the Student Council for the School of Health and Social Care (recently named so following the Faculty reshuffle) returned on February 1st. As such, here’s a recap on the key talking points that could affect you…
Actions from last time
A number of points were followed up from last time, including the possibility of discounts at Mytton Oak restaurant on the grounds of Royal Shrewsbury Hospital. This was being chased by the Students’ Union, although there was difficulty reaching the restaurant, as they didn’t have independent contact details available. Resolved to physically visit Mytton Oak to pursue further.
Students at Blackheath Lane had also requested that 24-hour access to the library be taken into consideration. The library currently runs from 7am to 12pm , but students had hoped that the policy in Stoke-on-Trent for anytime access would be carried over to Stafford. Whilst the SU agreed to look into any possibilities, they acknowledged that this has been explored in the past and found to be unfeasible due to a lack of resources.
Continuing the Council
The necessity of the Council itself was the first point raised, as it has suffered with low attendance and a lack of nominations to chair the meetings in recent months. It was suggested that the Programme Committee meetings could suffice if organised more regularly.
Despite this, some Student Reps were unsure of the purpose of PGM and others were keen to continue the Council to safeguard the power of a Student Voice. Therefore, the SU agreed to promote March’s Council to the best of their ability attracting new attendees and potential chairs, particularly first and second-years. The matter will be revaluated in March.
Inviting the Paramedics and ODP students has been a constant topic of discussion and, although there were suggestions their inclusion would make the meeting BHL-heavy, it was agreed that it would largely benefit the Council, as well as the cohorts from those courses.
Other matters brought forward
There was also plenty of discussion in regards to; issues with marking in certain cohorts; the amount of crossover in Adult and Mental Health courses; and the National Student Survey, so if these are topics you have concerns about, the council is the perfect place for you to speak up.
Ahead of the Celebrating Student Success event, Reps agreed that it was a great day with their lecturers and coursemates, but those from a September cohort thought it might be better if they held a separate event later on, so they could relax after their exams.
The meeting was concluded with deliberation over an ATM at Blackheath Lane (impossible as banks refused to station one there for what they consider a small student base), the conditions of those working during open days and interviews, as well as ideas for social events during the March intake.
The ever-present concerns around parking were also raised and addressed by an email from Interim Dean Mark Savage, who outlined future plans to increase capacity on BHL and work with neighbours who can accommodate a number of our students.
If you have anything you would like to see addressed, please come along to the next council meeting on Wednesday 1st March. The meeting is video-conferenced between BL029 in Stafford and Room M in Shrewsbury, so feel free to attend whichever is most convenient.
Alternatively, send an email over to tony.costin@staffs.ac.uk and we will make sure your concerns are brought up.