Bethany Carter
President Candidate
Manifesto
How would you use the position to help develop students?
If I were to become the SU President, I would use the position to promote students. Students for the students run the union, it’s about being known within the university and to support students from all backgrounds. Being inclusive is a massive part of the role, yes put on events throughout the year but think about where these events take place and the variety of students that attend the university. I would go out into the university community to hear from the students, to find out what it is they are after throughout their time at university in order to make their experience more valuable.
Developing the students understanding of the student’s union and what it is the union do would be top of my list. I know that the union is known within the university but I feel like not many students are aware of the services that the union can provide to help assist students. In order to do this, I would work with those in the union to promote the different services provided, I would also aim to interact with the students on a regular basis so that they knew who I was, I would do this by setting up a table in the atrium where students could come and talk with myself and ask me any questions or just get to know me more, I’d also ask them what they would like to see done around the university and try my hardest to ensure that their voice is heard.
What would you do to make students the focus of your work?
The SU is for the students, everything I would aim to do would be the focal point of the student’s success and happiness. With the students being the focal point I would want to work closely with them. To listen to them, to support them through their studies, to ensure they make the most out of their time here at Newman. Newman is a Valued driven university and I would want to hear from the students to find out what values are driving them to their successes and why it is they chose Newman. What is it they are expecting to achieve from the university and how the union can help support them through this, the student’s voices and opinions are important for the university to grow as a whole, the relationships between the staff and students are crucial to enable that the students can achieve their potential.
How would you take your time in office make students happy?
My Time in the SU would make students happy because the students unions under my guidance will become an open support network for students within the campus, my aim is to promote the support and availability that is there for students and build a network of trust and community around campus in order to help students feel valued.
Building the trust and sustainability around the campus allows the students too feel safe and secure while conducting their studies. If I were to be involved within the SU I would ensure that students feel like they are able to approach me, to be a friendly face for them to come and talk to. I want to listen to what the students have to say and I would do this by making sure that when I’m in the office students are aware of this and they can come down and discuss matters that may be concerning them. I’d be a friendly face when they’re walking past and ensure that they knew who I was as well as me knowing who they were.
How would you represent all student opinions for your role?
Student opinions are important for the running of the union I feel, when making decisions on behalf of the students they should be involved. Their opinions should be taken into account after all they are paying £9000+ so they should be able to have their say. However, it’s about doing this in a way which ensures that the relationship with the University and the staff can be developed and not jeopardizing it.
When students come to the office to voice something they feel really passionate about I would simply listen to them to ensure they felt respected, I think that being the president of the SU is all about building relationships with those you come into contact with, getting out into the university community and becoming known so students feel they are able to come to the office to speak up about university life and experiences. I want to support them through their university experience, I want them to feel valued and like they will be listened to. Without the relationship the Union has with the students, the union wouldn’t work and that’s what I feel is important – not people pleasing but doing what is right for the students who attend Newman in a professional manner.
Is there anything else that makes you stand out from the crowd?
I feel I stand out from the crowd as I have been involved within many aspects of the university right from the beginning of my degree where I started on HEADstart, this then gave me the experience to go on and become a HEADstart mentor within my second year as well as a Guardian Angel and Peer Mentor. From these experiences I then had the opportunity to be the Lead Mentor on HEADstart where I had more responsibilities such as making phone calls to potential students and training the new mentors. I also applied for a Guardian Angel Position again for my final year and had the privilege of being a Team leader. Both of these roles helped me to gain further skills, to not only help with my degree but also in terms of work as I had opportunities given to me where I needed to take action due to situations that occurred that needed to be dealt with promptly to ensure the other mentors could continue with what they were doing with little disruption.
These lead roles have allowed me to work alongside staff and build relationships with them which has helped me to progress as a person. There are many activities within the university which I feel all contribute to the person I have become; HEADstart, guardian angels, International peer mentor, peer mentor, peer mentor coordinator, student ambassador – all of these have allowed me to interact with others as well as completing my studies and working part time. I’m a firm believer in helping others and I am always willing to help in any way I can and to influence those who wish to get involved more within the university by supporting them and guiding them on how to do this.