Introduction

My name is Noah, I am a fourth-year student of psychology, and I am running to be your next VP for Welfare. Some of you may know me as President of the Baking Society, where I have worked tirelessly to deliver a platform for like-minded students to meet and to form valuable connections.

Having served on two society committees and within AUSA’s advice service, I have developed a uniquely comprehensive understanding of the struggles faced by students which will allow me to hit the ground running in the VP for Welfare role.

What are your three priorities for the year?

1. Promote student wellbeing:

• Loneliness is a silent epidemic. My first aim and priority will be to make sure no student feels neglected by the community, so they can study in the peace and knowledge that we all have their back.
• While societies are a useful asset for promoting student welfare, committees need to take a more active role in making them so. I will organise training for all committees, to equip them with the tools they need to build a sense of community for their members and handle matters of mental wellbeing.
•  When it comes to promoting student welfare, one size doesn’t fit all. For this reason, I will organise a range of events, talks from professionals, mental health and cost-of-living workshops, and regular activities for students to meet, unwind, and learn how to take care of themselves and others.

2. Cost-of-living support.

• Skipping meals to save money is a sure-fire way to reduce wellbeing and academic performance. I will explore ways to keep the cost of food and other necessities down by consulting professionals and the community.

3. Support the advice service:

• I will campaign to expand the AUSA advice service -and other support services- so they may continue to provide the quality of aid that students require and have come to expect.

What unique skill/knowledge can you bring to the role to stand out from the other candidates? 

As part of my summer internship within the AUSA advice service, I conducted surveys and student focus groups surrounding wellbeing. Besides talking to the advisers themselves, this has given me a comprehensive understanding of the welfare issues facing students and which groups are at the most risk. Furthermore, I became one of the welfare liaisons for the Archery Club at my own suggestion.

On the professional skills front, my time on two society committees, both leader and member, has integrated me into university life and AUSA, and given me a practical, problem-solving mindset that will be of great value in the VP for Welfare role.

What do you think is the biggest issue that students are facing at the moment and how do you plan to tackle it?        

I believe there is no substitute for a sense of community – we need to be each other’s safety net when things get hard. Unfortunately, loneliness is a silent epidemic that will almost definitely affect each of us at some point in our university careers, causing low mood and impacting our studies.

Training committees in inclusion is the first step in making sure nobody’s social needs are denied. From there, I will explore further practical solutions to a range of welfare concerns -including cost-of-living and academic pressures- but with a unique community-centred approach, to help us take on tomorrow together.