STRENGHTEN THE BOND BETWEEN THE STUDENT COMMUNITY AND THE LOCAL COMMUNITY OF COVENTRY

The Coventry University student community is best described as a 'melting pot' of cultures, it is so beautiful and diverse and it comprises so many different educational and cultural backgrounds! Moving away from home can be incredibly scary, which is why I want to make the transition easier for incoming students by: 

1. Launching more community campaigns focused on sustainability, wellness, local history and culture, stress management and physical and mental health through:

• Partnering up with local charities and organisations such as Canal & River Trust, Coventry City Council, Talking Birds, etc. to deliver, organise, and offer students more opportunities to get involved within the Coventry community.
• Walking tours to areas of significance such as the War Memorial Park, the Coventry Cathedral, and trips to landmarks such as the Warwick Castle, Kenilworth Castle, and more.

2. Diversifying the range of events offered by the Students’ Union to make them for culturally inclusive:

• Organising more culturally inclusive events is an incredible way to learn more about the student community, develop friendships, and network
• The events would include celebrations such as Diwali, Martenitsa, Pancake Tuesday, and more! 
• I would like to bring back international student cafes as part of this pledge following suggestions made by many members of our student community.

IMPROVE COVENTRY UNIVERSITY’S EQUALITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION POLICIES AND STUDENT EXPERIENCE

I want to challenge and review existing procedures and implement up-to-date practices in compliance with current legislation pertaining to the Equality Act 2010. In order to do this, I will:

• Research the University's policies and procedures and how they are managing issues pertaining to equality, diversity, and inclusion.
• Strive to offer more support to students through a centralized platform within YourSU which can offer more guidance on complaints, conciliation, and the case reporting system at the University.
• Review how risk assessments and reasonable adjustments are dealt with by the University and propose proactive solutions to resolve any issues e.g. students who may have a disability or learning difficulty and have raised concerns regarding reasonable adjustments not being included in their risk assessments, who might benefit from personalised documentation.
• Improve and offer further training for staff and students in Dignity & Respect, Cultural Awareness, First Aid/Mental Health First Aid, Diversity & Equality.
• Tackle issues concerning enrollment and admissions, which are very common for new intake students.

IMPROVE COMMUNICATION AND SUPPORT WITHIN THE STUDENT COMMUNITY

I want to do this by providing more opportunities for students to connect and keep up with University and YourSU updates. Having centralized communications is not an easy task with a student community as large as ours. Keeping Students' Union pages on Aula might be confusing or inconvenient in terms of notifications, blending social feeds with educational feeds, or just navigating the spaces in general. 

• In order to tackle this, I would like to provide a separate platform for students to socialise, communicate, and keep in touch with all the news at Coventry University and YourSU. Which is why I would like to push for a partnership with Butterfly, a social media app designed specifically for students.
• I also want to include more comprehensive guides to accessing University and YourSU resources and create a Freshers InfoPack for incoming students.
• Lastly, I want to provide an 'Anonymous Suggestion Box' to facilitate easier communication with your Full-Time Officers, which can help you share your ideas and suggestions throughout the entire year.