Welcome back! I hope that each of you had a wonderful break and enjoyed special time with friends and family. Time away from our everyday tasks can be remarkably restorative. I am confident that, as always, you return to your work and study community with renewed enthusiasm and vigor.

As for our January freshers, we look forward to serving you the best student experience you need from Your Students' Union! Our union welcomes you! We will make sure that we will have the support and encouragement you as you embark on your university journey with us!

As for my January update:

1. Digital Examination

• We are in huge progress with the Digital Examination. Students will be given laptops by the university in order to take their exams and/or allow students to use their own laptop (except if it's a Chromebook)
• Soon Your Students’ Unio, in collaboration with the university, will undertake some focus groups to test the online examination tools as well as getting student feedback
• The focus groups are also allowing students to decide whether they want to take their exams remotely or on site from now on. Moreover, the staff is considering allowing students to remotely take their exam only during resit period over the summer

2. Flexible Assessments

• As part of my manifesto, I aim to work with the university to provide flexible ways of assessment. I collaborate with the Pro-Vice Chancellor for Curriculum Transformation to offer students options of diverse and more inclusive methods of assessment (i.e. students choosing to be assessed through essays, presentations, report submissions, etc.)
• The implementation will be available from September 2023 through the new Curriculum Transformation Project. Will only be available to specific courses.

3. Academic Societies

• Met the Interim Dean of Students to discuss the importance and the impact of academic societies in the student experience. Provided the data from the past 4 years and decided to collaborate for a better promotion for the academic societies through academic staff (More updates on this in February)

4. Cost of Living Crisis

• The Government just announced a 15M reserve given to the universities in order to help with the Hardship Funds. This means that Coventry University Group will be able to help more students in case of financial and emergency help
• Met with the university to tackle tuition fee instalments (more flexible payment options), access to water fountains / microwaves and asked for additional hardship funding

5. Rep System

• Working with the Rep System team to improve the Reps Communication system and presence in the campuses. Preparing more events, quizzes and other exciting activities for both reps and students that might be interested in our system
• Presenting the new Rep System, implemented last September only in the main campus, to the Education Advisory Committee

Other updates:

• Submitted the TEF (Teaching Excellence Framework) SU paper
• Attended the Global Opportunity Event held by the Global Mobility Team
• Joined the following Freshers Events: PG Night Games, Quiz Night, Paint and Sip, Officers Board Games, Tea and Talk with the SU Advice Team
• Had a 5-minute speech on my experience at Auschwitz-Birkenau tour back in November, at the Holocaust Memorial Day on the 27th of January 2023
• Met with the Provost and got an update on the January Enrolment

In order to apply for the Hardship Fund, please follow this link: https://share.coventry.ac.uk/students/StudentFunding/Pages/Support-Fund.aspx

Until next time,

Bianca, Your Education Officer