I can’t believe my time as your Vice President Education has come to an end… It feels like yesterday that the four of us walked into the Guild looking slightly terrified (but excited) and got started. It is safe to say that, not only is the job is more varied than I ever appreciated, but that I have had more fun this year than I could ever have imagined. I am so lucky that not only am I leaving the Guild with some amazing memories, but also with 3 lovely friends in Izzy, Marion and Lily.
Trying to summarise such a busy year feels impossible, but some of my highlights include:
o Being involved in developing the changes to the incidences and evidences accepted for applications for mitigation which I feel have made the process more compassionate and reflective of students’ every day experiences. This includes the addition of the 4/year1-week no-evidence extensions available to every student via a button on e-Bart as well as the extended borderline zone for any student who studied a weighted year of their degree in 2021/22.
o I also negotiated and secured £25,000 of university funding to trial a new student voice platform in some departments across the university in order to improve the ways we gather and act on student feedback and truly allowing students to have a hand in co-creating their own experience. I am so pleased that this project will be continuing into a second phase in 2022/23.
o In January, I successfully lobbied for a May deferral period for students who were forced to defer on-campus exams due to Covid-19 as opposed to the August deferral option previously offered to them in direct response to student frustration and anxiety.
I have also really enjoyed working on other projects like the academic restructure and helping re-imagine our academic representation structures, personal tutoring review and thinking of new ways to improve your academic wellbeing. I have also absolutely loved chatting to you all at Spill The Tea, reading your lovely nominations about staff for the Teaching Awards and giving speeches at some of your graduations.
From stakeholder management, to project delivery, or communication, the professional experience that this year has given me will be invaluable going forwards but I have also been able to grow on a personal level too. I feel so lucky to have been able to develop in such a warm and fun environment –I really am leaving Exeter a different person. I’d like to thank every single person at the Guild for being wonderful colleagues and also for all their help this year – it really does take a village to put on some of the events and opportunities for you throughout the year and their dedication is second to none.
So, a big welcome to new officer team! I know they will do a fabulous job at representing you next year and I can’t wait to see what they get up to.
Thank you and Goodbye Exeter!
Bella x