Scott Quinn
Running for the position of President
What am I bringing to the role that has been missing?
I have worked for DUSA for four years now, two of which in the Venue Support department as a Senior, and then becoming VP of Fundraising on the Exec for two terms! Because of this, DUSA now feels like a second home, and I want to see it succeed and become the organisation that I know it can be.
I’m bringing to the role, an already established wealth of knowledge, having sat on DUSA’s Board of Trustees for two years already, and the university Senate for the past year. This means I’m able to hit the ground running from day one, and give the new exec team the support they need to help support you, the student body!
Whilst this isn’t one of my main policies, supporting the new team is one of my key priorities for the coming year. For most exec, they have one year to make all the changes they feel are needed to better the student experience, and I want to make sure they know that they aren’t alone, and that myself and the rest of the team are behind them, supporting them all the way.
How do you feel you are qualified for the role?
Being a Trustee of multiple organisations, I’m comfortable and experienced in voicing opinions in a wide range of situations. I very much pride myself in being a people person and my ability to read a room, and from this, I’m able to offer feedback constructively, and challenge, where necessary, to ensure the best decisions for the student body, are made.
There is also a huge benefit to having exec members re-run (either for the same or different positions), because it helps the new team to hit the ground running, by offering feedback and comments on what has/hasn’t worked well in the past, and help make campaigns bigger and better!
By the end of term, what is the one thing you want to have achieved?
I just want to leave DUSA in a better place than when I started, plain and simple.
How can you make students more engaged with DUSA’s processes?
Our student body continues to grow and change. With more students not actively looking to drink alcohol or go clubbing, DUSA’s reputation for this then distances those students from the pastoral support that is also available to them.
I do not want to weaken our commercial arm, as I feel that it is a big asset in why we are ranked so highly as a student’s union, but I believe we need to more strategic in how we promote both our commercial and pastoral activities on all avenues. Blasting social media is no longer as effective as it once was, and as the student body changes, DUSA needs to change with it. I would also like to reach out to other students unions as a method of best practice, to see how we can better promote our pastoral activities, to ensure that we can offer support to as many students, as possible.
Cameron Kair
Running for the position of VPSW
What am I bringing to the role that has been missing?
I feel that with my background in peer support, youth work and mental health support I bring different experiences and new perspectives to this role. this will hopefully allow me to try and tackle key issue that students at Dundee face new ways which have not been done previously. I feel that this roll will give me the platform to capitalize on opportunities such as attempting to involve campus sport to provide active stress buster events.
How do you feel you are qualified for the role?
I am a naturally friendly and approachable person with a vested interest in supporting others. my experience in youth work, peer support and mental health support has given me hands on experience working directly with people. This has given me a broad skill set which I hope to be able to use to great effect in the role.
By the end of term, what is the one thing you want to have achieved?
I want to have actively tried to foster a “safe to chat” ethos towards mental health on campus That will encourage students to seek help and support each other within our community. I hope that if successful will have a lasting effect for students at Dundee.
How can you make students more engaged with DUSA’s processes?
By expanding and developing activities for students such as stress busters this will hopefully higher levels of positive engagement from the students.
Lauren Macgregor
Running for the position of VPSW
What are you bringing to the role that has been missing?
For as long as VPSW has been a sabbatical role, it has never had someone be in the role for two consecutive years working full-time. It is a very varied and intense role, and it takes time to really understand how the role works and knowing how you can implement your policies.
I feel that with my experience in this role, balancing committees, campaign planning, and most importantly supporting students, continuity will help to ease the transition into the next academic year and get started on things sooner. I have built really strong relationships with both university staff and external organisations, which I feel will really benefit our work going forward.
My passion and love for this role has only grown stronger, and I feel that my existing knowledge and experience will support the newly elected team!
How do you feel you are qualified for the role?
Throughout my time in office, I have a great insight into how we can work with both students and the university to improve student welfare.
With my experience of being in this role already, I am confident in advocating for student welfare to be a priority, and have a good understanding of the changes that DUSA can help to make.
I am a warm and approachable person, and feel comfortable in such a supportive role. I regularly attend meetings where there are often very different views, however I am passionate about representing the views of our students and always aim to ensure that our voices are being heard!
I have received some fantastic training on various welfare related issues, such as ASIST suicide prevention and Gender Based Violence first reporter training. I can use this knowledge to work towards more awareness sessions for staff and students, to ensure the safety of our campus.
By the end of your term, what is the one thing that you want to have achieved?
I think the thing I am most excited to work on over the next year would be the Mental Health Charter. A mental health charter can act as a policy for the university, and outline goals that we want to see achieved in regards to mental health support, helping us to hold the university to account.
These goals can include more of a welfare focus in the curriculum, more trained staff in mental health first aid, and more prioritisation of space for counsellors/mental health support services. It can also help us to identify our achievements and the hard work that is already being done to support student mental health. I believe that it would have a huge impact in the long term, making student welfare a first priority for the university across the board.
It has been used to great affect in other universities and it would be great to see one of our own put in place. This is something that requires experience working with the university and understanding of the issues students are facing.
How can you make students more engaged with DUSAs processes?
My favourite thing about this role is getting to work so closely with our student body – I absolutely love being out on campus and getting to know more students and hearing their feedback on what DUSA does.
I would like to hold more campus based and online forums for students to share their views on what they’d like to see us do, and also to ensure that what we do is relevant to the changing needs of the student body. Working with the SRC and school presidents has also proven to be really beneficial in reaching more students, and would like to maintain these strong networks of communication.
With the new student hub spaces in Kirkcaldy and Ninewells, I will continue to have a bigger presence on both campuses to ensure that they feel just as supported. This year I have made sure to take our welfare campaigns to these campuses, however these spaces will allow me to have more regular appointment times on these campuses, and in turn gain insight into what specifically these students would like to see.
Roxana Pollack
Running for the position of VPSW
What are you bringing to the role that has been missing?
If elected, I would like to approach student welfare in a holistic way by focusing on mental health, gendered perspectives and community. I believe that the mental health approach to welfare should incorporating more initiatives based on the stressors of students. Apart from the role of self-care, introducing an emphasis on coping skills would benefit students to develop better ways deal with the various underlying causes of their stress and anxiety. I would also like to incorporate raising awareness of gender-based violence into the zero-tolerance approach of DUSA. Lastly, since the pressure on the provision of welfare services has been rising, I would like to make better use of other wellbeing resources across Dundee and establish a welfare network approach. Creating stronger links with services outside of the University would enable students to seek help from a broader variety of services.
How do you feel you are qualified for the role?
Throughout my University experience, I have been continuously working with students in various committee and representative positions. As a former class representative for Politics and General Representative for DUSA I have been involved in regular student board meetings and the process of policy development. This has helped me to learn how to effectively cooperate and communicate with a variety of University staff and external stakeholders. In my position as a volunteer and now trustee for the mental health charity Feeling Strong, I have been able to gain a better understanding and greater awareness of ways to advocate for mental health struggles of students. These experiences have contributed to my passion for student health and my desire to help create a better support framework for student welfare at Dundee.
By the end of your term, what is the one thing that you want to have achieved?
One of my key aims is a creating a comprehensive welfare structure. Especially for first year students, experiencing University can be overwhelming and it is easy to overlook a lot of the advertisement for different services. I would like to ensure that the welfare services are more cohesively structured and can be easily accessed, so that students are aware from their first week onwards where to get support. I believe that a greater cooperation with the individual schools and class representatives as well as a better online layout of the services can help to achieve this goal. Additionally, I would also like to create a better link to the remote students, since a lot of welfare services and wellbeing initiatives are mainly held on the main campus. Including them through more targeted campaigns would be crucial to improve students experience with University across the whole student body.
How can you make students more engaged with DUSA’s processes?
I believe that student engagement could be improved with a greater emphasis on student feedback and a more straightforward approach for students to communicate with the different DUSA exec members. One of the key issues with student engagement is still a lack of understanding of the responsibilities of individual Exec positions. I would like to establish a greater presence of the DUSA Exec by working together with the class representatives of the individual schools to create a stronger line of contact. In discussions with students, another common theme was a lack of knowledge about how to bring forward their concerns or ideas. I would like to conduct regular feedback sessions with students in person on specific target issues. Giving students a more direct way to regularly communicate their criticism would benefit DUSAs ability to create more targeted policies and make students feel that their voice matters.
Rowan Verity-Pallett
Running for the position of VPSW
What are you bringing to the role that has been missing?
Previous VPSWs have done an incredible job in creating a safe environment and implementing real change in DUSA in the short time this role has existed. I want to carry on the work that they’ve done, while bringing a new level of passion and dedication to the position. I believe I also bring a new perspective to the role as someone who has struggled with a lot of different issues while at uni as well as helping other people who have had difficulty. This has given me a good idea of what is currently being done, and what could be improved, and I have a lot of new ideas for what we can do to promote student welfare and wellbeing.
How do you feel you are qualified for the role?
I’ve been heavily involved with both academic and society activities during my time here. Being a class rep has helped me understand a lot of the issues that students are facing, and how communication between students and schools can help make uni a more positive experience for everyone. This is why I’m promising to increase communication and help staff understand how they can help with student welfare. I was also fundraiser of my society for two years, and secretary this year, which has given me a great chance to engage with students all throughout the university, and means I’ve gotten to know what students need from their VPSW. Personally, I’m a compassionate, friendly, and approachable person who’s always here for a cup of tea and a chat, and I think that’s an important quality in someone that students will potentially be going to for empathy and support.
By the end of the term, what is the one thing that you want to have achieved?
The most important thing I want to achieve is making the role of VPSW more approachable and accessible to the main student body. I want my term to reflect a collaboration between myself and students to identify the main issues that they are facing and communicate what exactly I’m doing to help. I want to make sure students know that I’m here for them and being open and honest with what I am doing in response to their feedback is a crucial part of that. You can all read my manifesto and see exactly what I’m promising, but more than anything by the end of my term I want to be a person that students know they can come to with their problems and that I will do my best to help them.
How can you make students more engaged with DUSA’s processes?
It’s easy, especially when you’ve just arrived at university, to feel as though Exec staff are unapproachable, and I know I personally didn’t really understand what DUSA was and that the Exec were here to help me. If elected I will ensure a more relaxed, friendly environment that will make it easier for students to approach me with any questions or issues they may have. One of my main policies is to keep asking the question: “What can I do for you?”. This means running awareness campaigns for sexual health, mental health, Zero Tolerance, and domestic violence (just to name a few). I will also encourage students to come to me to talk about how these issues have affected them and what can be done to support them. By communicating what I’m doing to help, I hope that people will feel encouraged to keep coming to me and feel like their voice is being heard.
Kellie Iannou
Running for the position of VPSA
What are you bringing to the role that has been missing?
This year, I’ll be bringing an air of continuity that hasn’t been seen for years, as we haven’t had a current VPSA re-run for the same position in 4 years now! It takes awhile to settle into the role of VPSA as there’s so many societies and they all operate differently. Coming into the role for a second year with a full understanding of what needs to be done, what has worked and what hasn’t worked, and having a full overview of the areas that still need improvement will be incredibly beneficial this year if I’m re-elected. I’ll be able to hit the ground running and the prospect of that is really exciting! It’ll also give me the chance to finish some projects (such a society sponsorships with DUSA) that may take past June to finalise. It’s all about momentum really, and I’m in the position now to try to make sure that isn’t lost. One year just isn’t enough to achieve everything possible in this role.
How do you feel you are qualified for the role?
I think being a Class Rep, Student Ambassador, a PR Team Leader, a Society President and a really engaged individual in general is what led to me getting elected into the role the first time around! My 5th year of society involvement as the current VPSA has revolved around mentoring and training of all society committee members, resolving conflicts and making societies the the best they can be.
Continuously supporting student activities across the University, I regularly attend both DUSA and University meetings to ensure that student activities are being considered in every decision-making process. I frequently work with the Sports Union President, Student Services and various other University staff and departments to ensure that society/club members and non-society members are maximising their opportunities by getting involved in anything that can enhance their transferable skills and employability. I’m also in the unique position of understanding the University of Dundee landscape and its current position from almost every viewpoint, such as undergraduate, postgraduate, staff, prospective student, society member and society committee member and it’s important to put myself into the shoes of many different people when I’m making decisions that impact current or future students.
By the end of your term, what is the one thing that you want to have achieved?
Definitely getting the room booking process visible online. The system for booking DUSA venues really isn’t up to scratch and it’s becoming more and more of a problem by the day. I’ve affiliated 30 new societies since September 2019, so space is even tighter than it was before, but the real problem is the actual booking procedure – it’s harder to secure a venue than it should be because there’s a lot of back and forth of, ‘this date isn’t free, what about this date?’. Only the DUSA staff can see when the rooms are free and students can’t, so taking this process online, where all societies and students will be able to see what venues are available and when, will ensure that people are more likely to get the rooms they want and need when they want and need them.
How can you make students more engaged with DUSA’s processes?
Expanding the training opportunities has really helped to engage students with the services DUSA can provide – Lauren, our current VPSW, and I conducted a huge ZT/Mental Health/GBV training session a few weeks back now and we invited various speakers from the University along to let everyone know not only what DUSA can do for students, but also what UoD can do too. Events like this really help with engagement across the board so I’m wanting to run a lot more similar events that cover various topics with DUSA Exec. The DUSA Exec work so closely with the University, and a lot our events and services are a collaboration, so I think it’s important to advertise anything that will help improve student experience as a whole. For the role of VPSA, high engagement is mostly making sure I keep society committees up to date with what the DUSA Exec are doing as a whole, informing them of how they can get involved with events we or the Uni (or both!) are running and ensuring they feed it back down the committee and through to the society members!
Charlotte Kirkwood
Running for the position of VPSA
What are you bringing to the role that has been missing?
I would definitely say I’m bringing a strong focus on the training, employability, and wider recognition sides of being involved in societies and student activities. I want to ensure that all training is offered as widely as possible, and in an accredited manner. I also want to factor in training closely to the Society Awards process.
How do you feel you are qualified for the role?
I feel qualified for the role of VPSA as I have been involved in society work and student representation at large since day one in my time at Dundee University. I’ve occupied various society committee positions, from a general secretary role all the way up to President, and this has given me a real in-depth working knowledge of the societies structure within DUSA, and a finger on the pulse of what our societies currently want and need in terms of support. I know how essential student activities are to the university experience and I strongly believe I have the skills and passion to continue to improve this experience as your VPSA.
By the end of your term, what is the one thing that you want to have achieved?
I want to make sure that there is a strong society support network established so that each and every DUSA society is as successful as it can be. I intend to begin this process by establishing a Treasurers Collective, as a support network for Treasurers across committees, with a view to expanding this to other committee positions so that societies can work together, avoid conflicts, and ultimately streamline operations to make sure everyone is able to host their events and run their societies in the most beneficial way possible for the student body.
How can you make students more engaged with DUSA’s processes?
Coming from personal experience as being an Associate Director for Engagement and Employability in the Humanities this past year, I believe top-down information combined with grassroots support is the way forward. I would love to work with the VPE, VPCC, School Presidents, and all of the DUSA Media Outlets to reach out to students, and ensure regular focus groups are conducted to get consistent feedback from our students. We must also make sure our representative structure is as open and accessible as possible.
Dagmara Bieniek
Running for the position of VPR
What are you bringing to the role that has been missing?
I’m bringing my drive, values and ideas. I am solution-driven – when I see problems, I instantly ask myself, ‘how can I work around this in a realistic way?’.
As discussed in the next question, working at Blend allowed me to identify one of my greatest skills: teaching. I am able to deconstruct and explain tasks in engaging ways which allows me to train people well in exciting ways. I’m also a good analyst which and am able to observe people to identify where they are going wrong in order to help them improve.
How do you feel you are qualified for the role?
At university I have been the AHID VP and Ball Convenor which specifically allowed me to work with students to change the society for the better. With my colleague, I organised the biggest AHID ball so far. When it comes to events planning, I have and incredible attention to detail, making every event more enjoyable and elevated. For example, for the AHID ball I learned a calligraphy font and wrote out every attendant’s name by hand on gift bags. The entire process took hours but the end result was worth the hard work.
Outside of university I have worked at Blend Coffee Lounge (Perth and now Dundee) for over 5 years now. During my time there, I have become a true leader. I have lead a team consisting of people who were still in high school to people 10-15 years senior to me. My work ethic has allowed me to gain respect and motivates people around me. When we opened the Dundee shop, I was one of the people to train the current team not only in their coffee-making skills but also in customer service and values.
At Blend, we also undergo monthly leadership training where we discuss topics of modern leadership and apply them to everyday life. When you see me campaigning, why don’t you ask me about this and I will give an example!
By the end of your term, what is the one thing that you want to have achieved?
I want to increase engagement on campus with all students. Students should feel like they can make change on campus, regardless if they are on the SRC, a school president, VP or class rep.
How can you make students more engaged with DUSA’s processes?
One of my policies, ‘What has DUSA ever done for us?’ is aiming to increase student engagement on campus. It will increase student awareness of what DUSA has actually done over the years with the SRC council to improve life on campus and hopefully inspire more people to get involved.
I will be making a few fun videos over the next week explaining this policy, so please make sure to go on my Facebook page which will go live once Hustings is finished.
Conchita Fraguas Bringas
Running for the position of VPR
What are you bringing to the role that has been missing?
Aided by my experience working closely with School Presidents, school staff and empowering class reps, alongside my strong skills in leadership, critical thinking and creativity, I am determined to strengthen the links between the Schools and work towards creating a connected community of representatives, with a specific skillset that can allow me to assess what can be made better and work towards enhancing the learning experience at the University. Therefore it’s not “what’s been missing”, rather than how can we take our current representation system and enhance it for the better through critical assessment and the ability to come up with innovative ideas to achieve this, with a focus on connecting and empowering all reps, increasing student engagement in representation via the organisation of campaigns and events and helping all representatives translate the skills they have acquired in their roles to increase their career prospects.
How do you feel you are qualified for the role?
My experience in representation working as a Student Voice Support Officer (SVSO) for two years, as a key supporter of School Presidents and helping different Schools achieve their set goals stated in their “SPAPs”, School President Action Plans, a document which records the agreed goals for the year, alongside training class representatives by leading interactive training qualifies me for this role, as not only I have been exposed to our current representation system at the University and engaged with representatives at different levels, but furthermore I have been exposed to the underlying issues and key areas of work that can only be improved by working together as a strong and connected representative community. Furthermore, I have experience as a class representative myself and as a Residence Life Volunteer in my first two years of University, acquiring strong skills in communication and leadership, but also in teamwork, allowing me to work closely with the Exec team if elected to achieve our common goals in alignment with DUSA’s goals.
Finally, throughout my experience working as an SVSO, organising events to increase School engagement and coordinating meetings, recording their minutes and collating feedback reports was also a big part of the role, making me well-equipped for the requirements of this position. In the past I have helped recruit SRC nominees for the elections which run in September time every year, which tends to be a big challenge, by interacting with students and voicing what this council does and what representation is all about during Fresher’s fair and welcome events.
Most importantly, I am enthusiastic and hard-working, willing to represent the students’ voice at the University, basing my efforts in values which include integrity, perseverance and determination.
By of your term, what is the one thing that you want to have achieved?
To create a connected community of empowered representatives and work towards transparency across all Schools, highlighting the importance and impact that student feedback can have on the Student’s learning experience, helping to increase student engagement in representation.
How can you make students more engaged with DUSA’s processes?
I believe that efficient communication can go a long way, whether this is in the form of talking to students and collecting their views, organising social-media campaigns or events, increasing student engagement by expressing the importance of getting involved with DUSA’s processes, such as student elections, as often students are unaware of how this impacts them and what electing representatives means, a key question that I get asked every year regarding elections, and this unawareness can often prevent students from getting engaged.
An example of this is a recent event that I co-ordinated recently and helped run alongside the current VPR, the “Representation Celebration”, a night to celebrate all representatives and their work, giving value to their roles as key pillars of the representation structure. It was amazing to see so many reps come along and talk about what representation means to them, and see students engage in and work towards bettering the learning process at the University, indicating how these type of events which allow the reunion of representatives from all Schools and students coming together to celebrate representation can enhance student involvement in DUSA’s processes.
Caitlin Kavanagh
Running for the position of VPR
What are you bringing to the role that has been missing?
I believe I will bring a large amount of knowledge regarding the Student Representative Council (SRC), an important aspect of the VPR role. Being both a representative and the Chair has allowed me to view the SRC from different perspectives and I have seen opportunities for improvement on both sides that I hope to implement to ensure that you, the students, get the most out of student representation. Furthermore, through my time as Senior Fundraiser for RAG I have been in a position where I have had to find alternative ways to engage students outside of the norm, a trait I am hoping to bring forward to this role. Lastly, I am someone who is truly hoping to support all representatives so that they can achieve the most for both themselves and their fellow students. In particular, I am aiming to run specific sessions which allow me direct contact with School Presidents and SRC councillors to offer support regarding their aims and policies the oncoming year.
How do you feel you are qualified for the role?
Student Representation is something that has always engaged and interested me. Since my first semester of University I have been part of student representation and in my third year I joined the Student Representation Council (SRC) as the Facilities Representative. During my two years of this role I removed gambling machines from the student union, aided the Environment & Sustainability Rep to add Sustainability to the business plan of DUSA, aided in the implementation of the ‘allergy free zones’, began working on the water bottle campaign and introduced electronic voting to the SRC. In the last academic year I have had the opportunity to become the SRC Chair where myself, the current VPR and DSPC have begun to make small changes within the format of the SRC to determine what may work more effectively in the future. This role has allowed me to view the SRC in a brand new way and has provided me insight on what needs to be changed to improve involvement with the SRC.
By the end of your term, what is the one thing that you want to have achieved?
My aim is to be realistic, I am hoping that by the end of my term as Vice President of Representation I will have put the framework work in place and have created the new format that the SRC can implement in the next academic year. This format will be created under extensive consultation of as many student representatives as possible across the campus as well as past and current Exec to establish what works currently and what can be changed in order to further improve the output of the SRC.
How can you make students more engaged with DUSA’s processes?
I believe that student’s need to become aware of student representation much earlier in their university career. Engagement during a student’s first year will encourage them to become involved with representation and even run for a position during their following years. In order for this to happen, a main hope of mine is that in collaboration with the School Presidents, Vice-Presidents, Student Voice Support Officers and each School we will ensure that DUSA has a presence at as many welcoming talks as possible. This will allow an extra opportunity for students to become aware of the services that DUSA provides but also emphasise how important student representation is to our campus and encourage participation as much as possible.
As you can tell I believe that student representation is important for our campus and our student culture. So I hope you log onto vote.dundee.ac.uk and read everyone’s manifesto to ensure you make the right choice for you. I believe I could be that person, so vote for Caitlin as your first choice for Vice President of Representation.
Saffron-Louise Cook
Running for the position of VPCC
What are you bringing to the role that has been missing?
My name is Saffron-Louise Cook, I have worked for DUSA in the HR department for over three years and have established relationships with the pastoral and commercial teams already. This will allow me to get on with the job straight away and not have the usual three-month transition period to get comfortable. I’m also in the fortunate position where I have helped expand the executive support staff, helping to hire the graphic designer. I’d be bringing experience in the DUSA workplace and already formed relationships which allow me to hit the ground running. My commitment to DUSA and the students drives me to be the best candidate with the aim to be an innovative Vice President of Communications and Campaigns.
How do you feel you are qualified for the role?
I am highly qualified for this role and would make an effective spokesperson for DUSA and UoD students. My History degree has given me many transferable skills which include analysis, prioritising information as well as an effective vocabulary to communicate with colleagues and students. As mentioned above, my experience in the HR department sets me apart from any other candidates. Another experience, which has given me the qualifications to be a good VPCC, is my role within the LIP Theatre Company. As Secretary I am responsible for all communications via the socials and on our email. Being a member of the committee for LIP I have also got experience working effectively in a team in order to ensure LIP produces up to six shows a year and take a further two to the Edinburgh Fringe. Without working together as a team this would not be possible. I feel theatre has made me a very approachable and out-going person. Together these qualities highlight why I am a good candidate for this role.
By the end of your term, what is the one thing that you want to have achieved?
I want to transform and reinvigorate the interaction between the executive committee and students. This is the main focus of all my policies in my manifesto.
How can you make students more engaged with DUSA’s processes?
Work to promote a new communication forum as outlined in my manifesto. It will bring campuses and schools together breaking down the current barriers DUSA face.
Rebecca Carey
Running for the position of VPCC
What are you bringing to the role that has been missing?
As VPCC, I believe that my history working as the Senior Deputy Editor of the Magdalen Magazine will be an asset to building stronger relations with the Exec and Media. I not only understand how the Magdalen works but I have worked closely with the 3 other media outlets on events like Media Week and Jam’s 55hr Radio Marathon. I have seen what worked and what didn’t. I know what we need to do to help these events grow and to continue to engage students on our campus.
I recognise why it is so critical to involve students in all aspects of our campaigns- from the planning, development as well as, inevitably the feedback. My position as the President of the Feminist society has given me a unique insight as to why student involvement is so important. I was given the opportunity to work with this year’s Exec to organise this year’s International Women’s Day events. It’s something that I believe has made not my investment in the campaign that much stronger but also has allowed me to see the benefits on a wider scale. If we want students to get involved in our campaigns, we need to really mean it.
How do you feel you are qualified for the role?
I regularly joke that Communication is my life but as cheesy as it might sound, I have to admit there is some truth to it. It is my degree: International Relations with French and Spanish. I came into my studies wanting to make a difference, by connecting with people at as fundamental a level as possible: through language.
It has been my job. I worked for the Public Relations department for over 2 years now and have gotten to know the wonderful people who work here across departments: Events, Bars, Customer Safety and of course, the Executive. In addition to this, I have ran the social media accounts for the Magdalen, Feminist society as well as for many of the organisations that I have worked for including Barnardo’s Scotland. This combination of communication- in person and online- means that I understand how interlinked our campaign approaches need to be in order to reach as many students as possible.
Finally, communication has found its way to infiltrate into my free time as well! In addition to my responsibilities as the Magdalen’s Senior Deputy, I have worked as a university student blogger as well as running my own blog in my free time. I am well experienced in writing and editing to deadlines which is a skill I believe that cannot be undervalued in this role.
By the end of your term, what is the one thing that you want to have achieved?
By the end of my term, it would be to strengthen DUSA Media as a platform going forward. By giving it the support it needs to grow through meetings and coordinating with them regarding DUSA’s Campaigns, I hope to make their voices louder than ever and more present on our campus than ever before.
How can you make students more engaged with DUSA’s processes?
As a VPCC candidate, I believe that communication is key to further engagement
By nurturing student media and increasing its presence on campus, we can encourage more students to share their stories, perspectives and address the issues that they care about. What’s better than engaging student voices than the voices of students themselves? A question that provides a strong foundation to my second policy which concerns the involvement of students as societies, student representatives, school councils and individuals in focus groups throughout the development of our campaigns. Finally, my third policy is about shedding a light on the work that students do outwith their university studies that benefit our wider community. By showing our students as the force of good they are through exemplifying their work with societies and as individuals, I hope to bring more people to DUSA programmes like RAG and SWITCH. Engagement inspires engagement after all.
Billi Allen-Mandeville
Running for the position of VPA
What are you bringing to the role that has been missing?
I have had a very diverse university experience. I have had some amazing times, and became involved within DUSA and the University through being an Editor for the Magdalen Magazine to currently being apart of organising the first ever ESW University and School-wide conference.
Alongside this, as with the reality of being at University, I have had to be reliant on help from disability services, counselling services and student funding support.
What I am bringing to the role that has been missing is that from studying an Undergraduate degree in Law and going on to Postgraduate studies in Social Work I can see gaps in support and policy and I am willing to admit that changes need to happen from the very foundations of University life.
How do you feel you are qualified for the role?
Even though the skills and knowledge I’ve gained from the degrees I have studied will undoubtedly help me not only with the legal side of the VPA role but also with the student support and 1:1 side as well. I feel that I am qualified for the role because I am a great people person- really I love building relationships and talking to anyone and everyone.
In my own time, I have volunteered as a classroom assistant for Dundee International Women’s Centre, as a general volunteer at Dundee Foodbank, Senior Fundraiser with RAG and as a grant researcher for Refugee Aid Serbia. In each one, I have met service users in great need to be listened to and to be heard. However, I have also had the pleasure of working with many people who have such strength and passion to empower, encourage and educate anyone who comes to them and feels like they do not have a voice. They have been such an amazing example of they way I want to work within the role of Vice President of Academia.
Since the age of 11 I have worked in customer service roles; from corner shops, being a PR team member in DUSA, to photographing visitors at a holiday resort. Although these roles may appear menial they have built up my resilience to any confrontation or challenge I might face.
I remain calm, I am strong, and I will try my hardest to find a solution to any qualm or query anyone might have.
By the end of your term, what is the one thing that you want to have achieved?
By the end of my term, I want to leave knowing that I have built upon the work that previous VPA’s have done in that more people feel represented, seen, heard and included.
How can you make students more engaged with DUSA’s processes?
In line with all of my three policies, I think that the way to engage students is to consult them about every change or process within DUSA that affects them.
The whole point of our roles as an Exec is that we are elected to work for the students who study both on and off campus, and if they do not see themselves represented or their experiences, whether good or bad, recognised then of course they won’t feel connected to the work that we do.
As Vice-President of Academia, by facilitating forums, meeting students one to one, promoting the amazing things that students are accomplishing, organising meetings between staff and students there will be even more opportunity for people to discuss, debate and learn from one another.
Ellie Biggs
Running for the position of VPA
What are you bringing to the role that has been missing?
I am bringing so much enthusiasm and passion to this role, the like of which I don’t think have been seen before. Furthermore, my policy to work with societies and the VPSA to encourage and support societies in organising academic events is something that is new and hasn’t been focused on a lot before. It’s also something I have experience with having been president of a society and running these types of events. It’s due to this that I have seen the immense benefit they have to students and why I want to encourage it more.
How do you feel you are qualified for the role?
My three policies are all based on situations that I myself as a student have faced. I know of other people who have faced these problems. Through work on societies and school meetings, I feel I’ve really been given a unique opportunity to see what the students want and need and I am going to build on this to make it possible for them. I love helping people, and I think through the role if VPA, and with my policies, I will be able to help the students academic process as much as possible.
By the end of your term, what is the one thing that you want to have achieved?
Definitely the university-wide campaign to make the deferral process crystal clear and known for all those who need it. So many people struggle with this as it’s not positively advertised. However, it is a system in place for a reason and unfortunately, more people are finding themselves in need of it. Therefore I want them to be able to have all the information available to them readily and to ease the process for them. It’s not a glamourous side to university but it happens and will continue to happen so I am going to make sure the students have access to the information they need.
How can you make students more engaged with DUSA’s processes?
As already mentioned I am a really enthusiastic and passionate person and I plan on talking with as many students as possible to determine what they want and to then put that in place. I’m not going to try and presume I know what everyone wants and just run those things, I want to be putting on campaigns that are needed and asked for. Also by working closely with all members of the Exec but especially VPR I believe this can be done really well.
Martha Umeh Ude-Eze
Running for the position of VPA
What are you bringing to the role that has been missing?
i)Providing fair plans on how to tackle deadlines and meet targets in academic settings
ii)Immediate representation and solution to student with complaints, facing termination of studies or fitness to practice.
iii)Good marketing strategy to improve international student relations and promoting cultural diversity by organising inclusive events/activities to ensure that international student feel part of the university experience.
How do you feel you are qualified for the role?
i)Apart from my personal qualities of calmness and being sensitive to situations happening around me, I am also good at problem solving as entailed in my recent course of study as Social work student.
ii)Secondly, as an international student, having varied ideas, understanding of different perceptions and cultural background relating to academic settings widen my skills and knowledge about the various forms of academic frameworks and patterns. It also, helped me to understand the barriers and difficulties students face on daily basis in the aspect of tackling deadlines and meeting targets in academic settings.
iii) I am also determined to make academics interesting, exploring and enjoyable for all students.
By the end of your term, what is the one thing that you want to have achieved?
Raising the standard of Education here in our own very university, thereby increasing the population of international student relation from all over the world and like I out rightly declared in my posters that academics should be fun, enjoyed, exploring and interesting. ‘‘Together’’ we will stand stronger in unity and promote the standard of education that was already established many years ago through research, exploring, discovery and enjoying whatever you do.
How can you make students more engaged with DUSA’s processes?
i)Organising various inclusive/combined activities which will include prizes like free vouchers, scholarships, tickets, free meals and other prizes ranging from various competitions, raffle draws, quiz, games, talk show and also, other events including celebrations, memorial events, festivals, online watch events on educative activities and other exciting activities mostly during weekends and keeping all students dully informed of the dates and time.
ii)Constantly reviewing policies, practices and methods/modes of teaching, by engaging students to say their views and opinions through anonymous surveys which will be appropriately worked on to achieve positive outcomes.
iii)Feedbacks from all representatives, leaders of associations executives and other districts organisation will be treated with equal fairness and quick response to ensure that students are fairly treated and enjoying academic sessions.
Megan-Rose Birdsall
Running for the position of VPF
What are you bringing to the role that has been missing?
I want to bring a fresh set of eyes to the role, I know that Scott has done an amazing job but I think that now it needs a change that I hope will be in the right direction.
How do you feel you are qualified for the role?
In the past I have helped to plan events but I believe that this may help me to get to know the students and what they would like to see from RAG.
By the end of your term, what is the one thing that you want to have achieved?
To be honest I would like to see that I have allowed students to have a brilliant time while also trying to beat previous years records for fundraising.
How can you make students more engaged with DUSA’s processes?
I believe that students are forever changing how they find out information, recently it has been through major social media pages but I would love to know what it is going to be in the future. The main way I want engage people is through getting to know them as well as possible and try to know what they would like to see.
Alex Arnaudov
Running for the position of VPE
What are you bringing to the role that has been missing?
In my perspective, the VPE should be an active mediator between the students and DUSA that ensures everyone is enjoying student life to its full extent. Not many student unions have an active role for engagement which means we should strive to go above and beyond in all campaigns that are made by the students for them. I want to take this step further and increase the engagement across the universities and colleges in Dundee as well as volunteering organisations and companies.
How do you feel you are qualified for the role?
Over the past three years, I have been engaged in multiple paid and voluntary roles across the university and the student union. As a Core Student Ambassador and Peer Connector Volunteer, I was able to interact with the Enquiry centre and the External relations office which gave me a proper insight on the variety of support services and initiatives that the university hosts. Additionally, I was appointed as a manager of the Student Media outlet Fibre for two consecutive years and I also took part in the SRC as a Student Staff Rep. I regularly attend multiple committees such as the people’s forum and SRC sub-forums where I am able to get involved with multiple perspectives on the student experience. Working at the bars department has also been a fantastic experience that contributed to my understanding of how DUSA functions as a business. Being able to interact daily with lots of different students has given me the necessary level of involvement in order to able to represent a broad range of individuals that are actively involved with DUSA and university-led initiatives.
By the end of your term, what is the one thing that you want to have achieved?
As VPE I would like to continue the fantastic initiatives that have been previously set in motion such as Black History Month, LGBT+ History Month, Global Week and Mid-Autumn Festival. I will introduce changes to the engagement sub-committee so it can reach its full potential by creating more hands-on experience with tasks instead of discussions. My plan is to make it an event-based focus group in order to support ongoing or newly introduced campaigns. I want to increase interaction with the Dundee Pride organization as well as the Abertay Student Union for cross campaigning purposes. Finally, I want to rebrand the Think Ahead careers invent and host the conference once again in collaboration with the Careers Service. For me, engagement is about the individuality of people and celebrating this together in a Global Community.
How can you make students more engaged with DUSA’s processes?
There is an ongoing problem with different social and study spaces on campus that create a community “bubble” exclusive only to the student there. Such examples include the Kirkcaldy campus and Ninewells which are disconnected and not engaged with annual campaigns. Other examples would be DJCAD and the Dental school which have their own cafe/cantina and therefore have less reason to visit DUSA. In my opinion, our goal should be to bring DUSA campaigns to the students by eliminating location as a boundary. The PR department is busy on a weekly basis to support commercial events. However, the advertisement of pastoral events is solely dependant on the organizers and involved parties such as societies, clubs or SRC. We need to take advantage of open social spaces and run stalls and workshops as often as possible to spread the word for events that are happening. This would include lecture shoutouts, halls and other campuses in order to cover a wide range of the student body. On the other hand, this would increase the engagement of DUSA and make students more aware of all the effort that is put into making their day to day life better.
Izuin Binti Abu Bakar
Running for the position of VPE
What are you bringing to the role that has been missing?
Prior to becoming your Vice President of Engagement (VPE) the one thing I identified that lost was the term itself. Engagement. Being an international student, I felt a bit distanced from DUSA and didn’t know how I could engage. However, working with the student executive for the past couple months, I have worked on a number of events and campaigns that have improved this situation. Namely Mid-Autumn Festival, Global week, championing our first ever non-alcoholic club nights, just to name a few.
If you’re going to see me around campaigning this week, you’ll see that I am a very approachable and friendly person! And that’s key when it comes to engagement! I always have the students interests at heart and want the best for them. If there’s any concerns or issues that you would like to feedback about how we can engage with you more, I am more than happy to look into them and work on it with you.
How do you feel you are qualified for the role?
I was fortunate enough to be elected in last year’s student executive elections and gave me the opportunity to represent you as your Vice President of Engagement since July 2019. I would like to say that because I know what the role is and what is needed to be done as VPE, I would be a good candidate for thus role.
On top of that, my drive and passion for being a student representative have been evident through my participation in Malaysian Society where I was their Vice President during the academic term 2018/2019 as well as a class rep for some of the modules I’ve studied.
By the end of your term, what is the one thing that you want to have achieved?
I would hope that if I get re-elected for Vice President of Engagement for the next academic year, I would like DUSA to would work on engaging more with online learners as well and students studying in Kirkcaldy and Ninewells. It won’t be easy, but a small step towards getting them involve with what we do as their student association would leave a big impact and I would hope that will create a ripple effect that leads to more engagement.
How can you make students more engaged with DUSA’s processes?
Being on the ground and engaging with students on what we do is the most effective way to get students more engaged. Which is why it’s crucial for us to have a set schedule to visit students in Ninewells and Kirkcaldy and verbal interaction makes people more aware with what we do. I have been lucky enough to be on stalls promoting what we do as one of your student executives, and this is something I strive to continue on doing if I get re-elected.
Even though it won’t be easy to talk to online learners as they don’t socialise on campus, its is important to have them in the conversation. DUSA already have an established online forum on MyDundee where a selected pool of students for a period of time are allowed to leave quality feedback on what we can do as your student association. Promoting that to online learners meant that we get to receive their feedback first hand and we would look into improving them as well as giving them the accurate advice if needed.