The Guild Officer team leads the Guild of students and works to represent and support students within the university of Birmingham. It consists of 7 full-time and 10 part-time positions for election which covers a wide range of areas and remits. This is a fantastic opportunity to directly improve the lives of Birmingham students while garnering invaluable skills and experience.
If you are interested in taking over the reigns from me or running for any other positions (Sabbatical and Non-Sabb) or have any questions, do not hesitate to get in touch. Remember nominations close soon on 22 February, 2010! For more info check www.guildofstudents.com
Good luck!!!
Monday 15 February 2010
1) BME Students' Forum & 'Cultural Exchange Council': 3 February, 2010
On 3 February, BEMA (Birmingham Ethnic Minority Associaton) held a session to consult students and discuss the various issues concerning BME students whilst at university. We intended for the event to present a forum in and through which students would vice their concerns and raise issues they felt relevant to their university experience. This was particularly in light of recently published university and national reports showing a significantly lower level of degree attainment of Black and Minority Ethnic students compared to their white counterparts coupled with a dramatically higher drop-out rate after just one-year at university, with the same results across all of Higher Education.
The discussion was greatly enriched by the university's Equality and Diversity Adviser who gave vital insight into the data released and signalled the university's much welcomed intent and commitment to get to the bottom of the matter.
The meeting was an opportunity to listen to students in order to gain a deeper understanding of the underlying contributory factors to the reports and enable these to be better addressed.
In addition, employment and employability have naturally always been an important concern for all students. However, this remains a particular challenge for BME students following reports on graduate employment uptake that again do not paint the rosiest of pictures. It was therefore a great honour having a guest speaker from the university's Careers & Employability Centre who encouraged students to develop the key skills that employers are increasingly in search of and build useful networks alongside their academic qualifications, particularly in the current troubled economic climate and difficult job-market. She also encouraged students to take advantage of the free resources already available at the university such as the Personal Skills Award, Mock Interviews, Assessment centres and c.v clinics, Careers advice and workexperience and many more useful services.
The event was also an opportunity to challenge student apathy and encourage students to pursue a more active involvement in a varied student life, develop a diverse skills portfolio and engage with the Guild and the democratic processes- a point beautifully emphasised by our guest speaker Jennifer Larbie the former Guild President and first ever EMSO.
The event was one of the many steps by BEMA towards the creation of a common 'cultural excahange council' made up of committee members of various cultural and faith student groups to meet regularly to network, share ideas and raise the concerns of members, thereby facilitaiing a more effective way of getting matters addressed.
****STUDENT FOCUS GROUPS: From 24 February
As a follow up to the event and interest from some students we will be holding focus groups with the University's Equality & Diversity Adviser to give students another chance to discuss various issues further. So do you feel that there things that the university still needs to address? And do you want to get your voice heard and contribute to the enhancement of other students' university experience? To register your interest and for any queries email me a.ssesanga@guild.bham.ac.uk
***INTER-FAITH/CULTURAL SPORTS & League
Following great interest by the societies involved in the Inter-Faith week in November 2009,we are putting together regular sports sessions eg. badminton and a football league/tournament in which various faith and cultural student groups can engage in fun-filled sport and network. There will be provision of women-only sports sessions too. So if you or your society would like to get involved, have any questions or suggestions, get in touch and let's make it happen!!
The discussion was greatly enriched by the university's Equality and Diversity Adviser who gave vital insight into the data released and signalled the university's much welcomed intent and commitment to get to the bottom of the matter.
The meeting was an opportunity to listen to students in order to gain a deeper understanding of the underlying contributory factors to the reports and enable these to be better addressed.
In addition, employment and employability have naturally always been an important concern for all students. However, this remains a particular challenge for BME students following reports on graduate employment uptake that again do not paint the rosiest of pictures. It was therefore a great honour having a guest speaker from the university's Careers & Employability Centre who encouraged students to develop the key skills that employers are increasingly in search of and build useful networks alongside their academic qualifications, particularly in the current troubled economic climate and difficult job-market. She also encouraged students to take advantage of the free resources already available at the university such as the Personal Skills Award, Mock Interviews, Assessment centres and c.v clinics, Careers advice and workexperience and many more useful services.
The event was also an opportunity to challenge student apathy and encourage students to pursue a more active involvement in a varied student life, develop a diverse skills portfolio and engage with the Guild and the democratic processes- a point beautifully emphasised by our guest speaker Jennifer Larbie the former Guild President and first ever EMSO.
The event was one of the many steps by BEMA towards the creation of a common 'cultural excahange council' made up of committee members of various cultural and faith student groups to meet regularly to network, share ideas and raise the concerns of members, thereby facilitaiing a more effective way of getting matters addressed.
****STUDENT FOCUS GROUPS: From 24 February
As a follow up to the event and interest from some students we will be holding focus groups with the University's Equality & Diversity Adviser to give students another chance to discuss various issues further. So do you feel that there things that the university still needs to address? And do you want to get your voice heard and contribute to the enhancement of other students' university experience? To register your interest and for any queries email me a.ssesanga@guild.bham.ac.uk
***INTER-FAITH/CULTURAL SPORTS & League
Following great interest by the societies involved in the Inter-Faith week in November 2009,we are putting together regular sports sessions eg. badminton and a football league/tournament in which various faith and cultural student groups can engage in fun-filled sport and network. There will be provision of women-only sports sessions too. So if you or your society would like to get involved, have any questions or suggestions, get in touch and let's make it happen!!
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