Your President, Maia Jarvis, looks back at the 2022/23 academic year as a Sabbatical Officer, all the campaigning she's led along the way, and delivering on her manifesto aims.
Your President, Maia Jarvis, looks back at the 2022/23 academic year as a Sabbatical Officer, and all the campaigning she's led along the way.
I am extremely pleased to say that by working with colleagues at the University and the Union, I have delivered on all of my manifesto aims this year – and a bit more!
SU Security Review
Last year, I promised I would do a complete review of SU Security. In January, I wrote a survey to capture your thoughts which just under 400 students completed. We have analysed all your feedback, combined it with the responses in the ‘Student Safety’ section of last year’s ‘Rate Your Union’ survey, and published a full Insight Report on how safe you feel in our late-night venues, with a particular focus on how security affects that perception.
I would like to extend my thanks to all the students who spent their valuable time sharing their feedback and authentic experiences because without your contributions this work would not have happened. I think it is truly outstanding that this report captures quantitative and qualitative feedback from 1,249 students over two academic years. Please read the report and check out all the recommendations which we will be working on over the next academic year in order to improve your experience in our venues.
Divest to Decolonise/Climate Justice
With my decolonisation manifesto aim, I focused on the intersection between climate and social justice (as the climate crisis adversely affects former colonised countries). I launched a fossil fuel divestment campaign, which you can read about here. It was essentially to ensure Holloway did not continue to invest in any fossil fuel companies. I started a student and staff letter with the help of Royal Holloway’s Centre for Research in Sustainability, and we managed to get over 200+ members of the University community to sign the statements and support the campaign! I also got individual statements of support from senior members of the University, Student Executives, and Enactus Society. I submitted two proposals to Investment Subcommittee (a subcommittee of Council, the University’s governing body) across the year recommending the investment policy exclude fossil fuels and arms.
It was a huge piece of work and a year-long campaign which I am very proud of; it really felt like the Royal Holloway community was coming together to work towards a vital, shared goal. It was amazing to bring student voice to such high-level spaces. The Statement of Investment Policy will be going to a Council meeting in July for final approval – watch out for some updates around that time!
I also supervised a student to create our Student Group Sustainability Guide and I awarded our first-ever Sustainability Awards at Colours Ball and Society Awards this year! Introducing the awards was suggested by Lidia, the student who wrote the Sustainability Guide and it was amazing to work with the Student Opportunities team to turn her idea into reality. It’s wonderful to have this award as a little legacy of my sustainability work at Royal Holloway.
Extenuating Circumstances Review
During my President campaign, I pledged to ensure Extenuating Circumstances properly supported students. This year, I have been representing your interests on the University’s ECs Policy Review Group which has been developing new proposals for the system. I have been advising the University on how best to consult students on this topic and in May, I organised our first focus groups with the Student Executives to gather feedback. We consulted a wide array of elected student leaders such as School Reps and Disabled Students Collective Convenors. They were such insightful conversations and I feel so lucky to work with student leaders and listen to the insightful feedback they give. The findings from the focus group have been captured and will feed into the decision-making.
ECs are on Hannah’s manifesto (your President-elect!), which means it will remain a priority for the officer team and student consultation will continue next year.
Cost of Living
At the beginning of the year, I emailed the former Senior Vice-Principal Education, suggesting that ‘financial hardship’ should be explicitly included in our Extenuating Circumstances policy. The policy was updated this year so now you can apply for Extenuating Circumstances if you’re going through severe financial difficulty. This is such a great win for students, especially during this cost of living crisis.
Free period products
I worked with the University’s Head of Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion to write a proposal on free periods across campus. Read more here – I have yet to receive a timeline for implementation but this work is currently being progressed by the University so free period products will be available at key points around campus soon!
Diversity and Inclusivity
Disabled and Gender-Neutral toilets
I suggested to the University that they put gender neutral and disabled toilets on the campus map and from the start of this year, the latest online version of the map clearly includes these toilets! I also suggested they change their signage from the weird half dress/half trousers symbol to just text which says ‘gender neutral’, which is clearer and more inclusive.
African Food Stall at Market Day
This year, I asked our Afro-Caribbean Society what they wanted to see for Black History Month, and one thing they said was food! I worked with my colleague who manages Market Day to get Foy Afro-Caribbean Cuisine to come to our Market Day. It wasn’t a one-off visit for BHM – throughout this year, Foy has come to our weekly market days, expanding the diversity of our food stalls and making sure there’s something for everyone!
Queer Creativity Showcase
The Queer Creativity Showcase, which I founded and have organised over the last two years, has been such a passion project for me and one of the highlights of my life, not just my time as an officer. Seeing over 100 students attend when I thought there was going to be around 8 and being able to showcase over 30 students this year, was a privilege and a joy.
Huge thank you to everyone who submitted artwork/poetry and performed – it’s you guys that make it a success and I am so glad I was able to create a safe space for the queer community at Royal Holloway to celebrate talent and creativity.
Working as a sabbatical officer for the past two years has been the most transformational, inspiring experience of my life. It has been a privilege to work with students and colleagues within the Union and the University and I am excited to see what amazing things students and the new sabbatical team achieve!