Jay Coe - Vice President Inclusion

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  • Improving support and ensuring students are aware of support available
  • I wish to organise accessible events for minority student groups
  • Lobby for wider change to ensure accessibility after university
  • Transparency and a strong presence to ensure concerns are heard
  • I am Jay, a disabled, LGBTQ+, student with caring responsibilities

Why vote for Jay?

I am Jay, currently in my third year studying history and politics and I am disabled, LGBTQ+ and a student carer. I currently work in the SuSu venues and am familiar with their operations. 
 

As VP of Inclusion, I would like to ensure the voice of every student is heard, and that both the university and union are accessible for all. I would like to put my focus into improving the support and accessibility for students who are disabled and mentally ill and make sure people know what support is available to them, and where they can raise any issues. 

Additionally I would like to promote support, events and awareness for student carers. I would also like to ensure the university continues to provide support and adequate access for Trans students, and all LGBTQ+ students. I would also like to promote accessible events for neurodivergent, LGBTQ+ and international students throughout the year, but particularly during Freshers to allow both new and current students to connect and make friendships with people like them. Where possible, I would like to work with societies in connection with these events, including those surrounding international communities, to help promote these societies and promote further connections. I would also like to make sure information surrounding events and campaigns are far reaching. 

There are already several issues and areas of access I wish to raise with the university, and I wish to learn where further issues can be raised for all areas, including university sport, society and work facilities as well as within campuses and courses. I would like to learn more about SuSu’s support for students studying abroad to evaluate what can be further improved, along with evaluating current university policies on harassment and anti-discrimination to see what may be missing and how they can better protect students. Direct student feedback will play an important role in this. 

I am dedicated to this role as someone who has struggled previously with accessibility and inclusion within the university and would be delighted to serve the next year as your VP of Inclusion to ensure everyone’s university experience is as positive, accepting and accessible as it can be. I want to have a strong presence to ensure all students know who to go to raise issues and feel confident in doing so. Additionally I want to keep students informed on progress being made so they know their concerns are being taken seriously and actioned. As SuSu holds strong influence as a Union from a Russel group university, I not only wish to improve its own accessibility and inclusion, but also hope to influence other Unions to take similar steps, and ensure we are using our lobbying power with government to promote change on a wider level.

Questions & Answers

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SUSU supports the expression of all lawful opinions as long as they are expressed with respect and do not attack or undermine the rights of others.
SUSU may also place reasonable restrictions on the expression of views linked to the time, place or manner that the views are expressed.

Hi, thank you for the question. You can currently find me on Instagram under JayCoeforVPInclusion25! Be sure to check it out for a more detailed view of my policies and to follow along with my campaign!

This question was also asked to Oluwakemisola Adaraloye, Toby Page

Answered by Jay on 03/03/25 20:25

I believe that Trans students at the university should be allowed to access whichever gendered spaces they prefer, whether that be correlating to their gender identity, gender neutral spaces or to the gender that they were assigned at birth. I think the expansion of gender neutral spaces within the university is great for several reasons. It firstly provides a safe space for Trans and Non-Binary students. Secondly, many of the gender neutral toilets implemented at the university for example, are also accessible, opening up more spaces for disabled students as well. I think that SUSU can definitely include Trans students in sports whilst allowing them to be in teams that fall under their gender identity or in teams that are of mixed gender. I would definitely like to push for Trans and general LGBTQ+ inclusion within the university, including within sports and I’m sure we can find solutions that allow for Trans students to access mixed teams or teams of their gender identity, whilst quelling any potential concerns people may have. I would also like to make sure that any potential discrimination within sport, or any other part of the uni, is dealt with appropriately, and I would like to ensure students know where to go to report such behaviour. This would be a great step for the university to take and will hopefully set a precedent for other universities to follow suit. I believe the university is good at supporting students who are Transgender, however I believe that there is more that can be done. Primarily, I would like to see provisions supporting Trans students such as the Gender Expression Fund, continue. I would like to see the end to the deadnaming and misgendering of Trans students, especially within class time and the universities work spaces. I would like to see Trans Awareness week expand and reach a wider audience, and one way of doing this is through holding events for minority student groups and involving relevant societies where I can. This will allow Trans students to make friends with people like them, and hopefully also meet others. It also immediately opens up a community and hopefully furthers connections, including within societies. I do also want to hold these events for other minority groups within the university as well for similar reasons. I would also like to ensure that the Student Hub, Advice Centre and relevant staff are aware of Trans issues and are providing relevant, and adequate support to Trans students. I am running for VP Inclusion as a Trans, disabled, student carer. I am running for this position as I am dedicated to using my voice for change by rectifying the issues I have experienced firsthand at university and by listening to other minority student groups about what issues they have faced, uplifting their voices too, and making changes that benefit everyone. We need to listen to minority voices on minority issues to stop them from being suppressed as they currently are in this political climate. I have unfortunately experienced Transphobic and ableist hate in the first two days of my campaigning, but I will not be silenced and I am here to end attitudes such as these. I want to ensure that everyone’s university experience is welcoming, positive and accessible and I truly believe that I am the best person to do this. Thank you for your questions. If there is anything else you’d like to know, please don’t hesitate to reach out, and if you believe in my message and policies, please vote #1 for me.

This question was also asked to Oluwakemisola Adaraloye, Toby Page

Answered by Jay on 03/03/25 21:10