Michael Collyer - Vice President Education

For the best insight, I'd recommend checking out my election profile on the SUSU website. Otherwise, I'll be all around the different campuses this week. I'll also answer other specific questions posted to here.

Q - What gendered spaces (toilets, changing rooms ect[sic]) should a trans person use? A - They should use whichever facility they think is most appropriate, at that time. Q - Do you support the continued provision and expansion of gender-neutral facilities? A - Yes because it increases capacity, accessibility, and use, particularly in the smaller/older buildings. Q - How should a transgender student engage with sports in SUSU? A - Any student should be able to engage with sports in the same way, since gender is irrelevant in terms of participation, just as skill/experience can be. Q - Do you believe SUSU or the university's current policies on transgender are wrong in any way? A - Although I wouldn't necessarily call it "wrong", I think there is a risk with unilateral action without the right type of consultation, albeit in (so far) limited situations. I do not think it is wrong to still treat people with the same level of respect, regardless of their identity.

Currently, I'm just a random geography student, so I have no business complaining to department heads about teaching styles in mechanical engineering (for example). If I came up with a dozen policies, at this point, I'd most likely be projecting my problems and that of the few people I regularly interact with, which can be small fry compared to other subjects. Having said that, my plan, at the moment, would be to use the authority the role gives to engage with different tiers at the university. 1. Using the Freshers Fair (week 0) and Careers Fairs (week 2) to listen to students on what they're expecting from the university (a third of students will be new), and when talking about jobs, gauging how effective their studies actually are when interactive with prospective employers. For example, the lack of willingness firms have to even give international students a chance to apply. It won't be a formal survey or where I sample people at random, it'll just be whoever would like to talk (or get a freebie; I'm a people person), which can help give me a starting insight to take to university meetings. 2. Arranging to talk with (ideally not just email) the various heads of departments/schools on how they individualise the courses they are responsible for - i.e. implementation of PATs, so it's consistent and there can be a rapport with their (granted, many) tutees, beyond a generic reference-on-request. Most staff are fairly autonomous, so it's reining that small aspect back into their role (if it isn't already proactive). 3. Giving a transparency to the university-level meetings that the student union has a seat at, so that any flawed points I scrutinise aren't just rantings. I'd also want to make it clear that nobody would be in that meeting, without the thousands of fee-paying students who expect the best they can from what's too often an imperfect system. The goal isn't to be obstructionist, and certainly not token opposition ready with a rubber stamp. It's to give the best perspective I can, and call things out when needed. If there's an issue, it's unlikely to be new, and someone else probably has it too. So, why hasn't it been fixed? What has to be new is the way of addressing it, or things will just keep coming up.

I think it's the course reps who should be trying to engage with their classmates. Often, it's not obvious who they are, and since most reps are elected unopposed, there isn't that initial need to reach out for votes or support. There has to be more emphasis on reps needing to be (or at least trying to be) representative - like talking to more than just the people they sit with.