Oliver Sangsari - Vice President Communities

Throughout my three years at Southampton, I have gotten myself very involved with the Student Union through both being a committee member in five societies and a senator to give myself the best possible understanding of what the students want in their university experience. As a result of listening to the students and the current Sabbatical Officers, I have a decent understanding of what needs to be done during the year 25/26. As such, below is what I intend to do should I be elected. 

First and foremost, I will ensure that, alongside the future VP Sports, I will aim to meet with every society President to understand better what affiliated societies want from SUSU. As the representative, I must know what policies are best for the students, so I can provide evidence during meetings and working groups to ensure they are implemented successfully. Likewise, I will work with VP inclusion to increase the possibility that all students can access any society they wish to be a part of. 

Building on this, I will continue the monthly society meetings that are open to all interested societies. These meetings will be group discussions where society members can ask questions regarding SUSU policy and potential limitations. I believe it is important to maintain as many forms of communication as possible, as time management is always an issue and sometimes some policies aren’t properly clarified within email. 

Furthermore, I will attempt to develop and promote more day-to-day events that students can visit in and around Building 42. I was inspired by events that I experienced as a first year, such as the day where Reptiles were brought into B42, as well as the Mini-golf event that took place during Semester 2. I feel that these events promote the feeling that a person belongs in the community and I hope that these future events will bring lasting memories for the students.

For housing, I will continue the development of the Student Accreditation Scheme for Student Housing website in collaboration with the Union President. Furthermore, I will promote housing fairs on a semi-regular basis (bi-monthly) to allow students as many opportunities to find out about the housing opportunities around University. Furthermore, I will aim to try to keep students informed of any updates regarding private accommodation, such as the Renter’s Right Bill—whereby students cannot sign a contract six months in advance of the tenancy start date.

Finally, I will reach out to the Portsmouth Student Union to start talks of any potential collaboration events. While Varsity is highly popular, I wonder if there’s any opportunity for the two student unions to come together to celebrate the efforts of the student-led societies, such as Arts and Performance. Otherwise, I will ensure that events experienced throughout this academic year are maintained, such as the Society Showdown, or that they are promoted through the many forms of communication, as I believe that we should look to encourage student participation in the wonderful events that occur in Southampton.