Countdown

Not left long to go now! Just over five weeks left to go in the Activities post. My thoughts are turning to tying off projects where possible and getting elements into a stable place to 'handover' to my successor Amy Gilchrist. This is a process that will start formally a week before the end of my term.

Not characteristicly of my much adored Kent student members, everyone is having 'fantastic ideas' just before the end of the exam term which will most likely lead to having a couple of volunteering/ societies related motions going to the next Union council meeting on May 30th 6pm in ELT2 (all welcome). But I am sure that these changes will be beneficial for students in the longrun. Although I will be giving a formal final report at the upcoming meeting (no please don't feel compulsion to throw roses... or underwear) I have created a (not exhaustive) table of projects and their estimated completion dates below.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have.
 

Objective	Deadline	Notes
Ensure a Schedule for Online student group banking is Set	April End	Extended Research Phase, Imperial Visit booked,
Update Societies Handbook	May End	Waiting for Liberation Officers
Elect a New Societies Federation Committee	June end	Awaiting Union Council Vote on potential election policy changes
Prepare Handover for New Officer	June End	Early Planning stage
Ensure implementation of increased provision for the new activities space	(Contact April) Completion June)	Still in early
Ensure societies are moved into the new storage space in Eliot college	April End	Awaiting securing of bookshelves to ensure safety
Ensure that plans remain on-track for the development of the new media centre	June End	Plans being finalised, awaiting quantity surveyor then out to tender.
Empower, equip (and possibly rename) VOLFED to deal with SLVG funding allocation	Union Council May	Awaiting Union Council approval of proposed policy alterations
Ensure End of Year Training For Societies and SLVGS	June	Dates Booked
Ensure Completion  and evaluation of the ALBOS Scheme	June	Evaluating Options
Confirm CSR Funding for 2013-14	June	Complete
Identify Alternative on-campus activities spaces	June End

VP: Activities Union Council Report (May 2013)

Due to the development of the library there will be an estimated loss of 200 study spaces from summer 2014 due to the building works. Eliot hall has been identified as one of the most likely spaces to be allocated as decant space. I am in conversations with the University in order to find alternative space in which to facilitate the society and other student activity which usually takes place in the hall or alternative space for the library decant. I am still pursuing the option of utilising Rutherford hall as it has been in the past after dinner service has ceased.

Kent Union, KSCV Canterbury and Medway, KIC Media Awards have all occurred in the last three weeks and been highly successful. This is the first year the KIC media awards have been presented and industry professionals judged the awards. KIC and KSCV awards Canterbury were held in the Gulbenkian for the first time. Congratulations once again to all the awardees.    

The media centre plans are progressing well and there is currently a competition to name the new facility running at kentunion.co.uk. The plans are being finalised having consulted with a wide range of students and relevant stakeholders. Kent Union and the University will be going out to tender to find a construction firm in order for completion in first term.    

Matt Harris and I will be helping with the recruitment of a new Sports and Socs Manager post and/or Co-ordinator post next month. This increase to provision is very welcome and will be a great step towards increasing support and development for sports and societies at Kent.  Kent Union are currently also recruiting a volunteer co-ordinator which is going to be highly valuable in the case of our volunteer support capacity.

I have been working with SOCFEDCOM and VOLCOM to discuss alterations to their elections and

The project to move our student group funding system to an online finance systems is underway with a project group set-up. This may be the single greatest improvement to Kent Union systems and I believe will impact directly on the effectiveness of groups to access their funding and keep on top of their finances. There are visits planned to see existing systems in Warwick and Imperial college in June.   

Conversations are progressing with the University regards the #buildingup campaign and provision of an activities centre for our groups and members to use. The rhetoric around the proposal has changed from ‘if’ to ‘when’ which although still vague means we are moving in the right direction. Preliminary sketch designs are being discussed although nothing firm has been committed to at this stage. Further down the line I anticipate further consultation with specific groups as well as the wider student body on design and functionality within the University provided budget. Unfortunately, there is nothing further to report at this stage regards Medway developments for similar facilities but this will continue to be a priority for Kent Union in the future.

I have been in the process of discussing Staff Support developments with RAG. There is a plan for RAG to receive increased support being moved into the volunteering ‘portfolio’ and being supported by a volunteer co-ordinator. This will represent a step forward which I hope will just be the tip of the iceburg.

I am currently preparing for handover with my successor Amy Gilchrist. I am very excited to see the great work that she will achieve and know she has an ambitious manifesto to deliver next year. I wish her the best of luck and know that you will support and challenge her in her new role.   

I anticipate that some of the future challenges  from personal experience and activities remit will include (though not be limited to); increasing the quality of the Medway student experience and refining Kent Union's role within this including the acquisition of activities space for groups, continuing to ensure that the university recognizes and plans strategically for developments to support student activities at the Canterbury campus including the maintenance and delivery of the #buildingup campaign, increasing engagement and service of our members who are not from a 'traditional' background including but not limited to; distance learners, part time, mature, students with dependents, international students (especially Chinese pgt) and postgraduates generally. Developing Union services for Kent Students not studying in Canterbury and Medway, i.e. 'outreach' and abroad. The implementation of a funding system that is effective and fair for societies as well as accessible and functional (online). Increasing staff support for societies, sports, RAG and volunteers beyond the measures already set in motion. Finding an appropriate way to develop and support Kent Technical services volunteers which is relevant to their members' life-goals. The only way these issues can be tackled is with the collective teamwork of our Union and support of the membership. 

I have enjoyed every challenging moment of the last two years, thank you for the experience and your hard work and support. "So Long and thanks for all the fish."