Student Council Forum: What happened?
On 27 March, Bristol SU hosted its first Student Council Forum. This new format is designed to encourage open discussion, collaboration and real progress on the issues that you care about most.
Unlike previous Student Council meetings, this refreshed approach did not have the more formal motions and instead focused on meaningful, solution-focused conversations between students and the Full-Time Officer team. This is all part of our our mission to bring students closer to the change making element of Bristol SU, so the things you care about can be worked on going forward.
From there, students joined themed discussions based on key topics raised in the Big Bristol SU Survey Results, which you can read here! Each table was chaired by a Full-Time Officer, creating space for focused conversations on:
Cost of Living
Chaired by Lucy Pears, Student Living Officer
Students talked about how high rent is in Bristol, especially for international students who face extra challenges like finding a guarantor. The group suggested clearer info for first-year students on renting, like what a standard rent price is and when to start looking. There were also ideas to expand the Activity Hardship Fund into more general financial support.
Accessibility and Wellbeing
Chaired by Linlu Ye, Equality, Liberation and Access Officer
Students then discussed how to make wellbeing services easier to find and more inclusive. For example, offering bilingual support and clearer signposting via emails vs print promotion. The group also raised issues with poor room access across campus and suggested hiring sign-language interpreters for events. Getting support for neurodivergence without a formal diagnosis was also flagged as a key challenge. These comments were all then discussed in the group and will be actioned by Linlu and the students involved in this discussion.
Teaching on My Course
Led by Mia Stevens, Undergraduate Education Officer
The group discussed a variety of topics in the remit of Teaching. Concerns were raised around feedback delays, unclear marking criteria and the experience of Joint Honours students. The discussions resulted in some in tangible follow-up actions from officers, especially your education officers, Mia and Gurvin.
Support for Societies
Led by Katie Poyner, Union Affairs Officer
This group discussed issues with storage space, with accessing space on campus and its cost. Discussions were also had on challenging unacceptable behaviour and with fundraising. This led to some shared practical suggestions between officers and students to help societies grow and feel better supported.
These included;
- More transparency in communications about storage space.
- Improved communications around space availability, digital booking and better guidance.
- Encouraging more opportunities for groups to collaborate with one another and share fundraising ideas.
From the student council forum, the conversations led to a range of tangible actions that officers are already taking forward. From contacting senior university staff, to planning new campaigns and creating better resources and systems for societies, this new format is all about making change with students, not just for them.
Keep an eye on our social media and website for the next meeting, which will be taking place next academic year.
We can’t wait to see you there! ✨
