Reaching out to Satellite Site Students

This year the Officer team have tried to engage with students studying outside of the Edgbaston campus or with part time students who only rarely come on campus. Our student union should be able to offer you just as much support as we offer on site in our building therefore we have visited Satellite Sites both as individual officers and with representatives of our services.

Recently we introduced a Satellite Site section to our website which explains how you can use our services remotely. It is a first step but we would like to know what further information we can put on the website and what is currently missing.

A virtual Guild hub

Following on from discussions I had on Satellite Sites about ways in which students who are not based on Edgbaston campus can interact with and benefit from the Guild I am looking in to the ways in which we can make better use of our website to increase the reach of our services. The idea is to create a 'virtual hub' which allows students to access services from off campus. We're trying to develop something to start with that can then evolve based on your needs. I'd like to hear more from students who don't normally get to come to the Guild about what sort of services they would like to see integrated better on the website.

Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears

Today I visited the Shakespeare Institute in Stratford-upon-Avon. The institute houses UoB postgraduate students focusing on theatre studies and Shakespeare.

I spoke to the new students about the Guild and how we can help them campaign on their issues and how they can get involved. They told me about their current issues including library provision, transport and housing and I discussed these issues and ways of addressing them with staff on site. They were interested in the work of the Satellite Sites Officer and how they could engage more with drama societies on main campus.

We also discussed the idea of a 'literary festival' which is a potential project I had come up with at a visit to Stratford earlier this year. This would be a day long event in Stratford comprising plays, recitals, workshops (i.e. from RSC actors) from both the Shakespeare Institute Players and from students involved in drama and arty societies from Edgbaston campus. The project's aim is not only to bring together students interested in drama but also to showcase out Stratford campus to the wider UoB community. If you are interested in this project then please get in touch on f.neuner@guild.bham.ac.uk. I will keep you posted.