The Uni invited our SU President Becky, and Roggi, a first year Foundation student to meet with the Vice Chancellor to hear the concerns he had on behalf of all of you and look ahead.
We heard you.
The Students’ Union knows this hasn’t been the best of starts and as I explained last week we are here for you when things just aren’t right.
The University also heard you and invited myself and Roggi, a first year Foundation student to meet with the Vice Chancellor on Monday 21/9/2020 to hear the concerns he had on behalf of all of you and look ahead.
Rama (VC) started by openly apologising for the issues you’ve all faced. He agreed with us that they are indefensible and should never have happened, however we need to keep in mind our shared collective goal- to give every student a great experience moving forward and make sure this never happens again!
It’s never good to focus on the negatives, we are all here because we care about our education and we want to get started on our journey at CCCU. We asked Rama about some of the things which will change NOW and help students with immediate effect;
Good news
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Rama explained that as of today, 76% of new students have been registered successfully and are on track to receive their student finance and he expects 90% of new students to have completed registration by Friday. This is welcome news and the SU will hold them to account if this doesn’t happen.
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All new students who continue to have issues registering will also receive a phone call in the coming days (starting Tuesday) to help guide you through the process. This should really help alleviate any problems you may have navigating what can sometimes be a convoluted system and process.
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Students who are in uni accommodation and haven’t been able to register and therefore access their loan, can get immediate help and support with food etc. More information on this will come soon!
What we want the University to do
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We asked that there was MORE COMMUNICATION between the University and the student body so we can all be kept in the loop- good or bad, we just want to know what’s going on. Rama agreed and empathised with that and I will continue to follow that up at every University meeting.
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Roggi also personally requested that there be more engagement on the new students facebook page as the commission of this often heightens anxieties and causes more problems.
Overall, we both feel that today's meeting was productive and we are so pleased to see the VC responding personally and sincerely to the serious problems our students face.
As a community at Christ Church, we are caring, compassionate but we are also human and mistakes happen. Sure, some are larger than others and we must make sure they don’t happen again, but right now, what matters? YOUR EXPERIENCE.
There are some really positive things to take away from this and you will get all of your issues resolved really soon. The SU are constantly representing your best interests, you don’t always see it but we are always there, at the table raising our voice on behalf of you.
Looking on the bright side (because there is always one), your voice has been heard. Actions have been taken and will continue to be because of your ability to articulate exactly what is going on. We are also just getting started on your Freshers week!
So get involved, make sure you meet people virtually via the SU events and HAVE FUN! The academic side is only part of your whole experience here at CCCU ;)
Becky Thomson
President. Christ Church Students' Union
&
Roggi Black, first year Foundation student at CCCU
