|
|
So then, nominations are
open - have YOU nominated
yourself for the KUSU
Elections 2012 yet?!
#kusuelections (kingston_su)
POSTGRADUATE BOWLING
NETWORKING EVENT
MON 20TH FEB, 2012 7:15pm
meet in Ten Pin Bar
The next event we have...
http://t.co/FlzyGe1g (kingston_su)
Check out Februarys KUSU
Newsletter for all the
latest events, campaigns
and all the latest goings
on at your... http://t.co/g6MOqI9B (kingston_su)
► Disabled Student Officer Manifesto
Election Manifesto for the Disabled Student Rep Position for Academic Year 2010/11 in the Kingston University Students Union (KUSU)
Candidate – Jamie Pipkin
My manifesto is divided into four key areas that will shape how I will tackle the role of Disabled Student Rep in the Kingston University Students Union (KUSU) if I am elected.
1) Representation and Communication
The key aspect to this role is to represent the disabled students who are currently at Kingston University. Over this past academic year, I have represented students on my subject course by being a 1st year course rep for History. If elected, I would aim to implement many of the strategies that I have used as a course rep, as well as implementing more specified strategies for this role, as to communicate with and represent the wider disabled population across Kingston University, with examples including:
- Establishing a Facebook group for disabled students at Kingston, in which students can instantly contact me and raise ideas and problems that they may have had and, in turn, I can use the group to feed back news on what I am doing as Disabled Student Rep.
- Arranging a focus group and survey to see what experiences disabled students are having at Kingston University and then report this back to KUSU.
2) Freshers
For anyone, starting at university can be an incredibly daunting experience. For people starting university with a disability, it can be, for some, an even more daunting experience. Having had the experience of starting university last year as a student with a disability, if I were elected, I would want to make the path into university for students with disabilities as smooth as possible by:
- Being there to help and offer advice to students with disabilities in events such as the fresher’s fayre and wider fresher’s week, by having my contact email available so students can contact me with any questions that they may have, and in turn, be able to book an appointment to meet with me and see what advice and support I can give them in their first weeks and into their wider time at Kingston University.
- Producing a webpage/article/online video for disabled students with advice and past disabled student experiences of fresher’s week, so students with a disability can get a feel for what they can expect from their first few weeks at Kingston University.
3) Disability awareness
Many people when they hear the word disabled, instantly think of physical disabilities. However, what can qualify you as a disabled student is largely varied, from a physical disability, such as the use of a wheelchair, through to disabilities such as dyslexia and autism. I would like to raise awareness for all these disabilities by:
- Running a campaign across the university that stresses the large variant of disabilities that students at Kingston University have.
- With the co operation of a student publication during the disability awareness campaign, running a competition for disabled students to write a short article about their experiences as a disabled student and the winners having their articles published in one of the student publications within the university.
4) Disability ambassador
The final key role that I see myself as having, if I were to be elected as DisabledStudent Rep, is to be a disability ambassador. I am proud to say that I have Aspergers Syndrome and that it has been a key factor in making me who I am today. I feel I have come a long way and feel that I can offer advice and motivation for disabled students who may be looking to enter higher education. I would like to fulfill an ambassador capacity within the Disabled Student Rep role by:
- Being available to speak to prospective students and parents about what Kingston University has to offer for students with disabilities and the student experience itself.
- Visiting local educational institutions, giving talks and speaking to students with disabilities about the university experience for disabled students.
