What I’ve been doing as your VP Education in the past month, fighting to ensure you get the best education possible at Essex.

STUDENT REPS

We’re proud that more Student Reps have attended Student ​Voice Groups so far this year than ever before, engaging with ​their departments to help make their learning experience better. ​We currently have over 370 Student Reps, putting us on track for ​a record breaking year. As VP Education, I see myself as being ​lead by our dedicated Student Reps and want to make sure that ​I’m not just passing on their feedback, but making space for ideas ​to come to life. This model feeds into my pilot scheme of ​Department Networks, a way of building community and ​belonging around departments and putting students at the heart.

As a result of our record-breaking ‘First Impressions of Teaching ​Survey’, we’ve been thanking any academic and professional ​survey staff mentioned as positively impacting students. I’ve been ​building relations with SRES, Psychology, CSEE and EBS Southend ​as we roll out Department Networks. I’ve been planning for next ​term, planning a mixer for every department, so if you want to be ​involved then please get in touch. Alongside this, I’ve been ​collaborating with the Library, Skills @ Essex, Essex Pathways and ​the Student Development team to have a joined-up approach to ​delivering students the skills support that they need. The SU ​Education team will be spearheading this work with the launch of ​our Skills Cafes next term. Additionally, I’ve been working with our ​PG Convenor to build relations with our flagship research centres.

Academic framework

I’m working with the University, as part of a fast-moving and ​large-scale Academic Framework Task & Finish Group to develop ​a new framework that is both positive and workable for our ​students, our staff and the institution as a whole. This is a major ​opportunity to get key wins for students, innovate the approach ​and improve systems, during what is ultimately a difficult time in ​higher education. One of my key aims during this work is to ​streamline the timetabling system to make it simpler, more ​intuitive, and reduce clashes and huge gaps to support ​commuting and working students.

@joevpeducation

Joe Holmes