Heyy! My name is Tommy, and I'm your Vice President Education for the upcoming year! I
would normally start something like this by saying that I'm a third-year studying advanced
colouring-in (Physical Geography) but, having graduated in the summer, I need to think of
a fresh introduction. If you're like me when I arrived in my first year, you're probably
wondering just exactly what a VP Education is and what they do!
I fit into the RUSU structure as one of the five elected Sabbatical Officers who are here to
make sure that you have an amazing time and enjoy yourself, as well as getting the most
out of your degree at Reading. As VP Education, my role is to look after the academic
relations between the students, the University, and the Students' Union. This means being
here for you. To represent your views and to push forward any study-related issues you
might have whilst at the University of Reading.
The best thing is - we want you all to get involved! Whether that's standing as one of our
many Student Academic Reps (StARs) and representing your course mates within your
subject, or running for one of the coveted positions as an Education Rep at a faculty, the
choice is yours. I depend on interaction with students to focus the direction the Union takes
in academic issues. Flick forward in the booklet to page 47 and find out more about academic
representation.
The campaigns we are going to focus on are run by students for students. We are facing an
extremely exciting year educationally; with continuing changes over course fees and funding,
debates raging over social engineering in our Universities, and an upcoming General Election
that could govern how degrees are delivered for the foreseeable future. There are unlimited
opportunities for you to tell me (and the Union) what you want to happen - our common aim
is to work with the University to make your campus work for you - speak up and be heard!
As one of your Sabbatical Officers, I am here to help defend and extend the rights and
opportunities of our members... our students. In that, I really want to know what you're
thinking! So any issues or problems, questions or queries, please feel free to pop up to my
office above the Hub in the Students' Union building. Get involved, pop up for a chat, and say
hello! Otherwise, I will see you in 3sixty for one of our great Union nights.
Enjoy this year!
