President

RUSU President 2018/19 Jason Dabydoyal

President
Jason Dabydoyal

  • Your Union: Representing all students and rewarding you with points when engaging with the Students' Union.
  • Your Uni: Maximising study space and delivering on facilities for current students.
  • You: Providing students with a range of opportunities including jobs, volunteering, entertainment, events and enrichment.

As current students we have seen our library become unusable, strike action by our staff and accomodation prices rising. These are only a few examples of why we are forgetting to prioritise what makes our University, it's you: the students. It's Your Union, Your Uni, and it's more vital than ever that your needs are put first. Let's forget Transform 2026, we want Priority 2018.

Student Engagement

  • RUSU loyalty points scheme: Rewarding students for their purchases and engagement with the SU.
  • RUSU App: Make Union and University events accessible so you always know what's going on.

Study Spaces

  • Maximise the £1 million RUSU grant to create The Study 2.0
  • Promoting study spaces off-campus to reduce pressure felt by students until the library is completed.

International Students

Translation of key documents on housing, mental health and affordability into a wider set of languages.

Postgraduates

  • Dedicated spaces for Postgraduate study.
  • Improving our welcome programme for Postgraduates.

Employability

Helping students find jobs and opportunities by working with Campus Jobs and Careers.

International Students

  • Finding accomodation can be incredibly stressful. I want to improve the returners process with halls, help students with private housing and keep pushing for more affordable accomodation.
  • Work with our arrivals teams to ensure new students who are given temporary accomodation are swiftly allocated accomodation.

Summary

The University of Reading are thinking about students in 2026. I'm dedicated to working for students in 2018.

Your Union, Your Uni, You.

President Progress Tracker

RUSU President 2018 RUSU App policy
In progress

Make University and Union events accessible so you always know what’s going on.

Updates
29/10/18 Demo viewed of app provided by MSL who currently who we currently use as framework for elections, payments for society membership etc.
17/09/18 Launch week for Totum, problematic launch. App does not launch with the key desired features of a RUSU app, stance is reevaluated on whether the app is fit for purpose.
01/08/18 Digital marketing materials delivered for the app launch, including further meetings with the NUS.
25/07/18 RUSU meets with NUS to discuss Totum launch for the next academic year.
01/18 £100,000 allocated for the development of a dedicated RUSU App, discussions held with suppliers and paper drafted on feasibility. Later in the year, we learn of Totum which is said to partially fulfil the aims of the RUSU app, and therefore procedures are paused on the app to concentrate efforts on the Totum launch.
RUSU President 2018 loyalty scheme policy
In progress

Rewarding students for their purchases and engagement with the Students’ Union.

Updates
16/11/18 Meeting with two students to discuss feasibility of recycling loyalty scheme for glass on campus.
10/11/18 After launch of Totum does not indicate the integration of a satisfactory loyalty scheme at University Of Reading, investigatory work begins into integration with campus cards.
12/07/18 Discussed points scheme at University of Exeter and how effective the financial model might be for the economics of a Student Union.
12/07/18 Feasibility discussed with venue management, team are made aware that Totum will be including certain discounts and offers. Next action will be based on what can run alongside Totum, if the app achieves what is expected.
Not yet started

Ensuring Postgraduate Students are represented effectively by RUSU.

In progress

Helping students find jobs and opportunities by working with Campus Jobs and Careers.

Updates
Filmed video with Campus Jobs. Worked with Careers management to improve accessibility to services.
In progress

Improve the returners process with halls, help students with private housing and keep pushing for more affordable accommodation. Also working with our arrivals teams to ensure new students who are given temporary accommodation are swiftly allocated accommodation.

Updates
06/11/18 HAC informs RUSU returners process open earlier than usual, requested special consideration for DAS students.
20/10/18 Met with Accomodation Team to discuss rent setting for next year and keep rent prices down.
20/07/18 Met with Accommodation team to discuss hotel students.

Other Campaigns and Projects

In progress

After the previous Vice-Chancellor stepped down at the beginning of my term, I was made aware that I would sit on the recruitment panel for the VC who is yet to be appointed. This is a long and rigorous process due to the nature of the role, and will possibly not be completed until the end of my term.

Updates
27/11/18 Vice Chancellor Applications Reviewed and lists compiled before interview stages take place at the start of next year.
17/11/18 Meeting with Odgers to discuss what qualities students might want the next Vice Chancellor to have, which had the purpose of informing their headhunting process. Odgers are the external recruitment company used for the recruitment of the next vice chancellor. They also interviewed and discussed these matters with numerous stakeholders around the University.
Complete

Student Voice is our democratic platform for student representation at RUSU, where students are able to vote on ideas and debate key issues that affect their time at the University of Reading. While I see completion as the first event going smoothly and aims of the event being hit, this is an ongoing process to improve and shape the model of Student Voice as a democratic platform.

Updates
15/11/18 First student voice, guest speaker organised to introduce.
28/10/18 Prepared goodybags for Student Voice, including risk husk sustainable coffee cups for all members for free.
22/10/18 Worked with democracy coordinator to redo Student Voice training and guidelines.
In progress

Over the course of the year we run numerous elections, with the Officer elections being held in February. There are a few tweaks I want to do to the process so these will be detailed here.

Updates
20/11/18 Meeting to discuss potential mentoring scheme during the Officer elections in February next year.
30/07/18 First meet with elections committee. Student voice member elections sees growth in nominations, new systems implemented to ensure members attend SV.