Candidate for the position of Activities Officer

Nick West

About Me

Alright, Activities, Nick West is ready for round two. They say if at first you don’t succeed you should try, try and try again - so I’m back with a brand new campaign, brand new slogans, and brand new pastel tinted photos with overlaid election promises as I once again campaign for your vote. To quote Chumbawamba, I get knocked down - but I get back up again.

I’m a Computer Science and Mathematics student who’s served on committee, founded a society and worked closely with the past three Activities Officers. I’ve spoken to Joblink, Skills Training, Bath Award, Enterprise, Diversity and Support, and most society chairs. I know exactly what the SU needs to do to improve on the amazing services which it already offers. I’m going to tackle sponsorship, the restrictions on guest speakers, paper waste, handovers, long email waits - and so much more.

This year, I’m the best candidate to bring real change to the SU. I have real plans, from introducing handover guides to a 24 hour turnaround on emails, to change Activities for the better. So vote for real policies. Vote for real solutions. Vote for real change. And remember to Go West.

If elected, my top priorities will be:

  • Introduce a 24 hour turn around on email acknowledgements
  • Simplify the process for getting Sponsorships and build up a network of local businesses
  • Reduce or even remove the restrictions on guest speakers which hinder topical debate
  • Collaborate with volunteering to make both areas’ events bigger and better

View manifesto

Manifesto

Activities and Societies have given me so much – they helped me to grow to be the person I am now, and I’d like to give something back. I have the passion, the experience, and the vision to bring about a real difference in Activities - I know what issues are being faced and I know what to do to make a positive change. 

Communication is, having spoken to committees, one of the biggest issues faced by societies, especially email turnarounds. The Activities Officer position is incredibly busy and an immediate reply isn't always possible, but I would introduce a 24 hour acknowledgement and timescale for a full response – fewer societies left in the lurch will help committees better utilise their time. 

I’d like to help students better organise their time with societies. There is no easy way to see a comprehensive list of what’s going on at the university - introducing a universal calendar of all activities, volunteering, and sports events would allow students to sample more of what the university has to offer and, moreover, will help committees plan around what will cause the least conflict. 

Committees are the backbone of societies, and I would like to do everything to make their roles easier, for example: 

  • Handovers: Currently these are mainly handled informally on an individual basis and in some cases this leaves new committees unequipped to handle the new role. There needs to be formal guidelines so no committee is left out of the loop.
  • Speakers: Everyone can benefit from speakers coming to societies, but currently the system is working against the societies. A six-week turnaround makes organising a speaker prohibitively difficult and destroys the chance for topical debate, I want to overhaul the current system and make bringing in new skills, new opinions and new experiences to the university a simpler experience.
  • Sponsorship: The SU has a limited budget and societies often struggle with how much they’re given. I can’t change how much money we have, but sponsorship is a popular alternative and although the SU offers support for this route, many societies find it complicated and impenetrable. I plan to make seeking sponsorship easier so societies can do more for their members.

Sustainability is one of the lesser known responsibilities of an Activities Officer. I plan to reduce the amount of paper flyers Freshers get, many of which are just plain unwanted, and move it online to Facebook and emails so that Freshers still get all the information they need, but at a much lower environmental cost. 

Collaboration with Volunteering is currently sporadic and under-utilised. RAG has the skills and equipment to make charity events much easier, and societies can help RAG put on even bigger and better events.

Any SU Officer position comes with power, but it also comes with the responsibility to support students and to improve the SU. And that's what I promise to do. 

So remember to vote in the upcoming elections, and remember to Go West! 

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