What are your Oxford SU Sabbatical Officers working on this term?

Your team of 6 full-time elected sabbatical officers have got loads packed into the next couple of months before they handover to the new team at the end of June. 

Here’s what we’re working on this term: 

1. We know there’s still a lot of uncertainty with coronavirus, we continue to represent students on key Uni covid committees. Our focus includes calling on colleges to let students stay in 9th and 10th week if they wish, making sure students aren’t treated differently to the rest of the population when it comes to restrictions easing, and ensuring clear communications to current students and offer holders about plans for next year. Plus we’re working with the collegiate University to ensure plans on graduation ceremonies are progressed. 

2. We’re working with the University to improve LFD testing by securing test pick ups from colleges and running our prize draw campaign. 

3. We’ve published an update on our mental health taskforce work and are running two workshops to co-create mental health policy with students. 

4. We’re finalising plans for a Parkrun at University Parks working with the parks team, Oxford University Sport, students and community members we’re currently developing route plans and securing funding. 

5. We’re working with Target Schools to update our Alternative Prospectus to ensure its packed filled with the most useful information for prospective students who want to find out what studying at Oxford is really like. 

6. We’re working as part of the Conference of Colleges Sustainability working group to publish best practice in sustainability changes across the colleges and ensure action is taken to tackle the environmental crisis. 

7. We’re finalising our report to the University Quality Assurance sub-committee to give the University our top recommendations from this year about what needs to change at Oxford.  

8. Graduate Offer-Holder Support: We’re working with University student comms teams to improve the offer-holder newsletter. Lauren, VP Graduates has presented a Graduate Survey paper to Graduate Committee and a graduate priorities’ paper to Graduate Admissions Committee and Research Degrees Panel to ensure graduate student concerns are heard and acted on by Uni and College leaders. 

9. We’ve worked with the Centre for Teaching and Learning to secure funding for student internships in inclusive teaching- this will boost loads of work including on diversifying the curriculum and making studying at Oxford more accessible. 

10. We’re playing a key role in the University’s Race Equality taskforce. Nikita, our President is chairing the Student Issues working group and we’ll be updating more on our work on this soon. 

11. Intercollegiate and University Events: We’ve worked with the University to launch Love Oxford, a brand new hub for events open to students at Oxford. Plus we’ve updated our event planning training so it’s up to date with the latest government guidance changes. 

12. We are working with Domestic Bursars to pass on student feedback about households and life in college this year to help plans for Michaelmas 2021. 

13. We’re providing student input into the work of the Graduate Accomodation team to ensure rents for University Graduate Accomodation are more affordable. 

14. We’ve enabled The Oxford Student to restart printing again- pick a copy up from your lodge or common room and check out the latest news online at: https://www.oxfordstudent.com/  

15. We’re meeting Common Room representatives frequently through our RepComms to help students build networks and amplify student concerns on key issues 

16. We’re planning Welcome Week and Fresher’s Fair 2021- watch this space, it’s going to be big. 

17. We've opened up a student feedback channel for Trinity term with partners in the university, where responses will be considered by Education Steering Group, Senior Tutors, the Centre for Teaching and Learning, and the Exams and Assessment team

To see how we’re getting on and to hold us accountable as YOUR elected sabbatical officers come along to student council or read our updates on our website.  

Get in touch with us anytime to hear more about our work or tell us what you’d like us to work on.