Manifesto

Candidate for the position of Digby Stuart College President

Image for Susie Heaton

Susie Heaton

I aim to improve student life on/off campus and after leaving university through inclusive events, cheaper/safer facilities, and mental health awareness throughout and post-uni.

  • ROEminds: mental health support system, run by students for students. 
  • Improvements to on-campus facilities.
  • On-campus parking options for student’s. 
  • Outside communal areas in every on-campus accommodation.
  • President Facebook account to update students on changes made.
  • GOOD non-drinking events: Paintballing, cinema, mocktails served at university events. 
  • Open the campus shop on the weekend
  • Put opening times online
  • ROEpride

I plan to make changes to the awareness of mental health support on-campus, and life after university, improve and include events for all students, and make campus life easier and cheaper. Mental health is very close to my heart, and many students are unaware of the amount of help the university and SFE offer. 

ROEminds, the baby of my campaign, my love child if you will. This will take the form of an online mental health platform where students will be able to anonymously submit messages about any feelings they are having or troubles they are facing, and fellow students who will be trained in a Samaritans type mental health training will then respond, and help this student whether it be through signposting to university services that can help, or by just talking to the person and listening to their stories. This will help students whom suffer with mental health problems ensure they have all of the support possible without having to go through daunting sit down talks and meetings and will also help students who do not suffer with mental health issues but are just feeling stressed or down. It will also help the students who join the scheme improve their post-uni CV. 

I plan to improve laundry facilities, as students pay for facilities which are just not up to scratch. I have been discussing this issue already and plan to either scrap the fees for laundry and have it included with accommodation or lowering the fees and improving the facilities with machines which actually finish within the time they tell you and implementing an app which can inform students when laundry is done. 

I have already begun talks about opening the on-campus shop, offering student permits for parking, put on a ROEpride event, improving non-drinking or optional drinking events, as currently most of the non-drinking events end up being BYOB, or you get an alcoholic drink with your ticket, I want to make cheaper tickets or mocktails available to non-drinking students. 

I also think the university needs to communicate better with the students, so I will be creating a president account on Facebook which student whom do not know me personally can follow and I will post updates on my manifesto promises and explanations on what is currently going on in the Digby College! This will also be a brilliant opportunity for students to put ideas that they want for their campus directly to me! 

I hope you see how passionate I am about improving our campus, and feel free to ask any questions when you see me around campus!