The University recently requested students to participate in its latest EDI (equality, diversity and inclusion) survey and will be sharing the results with us as soon as they are compiled.
This is the second EDI survey to be carried out and thank you to all those who participated – your voice about ‘Being You at BNU’ is incredibly important to both us and the University in our commitment to tackling inequality and making BNU more inclusive for everyone.
The first survey was carried out at the end of term one through feedback to your course reps and the majority of responses were positive; some of the things you appreciate from the Students’ Union are:
- Mental health awareness and support
- LGBTQ+ activities and events
- A diverse range of free societies and events
- There is specific representation for different groups
- You can communicate and share ideas without discrimination
- The mixer events for each student group
We have considered some of your feedback as areas to improve and here’s what we’ve done so far in response to your comments:
More counselling services available for those struggling with self-image and identity - We now have regular updates with the University inclusion team, have advised on the level of resource that we think should be available and will continue to lobby on your behalf to ensure this service is well provided. You can use the Student Issues platform on our website to report any problems with this service.
Provide education and share more information about racial inequality – The University are working towards the Race Equality Charter, a nationally recognised framework through which to work to identify and self-reflect on institutional and cultural barriers standing in the way of Black, Asian, and minority ethnic staff and students. We are well represented on this group but if you're a student that would like to be involved in this particular strand of our work, please contact sutraining@bucks.ac.uk.
More accommodating in attitude with regards to personal situations or learning disabilities – Due to data protection, we don't directly get information on our members who have challenges with regards to accessibility. Please contact us directly if you don’t feel you're getting the support you need to study effectively – you can do this by emailing su.vpew@bucks.ac.uk.
Education around different genders and sexualities – The LGBTQ+ Executive Officer has increased the level of awareness campaigns around campuses and through our clubs and societies and is always available to answer any questions. You can contact Claire at claire.sessions@bucks.ac.uk.
The local community are less welcoming than the Uni community – Through the EDI committees of both the Students' Union and the University, we are building relationships with local agencies, community groups and employers to provide more wider community events and activities including black history celebrations and Pride 2023. If you would like to be part in the planning of these events, please contact sutraining@bucks.ac.uk.
Represent the student demographic more appropriately – As part of the procedural review across the summer, we will be making changes to how we recruit and retain staff. We will also continue to feedback to, and lobby, the University when it comes to education of staff and students in matters of inequality.
Aylesbury campus should be more considered - We now have a staff rota to make sure we are available on campus for our Aylesbury members. Activities in Aylesbury are currently being planned for the remaining weeks of this academic year and will be factored for the year ahead, so keep an eye on the what’s on page for full information
We will continue, through the Big Deal and working with our team of executive officers, to respond to all your feedback and update you again at the beginning of the next academic year.
You can find all of our executive officers and their contact details on our website, if you have any other questions or comments, please email sutraining@bucks.ac.uk.