Tasfia is a City University Law graduate who is now doing a Postgraduate Masters in Legal Practice, and enjoys reading crime novels.
As a new student, one of your most important points of contact would be the Students’ Union.
But what is the Students’ Union?
They are a membership-led, democratically elected organisation that is independent of the university, responsible for representing us as the student’s voice. They work tirelessly to enhance the student experience and ensure that we have the very best time here at City.
Making you feel welcome
Every year univerisites run their own Welcome Weeks and Freshers Fairs – which is a whole host of talks, events and activities to introduce you to your university and what it can offer you.
This year our SU ran a wonderful Open Bus Tour of the main attractions in London! Studying so close to the heart of London, we have an array of amazing cultural and historical sights at our disposal – the SU attempted to bring it a little closer to all of us by organising a tourist bus every day throughout Welcome Week 2021 in which students were able to tour various sights around London – a great way to meet new people and appreciate the London culture!
Supporting you
City’s SU also dedicated themselves in ensuring they are providing students with necessary support even during the pandemic. They personally called all new and existing students over September 2020 and February 2021 to ask them how they were holding up during the pandemic and if there is any further support they could provide.
They also advocated with the university to introduce a no detriment policy during the pandemic. This ensured that students’ grades were not negatively affected by the pandemic.
The SU are also responsible for the running of societies
City is home to hundreds of societies, from the Islamic Society to the Rock Climbing Society and even a Harry Potter society! You can access and join these societies directly through the SU, either by accessing the page on the Students’ Union website or by approaching one of our friendly officers situated at the SU desk in the Tait building.
As part of societies, the SU organises a number of amazing events for student engagement and enjoyment. For example, for Islamophobia Awareness Month in December, the SU are organising an Islamic bus tour of London! City students can drop in on 19 December to discover the hidden Islamic history of London – even uncovering a hidden mosque!
In the past, City’s SU has also organised events and parties for all occasions, including a spooky Halloween party (which made a triumphant and successful return this year after the pandemic!) as well as Christmas parties and annual masquerade balls.
Fighting for your interests
The Students’ Union are keen to protect students’ interest and ensure their comfortability in the university community. They have created a new BAME Ambassadors Scheme which ensures that the views and opinions of the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic society are taken into account and upheld to diversify the university’s community.
Furthermore, after uncovering the problematic history of Sir John Cass, the Students’ Union pushed to get the name of our business school changed to Bayes Business school from Cass Business School – all to nurture an environment of respect and tolerance.
Upskilling students
The SU also hold regularly study skills webinars to ensure you make the most of the resources available to you at City. These are usually held online and are conducted by our dedicated Study Team, who you can also book one-to-one appointments with to discuss how you can improve upon your study techniques.
Does all this sound great?
The good news is, there are a lot of ways to get involved with your SU! Societies are a great way to do this and you can also nominate yourself to become a Programme Rep, through which you will represent the views of your School. And come back later this week to read Dounia’s post about being a Programme Representative.
Do be sure to check out the students union website, their instagram page and if you’re a City students feel free to drop by the Student Union helpdesk in the Tait building!
