We hope the Government guidance gave a hope that there is in fact a way out of this lockdown and that soon, we may be able to return to some sense of normality, see loved ones, and begin the roadmap out of lockdown.
We hope the Government guidance gave a hope that there is in fact a way out of this lockdown and that soon, we may be able to return to some sense of normality, see loved ones, and begin the roadmap out of lockdown. We appreciate this also might be quite an unnerving time for some and are working with the University to ensure there is adequate communication of all the safety measures in place as they begin their plans to bring students back to the blended learning model.
If you do need some additional advice, our Advice team have appointments available to book
Discretionary Student Fund
Following conversations surrounding hardship funding, we have continued to push for the fair distribution of these funds. We are now able to confirm that the University has been awarded additional Student Hardship funding, we will continue to ensure that this funding is fairly distributed among all students who need the support as well as ensuring the criteria for receiving part of the fund is as equitable as possible. If you have not been contacted about the Discretionary Student Fund but feel you are in profound hardship, please book an appointment with the Union Advice Service for further support.
Thursday Thoughts
Each Thursday your Officer team collates key student feedback to influence our work and better support our student body. On last week's edition of Thursday Thoughts Josh (Vice President (Activities)) wanted to collate your feedback on how students engage with online course content. Thank you for engaging with Thursday thoughts, we appreciate this feedback, it will be vital when exploring conversations about your learning experiences. Be sure to follow us @derbyunion on Instagram to ensure your opinion is heard every Thursday.
Go Green Week
Go Green Week has landed! This week we will be exploring different aspects of sustainability and environmentalism.
Tuesday the 23rd we will be asking the difficult question of 'who is responsible for fighting climate change - individuals or institutions?' On Wednesday the 24th one of our academics, Miles Richardson will be doing a talk that will cover pro-nature conservation behaviours and human wellbeing, followed in the evening by a workshop that examines Climate Anxiety - what it is, why you might be feeling it and, most importantly - what do you do about it? We’re ending the week looking at what we do at Derby – Nina (Vice President (Education)) will be joined by Liz Hunt, the University’s Sustainability Manager on Friday 26th to give us an insight of what’s currently happening with Sustainability at Derby and how you can get involved. Don’t forget to use the hashtag #derbygoesgreen and tag us on social media so that we can share any activities you are up to.
LGBTQ+ Month
It’s the final week of LGBT+ History Month and what a month it has been, we’ve seen some great events take place from our very insightful myth busting panel to our upcoming foundation stones virtual workshop contributing to the UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre. To wrap up the month, be sure to join our Q&A session with Paris Lees, Paris Lees is an English journalist, presenter, and transgender rights activist. She topped the Independent on Sunday‘s 2013 Pink List, came second in the 2014 Rainbow List and was awarded the Positive Role Model Award for LGBT in the 2012 National Diversity Awards.
Stay safe. Stay well. Stay connected.
Corey, Nina, Josh, and Emily
Union Officer Trustees