As we reflect on our first few months as your Student Presidents, we want to take a moment to share some of the exciting work we've been involved in and what's coming up for students this year.

Thanks You for Voting for Us

• First and foremost, thank you to every student who voted for us and entrusted us with the responsibility of representing your voices. It has been an exciting and rewarding start to our journey, and we are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to advocate for and support students across the University.

Getting to Know Our Roles

• As the first year of having two Student Presidents, we have spent time settling into our roles and building strong relationships across the University.
  • Judith Albert, President Education, focuses on enhancing the academic experience by working with Class Representatives, academic staff and University leaders to ensure student feedback shapes teaching and learning.
  • Esther Adesina, President Community, focuses on student life beyond the classroom, including wellbeing, community building, inclusion, events and ensuring students have the best possible experience during their time at Herts.

Herts Insider

• One of our first major projects was the creation of Herts Insider, a digital student handbook designed to help students navigate university life.
• We are excited to announce that Herts Insider is now live on the Hertfordshire Students' Union website. The guide provides useful information on student life, support services, local amenities, discounts, transport, and much more, making it a valuable resource for both new and returning students.

Meeting Your School & Student Community Organisers:

• Throughout the summer, we had the opportunity to work closely with and support the training of our School and Student Community Organisers (SCOs.)
• The training sessions focused on developing the skills and knowledge needed to represent students effectively, build strong school communities and support engagement across the University. It was fantastic to meet our SCOs and see their enthusiasm for creating positive experiences within their schools.
• We look forward to working alongside them throughout the year as they support students and help bring forward feedback and ideas from their communities.

Representatives Recruitment

• Another key focus this summer has been preparing for Student Representative recruitment.
• Student Reps play a vital role in ensuring that student feedback is heard and acted upon within their programmes. We encourage all students who are passionate about improving the student experience to consider becoming a representative and helping shape positive change within their course.

E6 Mandatory Training

• During our meetings with the Dean of Students Strategic Business Unit, we discussed the University's updated E6 Mandatory Training on Harassment and Sexual Misconduct.
• Following student feedback received last year, we raised the importance of ensuring the training is meaningful, engaging and effective.

Proposed Licence Changes to Turnitin

• We know many of you will have seen the recent updates regarding Turnitin's licensing changes and may have concerns about consent, intellectual property and the use of student work.
• Please be reassured that both the University of Hertfordshire and Herts SU are approaching this matter thoughtfully and with academic students' interests at the forefront. As your President Education, I remain committed to standing up for students and will continue to advocate strongly against any practices that could lead to the exploitation of student work or data. 
• We will keep students informed as discussions develop, but for now, please stay calm and know that your interests are being represented throughout this process.

Developing Our Action Plans

• As Presidents, we have also spent significant time developing our action plans for the year ahead.
• These plans are guided by student feedback, election priorities and the issues that matter most to our student community. We have been working closely with University departments and Students' Union teams to ensure our objectives are both ambitious and achievable, and we look forward to sharing more of our progress throughout the year.

Looking Ahead

• Summer has been a period of learning, planning and building strong foundations for the year ahead. From launching the Herts Insider and supporting SCO training to developing action plans and strengthening partnerships across the University, we have been working hard to ensure students remain at the heart of every conversation.

We are excited for the opportunities ahead and look forward to meeting more of you throughout the year. Please continue to share your feedback with us because together we can create a positive and impactful student experience for all.