The Students’ Union is delighted to announce that it has been awarded an increase in funding from the University; an inflation busting extra £138,000 for the year! Last year the Union received £824,000, and this year the figure is increasing to £962,000. The SU would like to thank the University for openly and honestly listening to the ideas and concerns of students and the Students’ Union. They have recognised that a further investment in the Students’ Union is money well spent, representing an investment in the wider Aston student experience.
The Students’ Union has made some substantial losses over the last few years (primarily due to our commercial services) but this year, with the increase in funding, the Union will be delivering a breakeven budget and increasing its services to students. Amna, Alice, Jake and Ifti (the SU officers) are keen to see additional support for our Advice and Representation Centre, allowing the SU to support more students through troubled times, particularly regarding academic representation. The funding will also allow more work around employability, creating a new and exciting partnership with the University Careers and Placements department. The SU provides amazing opportunities that allow students to develop their employability, but not enough students are aware of the opportunities or how they can transfer their SU experiences to an employer-ready CV. There is the potential for all students to benefit from these new initiatives.
We should also remind ourselves that this extra funding comes off the back off an additional £200,000 the previous year, with that money being invested in:
- A new Student Voice department,
- Supporting and enabling Course Reps to better represent the academic interests of all students
- Dedicated support for student-led societies(that have grown in number to almost 100)
- Increased funding for sports team and their coaching requirements
So, many thanks to the University for their generosity, and watch this space for further updates.