Wednesday 20-01-2021 - 10:44

Hi everyone

I hope you are all coping well with exams and deadlines.

Today’s blog is to let you know how I have worked with the university, on your behalf, to combat a range of issues from rent rebates and financial poverty to placements for our student nurses! I will also give a quick account of what I have been up to over the festive period to help students who are living alone or in isolation as well as what help you can recieve regarding issues with exams or coursework submissions!

In partnership with the university just after the New Year I discussed a range of issues you have told me affect you, as a student at GCU! We set out looking at how we could resolve these issues.

We discussed rent rebates and refunds for students unable to return to Caledonian Court; students will receive a refund for the days unable to stay in their accommodation due to government restrictions. This will be calculated on a case-by-case basis, and you can contact the Accommodation Office (accomodation@gcu.ac.uk) and they will work with the Finance Team during February to review and confirm all rebates and refunds.

I asked that students who are having difficulties due to Covid-19 pandemic, specifically our student parents who are having to home school children while juggling exams and uni work, not to be disadvantaged in exam results and hand ins during this time. All students can apply for Mitigating Circumstances with the requirement to provide evidence suspended for 2020/21 Trimester A. In place of evidence, you are required to provide a clear statement detailing why your circumstances meet the criteria of being ‘exceptional, serious, acute and unforeseen’. For full details click here.

We discussed students’ poverty and hardship and that to apply for the university hardship funds students need to fit certain criteria. We agreed that we want to do everything we can to help students in these difficult times and the university will look at ALL applications on a case by case basis! I urge you to apply whatever your circumstances.  You can contact our Student Funding Team for assistance in applying or for guidance if you don't think you fit the existing criteria as all cases will be considered. Email funding@gcu.ac.uk or call on 0141 273 1376.

We discussed students concerns on placements with communications being sent out from your school addressing any concerns you may have!

For students on placements who need to shield from family I asked about free accommodation options and the university were extremely helpful in addressing these concerns and have allocated the small amount of available rooms they have where possible.

I attended NUS All officer Covid meeting where we discussed a range of issues including a letter we have taken to the government written by the NUS president. Myself and other leaders of all of Scotland's Students’ Associations have written a joint letter to the first minister asking for more substantial support. We have asked the government for an expansion of hardship funding and compensation for rental accommodation. The letter is co-signed by 60 senior representatives of Students’ Associations across Scotland. Read more here.

As always the university have been open to discussions in all aspects of issues affecting students and have worked in partnership with myself and the Students’ Association to resolve matters students have brought to my attention. I hope I have answered them briefly here, for further information check your GCU email and social media or my social media -> Facebook Twitter Instagram

If you have any issues not mentioned here please contact your class rep or Vice President of your school if it concerns academic issues or for any wider issues you can contact me, Suzi Dee at president@GCUstudents.co.uk. 

Over the Festive period I hosted 9 Students’ Associations Events and a Christmas Day event with our Alumni team at GCU. This was to make sure that no one felt alone or isolated over the holidays and that students and alumni had some friendly faces they could engage with. Thanks to Zoe Nicholson VP SCEBE who came along to some of the events to help me out and to Tabitha Nyariki VP SHLS who came online to say hello all the way from Kenya <3

Stay safe, stay healthy and hang in there, it will get better!

Susan Docherty

Student President