Ben Hanby

Vote for Ben Hanby 19^th to the 21^st of March

“Ben Hanby making the best university for the best students'"

Hey, I am Ben Hanby a third-year student here at Staffs and I am running to improve the overall university experience for you. When elected I will focus on;

• Improving the availability and cost of parking for all students.
• The freedom that commuter students should have coming to Staffs.
• 24-hour access to specialist facilities, such as labs and recording studios is something else, I will work on.
• And to improve the working conditions for the students employed at union venues.

I will achieve these main points of my manifesto as well as others by working with my fellow officers and being in constant communication with the relevant departments of the university.

How am I qualified to represent you and your views? I have been involved with various student groups and societies such as OMG, the university’s student run radio station. Due to this I spend a lot of my time in the union and can hear common issues that students come with repeatedly. I want to do something different than see the people coming in several times a day with the same issues, I feel that things can be changed for the better and I can do that through having the relevant meetings and making sure that all of the students have  fair and equal representation when issues that you feel should be brought to the attention of the university are.

Vote Ben Hanby 19^th-21^st of March #SortStaffsUni #VoteBen #CommitDontQuit

“Ben Hanby making the best university for the best students'”

Full Manifesto Below!

Parking-

I am well aware that many people struggle to find a parking space on campus, even when all of the car parks are open. I feel that people our commuter students are not being given a chance to get to the university and park with ample time to then get to lectures. And the way that I can change this issue for you is by going into talks with the university and using the spaces that are on campus in a more strategic manner. If people have lectures on College Road at the Flaxman Building then they should not have to park in the furthest car park on Leek Road, by Royal Doulton and Ainsley because the permit they have won’t allow them to park on the College road campus. It is not working and hasn’t worked for a while. To change this, I feel that there should be better allocation of spaces to students in residence at the university. By allowing Clarice Cliff to be exclusively for residential students with an overflow car park into the back of Royal Doulton. Then the rest of the car parks are open for all commuter students and other drivers to park at their leisure.

I am also proposing to remove parking charges and to have the barrier system implemented. This would mean that students can park for free by scanning in with their student cards, keeping the general public out and keeping the car park free flowing for students. The money that is saved from employing staff who put tickets and penalty charges on cars will mean that there will be enough for the upkeep and maintenance of the car parks on campus.

Student Union Employees-

I want to bring students more opportunities to work at the student union venues, such as the shops and bars on campus. I have been made aware from the student staff in the venues that current recognition of how hard they work is insufficient. The GEM or Going the Extra Mile system is supposed to reward student staff who cover shifts of others, stay later than they need to when help is needed and generally make the experience of those who use the facilities that much better. The GEM system has become void. I will not let the hard-working student staff go by unrecognised. When elected I will make sure that every month, at least one team member and shift leader are recognised for how hard they work. And will be rewarded for doing so with something meaningful, not just a free coffee. I want to make sure that the student staff are not being stretched to thinly as they currently are, this can easily be improved by better management and a better shift allocation system. One where students can add to their availability but where lectures are blocked out, so they do not need to choose between living and learning. You work so hard and should not have to miss out on the education you are paying for because someone made an error. I will not stand for this. You certainly should not have to stand for this.

Improved Access-

I am working with the university to further opening hours of specialist buildings. While previous officers have fought to have better access, I will make sure that you get the most you possibly can get from the facilities on campus. This would mean, round the clock 24-hour access for students who currently can only access specialist facilities and software during the conventional 9-5 opening times. Flaxman can be an issue for broadcasting students, and I feel it should not be locked up so frequently as it is one of the increasing number of rooms and buildings with Unicard access. It can be monitored, and students should be trusted to use these rooms and buildings appropriately.

Commuter Student Information-

I know how hard it can be as a former commuter student myself to be told half an hour before a lecture that it has been cancelled. With over 60% of students commuting to the university it is something that I feel should be addressed. It is illegal and not possible to read and reply to emails when driving into university, so for most by the time they are notified that at lecture is cancelled they have to return home and feel that their day has been changed completely. Especially if there is a 9am lecture, and people have to leave 30-45 minutes in advance to deal with traffic and congestion. Only to discover that the lecture has been cancelled with 15 minutes notice. I want every lecture to have at least an hour’s notice before its start time for students who need to commute in, so that they have the time to adjust their plans for the day.

Remember vote Ben Hanby 19^th-21^st March

#SortStaffsUni

#VoteBen

#CommitDontQuit

“Ben Hanby making the best university for the best students”