Institute of Community and Society Updates

Hi Everyone,

I hope we all are feeling a little bit more relaxed and feel more sense of freedom now. It’s been a long road, but we can now meet with people and have some indoor fun. I know many people are still not comfortable of the idea with mixing with people just yet, and I for one can completely understand that. For so long we have been told it is not safe to do so, so the challenge is trying to readjust our minds to think the opposite. I have had a tough year this year this studying and meeting deadlines and I know a lot of students have also felt the same. This year is nearly complete and hopefully next year we can all get the motivation we need to continue our chosen paths. The university are working very closely with student reps to ensure that the students experience can be a happy and fulfilled one. So, let’s get this year done with our heads high and be ready to open that next chapter.

I am here to assist with any concerns feedback or just a chat Mon - Friday my working hours are 2 hours per day between the hours of 14.00 – 16.00 so feel free to get in contact with me Melissa.thomas@wlv.ac.uk I look forward to hearing from you and I hope you all have a good week. Let hope the weather is correct and this heatwave comes to brighten up our days! Take care and be safe.

Hi guys,

Hope you all have a lovely time off over the easter holidays. I for one really enjoyed the time. I can say the temptation for easter eggs took over for me and a few of the eggs brought for other people got ate bye me!!! I will forever judge myself for this. However, gyms and swimming pools are back open so yesterday I went for my first swim and I loved it I can’t explain how swimming helps my mental health. It really does calm my thoughts. I know a lot of others feel the same also. Now we can get out in the fresh air and meet others outdoors I think we all need to embrace this. It truly does help your mental health. A cheeky pint in the beer garden may be on the cards for me this weekend.

So since returning from the easter break I have been catching up on all emails and following up on feedback that I received in the meeting held on the 24^{th of} March. Some of the feedback received I feel is particularly important and some of these issues will need to be handled delicately and efficiently. I will be keeping all students and student reps up to date with the progress of their feedback and all responses received. Again, guys any concerns, questions or just a general chat feel free to send me an email Melissa.thomas@wlv.ac.uk I hope you all have a fantastic weekend and hopefully can get out in the fresh air. Stay safe, look after each other and smile.

Hi All,

I hope you are all keeping well.

So, it happened I turned 30!!! and had all the mixed emotions I thought I would. Like I have said previously I believe in my head I am still 29 and that will be what I will be telling anyone who dares to ask me my age. I have also moved to a new house in the last 2 weeks so when I say I have a whirlwind of a month that would be an understatement. It really is the most stressful time.

So, onto the feedback from students.

On the 24^{th of} March I chaired for the Institute of community and society semester 2 council. I can say that the amount of feedback received has been huge.

Many students are still feeling the pressures of online learning and trying to juggle home life. The support from the University itself has also been raised. I will be looking into all these feedbacks and closing feedback loops as soon as these issues are addressed. I am hoping that these concerns can be dealt with and all students have a happier experience while learning in these very difficult times. Again, if anyone has any further feedback please do send me over an email to discuss these Melissa.thomas@wlv.ac.uk

I will now be out of office for 2 weeks and will be returning April 12^th. I am going to try my hardest to resist the temptation on easter eggs (I do not have much faith). I hope you all enjoy your easter if you will be celebrating. I will reply to emails asap on my return. Enjoy your weekend guys and I will speak to you all on my return. Stay safe and be kind.

Hi guys,

Hope your all well and feeling little more positive since the government announced a promising road to exit COVID-19 restrictions. I personally feel a sigh of relief at the thought of being able to see some friends and family I have not seen in so long. Although I have a looming 30^th Birthday looming where I would prefer to hide away from the world and cancel this celebration and keep living my life in my 20’s. I do believe I will be telling people that I am still 29 for the next few years at least!

This week I have been interacting with many students under my school, with some issues around online delivery and the struggle to keep concentration while studying and working from home. I am hoping that we will soon have some announcements here at the University regarding bringing back our campus learning. I do feel many students would benefit from having face to face contact with lectures and piers.

I am hoping that we are all having a more positive outlook on our student experience and the struggle we all feel with home life and isolation will slowly decrease. This new way of living has become our normal and I do think it will take some adjusting to get back normality.

Please feel free to contact me with any feedback you may have Melissa.Thomas@wlv.ac.uk

I Hope to hear from you soon take care and enjoy the rest of your week.

Hi Guys,

Hope you are all well on this bitterly cold day. I am not a fan of this cold weather. I think in these times im happy to be working and studying from home.

Last week i attending course Rep training which i really enjoyed putting some faces to names. It was nice hearing from reps on some issues that have been raised from students, and how we can move forward with some feedback, with some adjustments put into place. I know a lot of students are worried for results this week as am i. I think in these times and the different environments we are learning in is putting a greater strain on us all. I had received a number of feedbacks in regards to placements, timetables, screentime and overall issues with online learning. All of these issues are being dealt with and students will be informed of all outcomes. Please remember i am here to help and support you all in anyway i can. Like i have said previously even if its just for a chat to overload to someone i can be the ears to help.

While we are now underway into Semester 2 hopefully we are all settling back into routines and trying to  balance home life and student life. This is something we are all in together and i see us all as a team. We can support and help each other and look back at this time as a huge achievement! As we all know, no other students previously have been in this situation and we can come out the other end smiling.

Please feel free to contact me at Melissa.Thomas@wlv.ac.uk if you have any feedback whether postive or negative. Take care and be safe.

Mel

Hi Guys,

Welcome to my Semester 1 blog. Well this has been an interesting time to say the least. I hope everyone is keeping well and safe within these times.

My new outlook is to try and take atleast one postive thought out of my day.

Today positive thought is i am grateful for leggings and long line t shirts! You will understand the reason for this below.

In taking a postive from each day I have found  im not so doom and gloom and find myself not eating so many biscuits (becoming a problem).

So i have only been in this job role since late November and to say i was rather overwhelmed in the processe of how the University runs is an absoloute understatement. However i have got know some students and staff pretty well in this time and really focussed on some feedback. I hope you are all aware of me by now and will take the oppurtunity to contact me with any feedback you may have postive or negtive or if anyone just wants a chat or a rant about anything (im a good listener).

FEEDBACK

Over semester 1 i recieved  feedback on sumbmission dates, screen time, workload, and students wanted more interaction with other students.

All the above issues have been raised to relevent course leaders and lectures and these issues are now been viewed and some changes will be made. Which students are now aware of. Online learning is new for us all and comes with many frustrations that many of us share. The key to these is speaking about them and raising the concerns if we dont voice our views on different matters nothing can or will change. We need to make that step to communicate more. Not only as students but as people. Mental health issues are on the rise and i personally have felt the strains of this. So lets talk let it all out a probelem shared is a problem halved. I would like everyone to remeber this. No one should feel alone. We are all in this for the long run. Lets atleast share that with each other.

These are difficult times we are all facing i can understand and empathise with how challenging it can be to keep a positive attitude with a  general feeling of not knowing what changes will come each day. I know we all have added strains daily with juggling home life and studying, and for me the weird wonderful new eating and sleeping habits i have now obtained ( 1 stone weight gain, oh dear). Its winter i need an extra layer for these cold evenings.

As we have all now moved into semester 2 with all new learning outcomes and the vast amount of knowledge we will be gaining i hope that you are all looking forward to the future and have found your own individual rythms in online learning. We are all in this together and we can keep going. Lets hope at some time in the near future the only thing we will have to worry about is we have our XL starbucks for lectures.

Please feel free to contact me Melissa.Thomas@wlv.ac.uk for any concerns, issues or just for a genreal chat. Aslong as the biscuit talk stays to a minimum.  

Semester 2 we have got this in the bag!

Hi everyone, 

This week has been a STRUGGLE!, however, i have persevered and carried on. To be honest fufilling my role as a school rep is very difficult when i cant arrange face to face meetings with lecturers and tutors. I am still doing everything i can possibly do to make everyones experience at university more ideal and comfortable to them. 

This week i have emailed lecturers and asked them to introduce me to the students in the school of community and society, so Mac put my email address on Canvas for students to reach out to me. 

I hope everyone is staying inside and keeping safe 

Hi everyone, 

due to the Coronavirus I am unable to visit lectures and do the stall I was talking about previously in the MC building, this makes getting feedback from the students a lot more difficult and talking to lecturers a lot harder too, as I know it's impossible to answers emails 24/7 

becsuse of the Coronavirus I have been given the opportunity to work from home to still fulfill my role as a student rep. I will still be trying to get students feedback and talk to lecturers via email, I am aware this might me a lot of a slower process, however I have chosen split my work up over the week so I will be checking my emails every day and responding to people every day to try and make this process a better one for all of us! 
 

hope everyone is keeping healthy and safe! 

Hi everyone! Since I have become a student rep I have been emailing course leaders and arranging visits to lectures to introduce myself to students. 

I am also planning on setting up a stall in the MC building with feedback sheets and goodies for the students with one of my colleagues to speak to students directly and get their feedback on the positives and negatives of their current university life! 
 

I have started to advertise myself around the MC building by putting my business cards on tables and my poster is displayed at student services and the library, I thought this would be most effective as this is where most students tend to be. This gives students the chance to email me and contact me with any feedback.