Unfortunately due to illness I was absent at the last student forum, however I have been given a list of the questions you asked and wanted to blog to publicly answer them so here goes!

 

 

1.Besides the President, a lot of the Full Time Officers fill their reports with things that they’ve attended rather than things that they’ve done, achieved or won for students. I appreciate that you go to lots of things and that's part of your job – but students aren’t paying you 16k to improve your CV’s. What do you guys do there? Can each Full Time Officer write a blog explaining what they achieved for students from attending each of the meetings / events that they’ve listed in their reports before the next Student Forum. Can the President and the General Secretary please cross-check what they’ve said against their reports and call out any factual inaccuracies before the next Student Forum.

 

In answer to this question I would ask you to look back at the reports I have submitted and note the things I have achieved for students. Additionally, attending meetings and conferences are a massively important part of our job and the representation we are here to do. We have an obligation to attend university meetings for YOU. There may well be several meetings which yield nothing immediately but come to fruition later and there are meetings in which we can speak up and make a huge impact. The president has an advantage here, not only from  being a second year officer but also from having a wider remit than the rest of the officers and therefore sitting on meetings 'higher up' where final decisions are often made.

 

2.There are many people speaking about how un-united the Full time officer team is with the union system crumbling. Isn't it time the Full Time Officers stop acting like children and work together to do what's best with students?

 

The situation with the full time officer team has not been conducive to a pleasant working environment. This has lead to officers being unwell due to the stress of working in such an unpleasant environment. However I would like to reassure students that I am doing my upmost to provide the best support for societies and the Union's services even under these difficult circumstances.

 

 

3."The Eisteddfod Rhyng-gol is coming to Swansea Uni next year. What's the Union doing to secure its success?

 

Since I became aware that the eisteddfod was coming to Swansea I have been working closely with Lewys Aaron the welsh affairs officer and Llyr Roberts the y gym gym president to ensure that the eisteddfod is a success. We have had weekly meetings with the union manager, events department and marketing in order to plan the event. We have also been able to go forward to the vice chancellor of the university with a proposal for the event which resulted in an offer of help from the university. I myself am hugely looking forward to the event and the rewards it has to offer.

 

Will it's legacy lead to an improvement to Welsh language provision from the Union?

 

I have high hopes that it will, along with the enthusiasm and determination of the welsh affairs officer this year. We have also implemented the bilingualism of our societies posters and promotional materials. I am also looking forward to working on a proposal with Lewys to increase the translator provision within the union to accommodate the bilingualism needs of the whole union in time!

 

 

4.Has the societies and services officer done anything to raise more money from the University for societies?

 

Yes I have! I have been invited to present a paper to the university for increased funding directly for societies, going along side this I have been invited to talk about societies and student satisfaction at a seminar for academic staff along side the history society and the engineering society!

 

I have also looked into the union budget and have greed with the union financial and commercial manager that the grant account provision will be increase for the next academic year.

 

On top of all of this I have managed to secure funding from the University for Academic societies that agree to have an employability champion on their committee. Each society with a champion will be allocated £100 in a grant budget to spend on employability opportunities that can be accessed via the usual application. Each employability champion will receive specific training and support to help increase the employability of their society members!

 

 

5.The societies and services officer mentions starting up an ‘end of term shuttle bus’ in her report – who would be paying for this?

 

The idea of the end of term shuttle bus was on my manifesto, unfortunately it hasn't come to fruition yet due to myself being ill before Christmas. 

 

However the original plan was to have the shuttle bus sponsored as much as possible by local funding pots and then to charge students a minimal amount to use the service, this will be a project I will be working on for the end of this term so all being well look out for the shuttle bus!

 

 

6.Despite the badly handled pole fitness fiasco, why has the societies and services not done anything to make the rules and how decisions are made about instating and registering societies public? When will the student consultation for these rules happen?

 

The true rules that exist on approval of societies exist within the constitution, however I will be leading a period of consultation with the current societies executive committee members to define the terms of reference for the committee for future years. Regarding the pole fitness society I was under the impression that the purpose of taking the full list of societies to trustees was purely for an item of reference and not an item for discussion or decision. As it was my first trustees meeting I was unprepared and unaware of the procedure, something which is unfortunately a hazard of the job. 

 

 

7.How does the societies officer decide which societies she is going to promote? Do we have to be your friend before you’ll promote our society?

 

Most definitely not, assuming this question is in regards to my work Facebook profile I simply promote events which I'm either invited to or events that come up on my newsfeed, if you'd like me to promote an event drop me a message and I'll do as much as I can to help!

 

 

 

 

 

 

1.    Besides the President, a lot of the Full Time Officers fill their reports with things that they’ve attended rather than things that they’ve done, achieved or won for students. I appreciate that you go to lots of things and that's part of your job – but students aren’t paying you 16k to improve your CV’s. What do you guys do there? Can each Full Time Officer write a blog explaining what they achieved for students from attending each of the meetings / events that they’ve listed in their reports before the next Student Forum. Can the President and the General Secretary please cross-check what they’ve said against their reports and call out any factual inaccuracies before the next Student Forum.

 

Er mwyn ateb y cwesiwn gofynaf I chi edrych yn ól ar yr adroddiadau dwi wedi creu yn barod, amlinellais yn rhein y pethau yr wyf I yn bersonol wedi cyflawni er lles y myfyrwyr. Yn ychwanegol I hyn dwi wedi mynychu cyfarfodydd a chynhadleddau sydd o bwysicrwydd enfawr fel rhan o’r swydd o eich cynrychioli CHI. Wrth gwrs, bydd yna, yn naturiol, ambell I gyfarfod ble na fydd canlyniad neu wellaint ar unwaith ond maent yn arwain tuag at wellianau yn y tymor hir. Mae gan y llywydd mantais, mae’n swyddog am yr ail flwyddyn yn olynol ac mae hefyd gan ról y llywydd cyfrifoldebau eangach na gweddill y swyddogion. O achos hyn mae’r llywydd yn mynychu cyfarfodydd sydd o ‘mwy o bwysicrwydd’ a ble mae llawer iawn o’r penderfyniadau terfynol yn cael eu penderfynu.

 

2.    There are many people speaking about how un-united the Full time officer team is with the union system crumbling. Isn't it time the Full Time Officers stop acting like children and work together to do what's best with students?

 

Nid yw’r sefyllfa y flwyddyn hon wedi arwain at amgylchfa hapus a chyfyrddus. Mae’r sefyllfa wedi arwain tuag at salwch ymysg y swyddogion o achos straen gwaith. Serch hynny, hoffwn cadarnhau a sicrhau y ffaith fy mod i’n gweithio i’r eithaf er mwyn cynnal cefnogaeth o’r safon uchaf I gymdeithasau er gweathaf yr amodau anffodus. 

 

3.    "The Eisteddfod Rhyng-gol is coming to Swansea Uni next year

 

 

What's the Union doing to secure its success?

 

Ers i’r ffaith ein bod ni, eleni, fel Prifysgol yn cynnal yr Eisteddfod ryng-gol dod I’r amlwg dwi wedi bod yn gweithio’n agos gyda’r swyddog materion Cymreig Lewys Aron a llwydd y GymGym Llyr Roberts er mwyn sicrhau llwyddiant yr Eisteddfod. Rydym wedi cyfarfod yn wythnosol gyda rheolwr yr Undeb a’r adran marchnata er mwyn cynllunio’r digwyddiad. Rydym hefyd wedi cyflwyno cais I’r is-ganghellor, yn dilyn y cais fe cytunodd y Brifysgol I gynnig cefnogaeth. Yn bersonol dwi’n edrych ymlaen yn fawr iawn tuag at y digwyddiad. 

 

 

Will it's legacy lead to an improvement to Welsh language provision from the Union?

Rwy’n gobeithiol iawn o ran yr effaith bydd y digwyddiad yn cael ar yr iaith a hefyd bwrdfrydwch y swyddog materion cymreig eleni. Rydym hefyd wedi cyflwyno polisiau dwy ieithrwydd ar gyfer posteri cymdeithasau. Rwyf hefyd yn edrych ymlaen at weithio ar gais er mwyn cynhyddu’r nifer o gyfieithwyr yn yr undeb er mwyn gweithio tuag at ddwy-ieithrwydd. 

 

 

4.Has the societies and services officer done anything to raise more money from the University for societies?

 

Ydw, dwi wedi cael I wahodd I gyflwyno babur I’r Brifysgol yn gofyn am fwy o gyllid ar gyfer cymdeithasau, ynghyd á hyn dwi wedi cael I wahodd I siarad am foddhad myfyrwyr ac hefyd I siarad yn seminar ar gyfer staff academaidd. 

 

Dwi hefyd yn ymchwilio i gylludeb presenol yr undeb ac dwi wedi cytuno gyda rheolwr arianol yr undeb i gynhyddu y nifer o grantiau ar gael ar gyfer blwyddyn nesaf. Bydd £100 yn cael i roi i bob cymdeithas sydd gan pencampwr i wario ar gyfleodd cyflogadwyedd. Bydd pob pencampwr yn cael I hyfforddi a chefnogaeth er mwyn hyfforddi eu haelodau.

 

 

5.The societies and services officer mentions starting up an ‘end of term shuttle bus’ in her report – who would be paying for this?

 

Roedd y syniad o gael bysiau ar gyfer diwedd y tymor yn fy maniffestio, ond, yn anffodus nad yw’r addewid wedi cael I gyflawnu….eto, o achos salwch personol. Serch hynny, y cynllun gwreiddiol oedd I gael bws a oedd yn cael i noddi gan fusnesau lleol er mwyn gallu sybsideiddio cost y bws I fyfyrwyr, byddaf yn gweithio tuag at gyflawnu’r addewid erbyn diwedd y tymor. 

 

 

6.Despite the badly handled pole fitness fiasco, why has the societies and services not done anything to make the rules and how decisions are made about instating and registering societies public? When will the student consultation for these rules happen?

 

Mae’r reolau ar gyfer aelodaeth cymdeithasau yn cael eu amlinelli yn y cyfansoddiad. Serch hynny byddaf yn arwain cyfnod o ymgynori ar yr achos gyda’r rheolwr presenol o gymdeithasau a gwasanaethau er mwyn diffinio yn glir y termau sydd angen ymateb er mwyn bod yn gymdeithas swyddogol o’r Undeb. Ynglyn á’r fiasco fitrwydd pól, roeddwn o dan yr awgrym bod y syniad o gadarnahu/adnewyddu aelodaeth cymdetihasau gyda bwrdd yr ymddiriedolwyr yn ran o’r broses arferol. Cofwich, dyna oedd fy nghyfarfod ymddiriedolwyr cyntaf ac roeddwn heb baratoi. Serch hynny mae’n rhan o’r swydd.

 

 

7.How does the societies officer decide which societies she is going to promote? Do we have to be your friend before you’ll promote our society?

 

Yn bendant na, dwi’n cymryd e’n ganiataol bod y cwestiwn yma yn són am fy mhroffil Facebook personol. Dwi’n defnyddio fy mhroffil personol er mwyn hyrwyddo digwyddiadau dwi wedi cael I wahodd I neu ddigwyddiadau sydd yn arddangos ar fy ffrwd. Os ydych am hyrwyddo digwyddiad dewch i siarad a thrafod hyn gyda fi!