Passed: May 2024 (21st)

What is the current problem, and how does it affect students?

Currently there is no formal recognition for students who engage in extracurricular activities during their time at Leeds. This suggests that the university does not prioritise or understand the value in these activities as much as they do academic success. However, students are continuously told that they need to engage in activities that will build skills outside their academics in order to boost their CV. 

What is your proposed change? How will it benefit students? 

The idea of this project stems from a national campaign (HEAR) in which school representatives would be recognised for their time with an additional piece of paper that clearly set out what they achieved. It both encouraged students to get involved whilst also provided key development opportunities for students. The scheme shows that students are more than their academic achievements. For one reason or another, amongst COVID, Leeds is no longer part of this national campaign. HEAR also previously only recognised academic representatives.

This project is hugely important to recognise the importance of what our students engage in outside the classroom whilst studying at Leeds. The proposal is that students who have given their time to our student voice and leadership opportunities will receive another certificate and/or piece of paper when they graduate to acknowledge all their work. I feel this scheme would really show that Leeds University creates all rounded students. Even if students aren’t the best academics in their degree they may have created and run a brand-new society which improved hundreds of student’s time at Leeds. This scheme shows exactly how much we help students to love their time at Leeds.

We know that the university and LUU hugely value the work done by all our reps. It would be valuable to have this project as a collaborative one to show the partnership in action whilst also showing that their time was appreciated by all around.

The objective of this scheme is to enable students to have physical proof that they have engaged and developed varied skills. They will be written with key guidance of which transferable skills they have gained and recognised from the experience. It will show students exactly what to include in their job applications, showing them how to talk about their experiences away from academics.

Positions to be recognised: Exec committee members (President, Treasurer and Secretary), school representatives, faculty officers, sustainability representatives, welfare representatives, activities executive, liberation and international student network (LISN) and incoming Student Executive.

Awards to be recognised: Partnership awards, Halls awards, Colours, The Riley Awards and Volunteering awards, and Better forum idea holders

This is a project I am hugely passionate about and strongly believe needs to continue once I leave my role. The university is open to this as a project but needs an exec member to push it forward.