All Student Vote (Spring 2023)

Warwick SU Supports Student Welfare During Strike Action

The SU to support students who have been made to feel intimidated as a result of the strikes and for students to have access to all the course resources they would have access to in a typical year, and for the VP Democracy and Development to lead a campaign to make clear to students that they are well within their democratic rights to choose not to support striking staff. 

This Union Notes:

• Covid-19 has had a profound impact on education preventing 1.38 billion students from accessing education globally due to school closures (McCarthy, 2020).
• The cost of living crisis is adding extra stress for students with the average student in the UK spending £924/month on living costs (Murray, 2022)
• Mental Health is a huge issue for universities with 1 in 5 university students being diagnosed with mental illness, 37% of students at university saying that university had made their mental health worse and anxiety approximately affects 42.8% of university students and depression 36.4% (Gillen, 2022)
• That Warwick UCU is planning to undertake further strike action in the near future, and that this has the potential to exacerbate both the negative impact on education and the mental health crisis at universities. This is especially important at Warwick, where mental health is a very pressing issue for students.
• There have been instances in some University departments of removing student’s access to pre-recorded material in order to add to the disruption caused by strike action.

This Union Believes:

• That all students at the University of Warwick have an unequivocal right to education
• That all students at the University of Warwick have the right to use the buildings and facilities on campus without fear of abuse and harassment, regardless of whether there is strike action taking place.
• That students should have the right to access all materials provided during a typical year of their course.
• That just as students have the democratic right to support striking staff, they also have the democratic right to withhold their support and should not face additional pressures or harassment as a result of this.

This Union Resolves:

• That the SU and its Sabbatical Officers should support students who have been made to feel intimidated as a result of the strikes and should provide assistance when they wish to raise it with the University administration. It should also be ensured that resources are made available to make raising these issues with the University more accessible. 
• To mandate the VP Education to lobby the university to ensure that students have access to all the course resources they would have access to in a typical year, and do not lose out on any educational resources as a result of strike action.
• To mandate the SU President to issue a statement making students aware of what pastoral care is available to them if strike action has exacerbated mental health issues.

References:

Gillen, J. (2022) The impact of mental health issues on university students, Asana Lodge. Available at: https://asanalodge.com/the-impact-of-mental-health-issues-on-university-students/ (Accessed: November 24, 2022).

McCarthy, N. (2020) Covid-19's staggering impact on global education, World Economic Forum. Available at: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/03/infographic-covid19-coronavirus-impact-global-education-health-schools/ (Accessed: November 24, 2022).

Murray, J. (2022) This is how much students at your university are spending every month, Save the Student. Available at: https://www.savethestudent.org/money/student-budgeting/what-do-students-spend-their-money-on.html#:~:text=The%20average%20student%27s%20living%20costs%20are%20about%20%C2%A3924,living%20for%20students%20increasing%2C%20rent%20dropped%20to%20%C2%A3418. (Accessed: November 24, 2022).