Education President
Shelley Blake-Carey
Your Education President is responsible for improving your academic experience at St Mary’s!
educationpresident@stmarys.ac.uk
Get to know Shelley...
What I studied
I studied LLB Law.
My favourite thing about St Mary’s
My favorite thing about St Marys is the option to expand learning and qualifications via a short course.
What I’m looking to achieve this year
I am hoping to provide an expansion in learning opportunities and development while increasing safety on campus. Students want skills for their life not just their careers.
One tip for making the most out of St Mary’s
Try having different groups of people to hang out with, then study with, explore with, and live with! This variety will help you meet so many people both different and similar.
My best Simmie memory
My favorite memory is from the events I created as a Senior Resident. Some events I hosted include; pumpkin carving, games night, escape rooms, pancake day, paintballing and a trip to Thorpe park. These were all events that made some of my best and favorite memories.
My manifesto aims 👇
Improve Security and Student Safety on Campus
- I have written a case for a critical Arc Safety App which was rejected for this year but will be presented next year at the Capital Board.
- Keep the Green gate open 24/7 - this has been agreed and I will be meeting with the University's Director of Estates and Campus Services to see when this will be implemented.
- Continue the Simmie Safety campaign - ran this campaign with a series of activities focused on being safe as a student. Activities included a first aid course, 'identify the drink' and a fire safety talk.
- Rewriting a harm reduction policy to be more relevant to Include St Marys 1850 Bar and current approach to legal substances.
In Progress
Implement more academic and social opportunities for skill development
- Introduce skill based classes, such as cooking lessons - this has not yet started. I am looking to make cooking opportunities available.
- Introduce guest speaker event - different faculties have bought in external speakers law- theology business, sport and education.
- Introduce a Go Green campaign - there is now a gardening society which hosts gardening session for students.
- Introduce British Sign Language sessions - in World Week there were three free sessions to learn how to use sign language
- Introduce a Smart Study campaign - there have been two weeks ran around academic integrity (one week for each semester), in collaboration with the library.
In Progress
Improve Educational Access for all Students and Alumni
- Introduce module taster sessions for electives - Working with Claire McLaughlin to ensure there are recording form lecturers to explain options for students.
- Introduce a family discount - policy has been written and Passed at SLT, the form will be out in the Summer.
- Improve the extenuating circumstances policy - worked with registry to look at reasoning for EC's.
- Ensure deadlines don't fall on days of religious celebrations - this was passed as the university can control and alter coursework deadlines. (Exams are set externally).
- Extend the length of University email for graduates - met with the University to discuss students being able to retain their student email address until the end of December.
In Progress
Improve academic society support
- Connect student groups with Academics, employabitlity and SMSU - there are now employability champions.
- Develop ways for students to view calendars of activity through the app - this has gone live on the app (involved meeting with a programme designer).
- Develop St Marys University Moodle - STEPs is a new system which is being rolled out slowly which will help track engagement with the course.
- Relevant career fayres for each school - there has been a number of individual fayres this year for areas such as Law, Education, Theology, postgraduates, volunteers, graduates, Business and part-time fair/fayre. (the festival of creativity).
In Progress
Improve support for students during their academic year
- Increase the visibility of the Disabled Student Allowance - working on making a web page with Declan, the student advisor, for learning support.
- Improve availability of therapy sessions - ensured the number of counselors does not decrease.
- Re-introduce the printer in the assistive technology lab -
- Expand dragon tech availability - working on getting a computer down in the Naylor with dragon tech.
- Launch referencing workshops - this has been done in Smart Study week with sessions being ran by Library.
- Ensure postgraduate students are supported throughout studies with suitable tenancy length in halls - to have a tenancy contract in place for next year which supports the postgraduate period of study from September to September.
In Progress
