What if you’ve always been passionate about advocating for an underrepresented group? Maybe you want more events run throughout the year, maybe you want to do more to promote mental health & wellbeing, or maybe you want to help improve things academically. LET’S DO THAT TOO!
Introducing Union Groups:
These are groups that meet each month open to anyone that wants to make a change. Each group is focused around a different aspect of being a student at Heriot-Watt and is there to empower you. A Full Time Officer sits on each Union Group, so if there’s something you want to do you have support directly from the people who lead the Union! You’ll also be surrounded by like-minded people who want to help create a positive change and will be willing to pitch in to help make things happen.
Here’s the best part – you aren’t limited to being involved in one group! You can attend any of the groups whenever you want to. You can be a part of all the groups and fix all of the problems or come along to one meeting, help with one thing and leave it at that. There’s no commitment.
So even though there isn’t one Officer to look after, for example, LGBTQ+ issues or Charities or Halls. We’re focusing on empowering you to fix the issues and be the change that you want to see. We’re not focusing on putting the issues into categories and assigning them by race/creed/gender/sexuality/area of study. Students that come along to the Student Wellbeing Group can plan campaigns to celebrate LGBTQ+ History Month and students that go to Student Life Group can plan parties and fundraisers! The most important part is that these groups can do as many different things at the one time that they want to do! There’s no need to wait for an Officer to organise something. Have an idea, come to a Union Group and do something about it!
I'm interested in attending a Student Group
Great! Join our mailing lists below, and we'll let you know when the group is meeting.
Academic Congress
Academic Congress is a group whose main focus is to improve academic life at Heriot-Watt. It is Chaired by the Vice President Education and attended by Class Reps, School Officers, School MPs and PGT Reps. This group meets twice a semester and is open for other members of the Student Union to attend.
Here the group discuss issues raised by students around academic topics and work to find solutions to these problems. The solutions to these problems can be implemented by the group directly and stops problems from being missed and avoided by bureaucracy. However, if the solution to the problem cannot be found or implemented the Academic Congress can raise the issue to Parliament.
The group doesn’t self-select any member to attend Parliament as both the President and elected School MPs attend to represent this Union Group.
More information on Academic Congress and the next meeting is here.
Societies Council
Societies Council is a group where a representative from each Society come together to problem solve, troubleshoot issues, improve and grow the Union’s Societies, as well as secure funding and help incorporate new societies.
This group will meet monthly and will be limited to the societies chosen rep, however, it is open to anyone to attend should they want to observe or highlight an issue they see as important. The Societies Council is chaired by the VP Community. As a group, one member will be nominated to represent the Societies Council at Parliament and be their voice.
Student Life Group
Student Life Group is where anyone can bring forward ideas for events and activities, both recreational and volunteering/charity based that they would like to see run by the Union.
So if you feel like there should be more happening in Halls, or there should be more fundraising around campus – this is the group for you. The Student Life Group is the place to connect with other people who want to make an impact on what happens on Campus. The group meets monthly and is chaired by the VP Community.
This is a group that is open to any Heriot-Watt student to attend, and you can attend just once, or every month, it’s totally up to you, there’s no requirement to sign up for a long term commitment.
It nominates 1 member to represent the Student life Group at Parliament and be their voice.
Student Wellbeing Group
Whether you're interested is advocacy for underrepresented groups or you want to help solve an issue that is impacting students’ wellbeing, you should attend this group, and you can attend just once, or every month, it’s totally up to you, there’s no requirement to sign up for a long term commitment. The Student Wellbeing Group meets monthly and is chaired by VP Wellbeing. This group elects 2 members of the group to attend Parliament to be their voice.
This group is open to any Heriot-Watt Student that has an interest in all issues surrounding student wellbeing and equality for groups including LGBT+, Women, International, Black Asian & Minority Ethnic, Disabled. Or for other issues that affect the wellbeing of all students like mental health. Whether you want to change something or run a campaign this is the group for you!
SBC Group
From academic issues to wellbeing, representation, recreational and societies issues. All are welcome to attend and lend their voice to improving the Student Union and student life at Galashiels.
This group meets regularly to discuss any issues affecting students on the SBC campus. You can attend just once, or every time, it’s totally up to you, there’s no requirement to sign up for a long term commitment. SBC Group is attended by the President and it selects one member to attend Parliament to ensure the voice of SBC students is heard.