RBC Student Union President
Elected by the student body as Student Union President of Rose Bruford College for a year in office for the academic year 2021-2022, was one of the most exciting, challenging and impactful positions that Akshita has had the privilege of holding. Simultaneously during this time, for a brief period, she held a co-Finance Officer role, this was shared with the Student Union Secretary.
Working with the other Student Union Officers, we put on student-led events for entertainment, for social engagement, for political awareness but most importantly to expand the student experience, for local and international students of all courses.
However for Akshita, the more critical work she did alongside the rest of the team, was during different committee meetings, one to one conversations, Board of Governor meetings, policymaking and culture changing. Committing energy to creating more equitable spaces regardless of identity with other students, amplifying their voices, was part of her campaign for the Presidency, and was her focus for the role:
Bruford Bathroom Alliance: Gender Neutral Bathrooms on campus
Light Up Lamorbey: Lights in Lamorbey Park for student safety, especially as women are disproportionately affected by the lack of lights in the Park
Ethical Bankings: Greener Banking for a more sustainable world
Built on Blood: Decolonisation and Anti-Racism through Art
Terry the Teddy: Fighting against the Loneliness Pandemic
People and Planet Fossil Fuel Free Declaration: A commitment to never invest in the fossil fuel industry
Technical Arts Wellbeing: Technical Artists mental health and wellbeing, around burnout and social equity with performers
Pronoun Policy: Culture shifts with students, staff and visiting students
Covid Vaccination: Encouragement
Access Spaces: Quiet and sensory spaces to cater to access needs
Stereotypical Casting: Against transphobia, fatphobia, and for increased accessibility casting
Absorption: Helped facilitate the connecting of ALRA with Bruford
Closed Captioning: Increasing availability within resources
Local Businesses: Collaboration with marketing, visibility and discounts
Mental Health: Booklets of resources and signposting support for students over Winter Break
Diverse Employment: Increase in POC counsellors and LGBTQIA counsellors, more multicultural employment of permanent and visiting staff
Respect Workshops: Consent workshops for Freshers Week
Communication: Student Union X Student Representatives communication channels stronger
And all of those inspiring spaces in between, where friendships and battles were forged to make their environments a more holistic and care-centred space
