Campaigns

In-Person Teaching Survey

September to October 2020

See full page: yourunion.net/representation/campaigns/in-person-teaching

Opt-Out Lecture Capture Policy

2019 to present

Aim: to pressure the University to implement a universal lecture capture policy, where lecturers would opt-out of their lectures being recorded, rather than the current opt-in system.

Key people:

• Anna-Ruth Cockerham, involved since 2019 but SRC Disability Officer 2020/21
• Jamie Rodney, Association President 2019/20
• Amy Gallacher, Director of Education 2019/20
• Student campaigners: Tom Harley

Attention:

• Facebook page: Students for Lecture Capture
• Survey: Google Forms
• The Saint, February 2020: In Support of Lecture Capture
• November 2019 – JC 19-7: Motion To Support An Opt-Out System For Lecture Capture

Progress: motion to support an opt-out lecture capture policy passed unanimously through the Joint Councils. Campaign was disrupted due to strikes and coronavirus. Still ongoing.

Summer SAAS

Summer 2020

Aim: to lobby the Scottish Government to provide financial support to students in light of Covid.

Key people:

• Jamie Rodney, Association President 2019/20
• Dan Marshall, Association President 2020/21
• Jenny Menday, Lifelong and Flexible Learners Officer 2020/21
• Liam McCabe (President, NUS Scotland)
• Other Association Presidents: Amy Smith (Stirling), Matt Crilly (Strathclyde), Scott Kirby (Glasgow)
• Student campaigners: Lottie Doherty, Moshe Dixon, Iona Fraser-Colins, Callum George, Vicky Tysoe, Jordan Cavell, Aiden Campbell, Catriona McVey, Callum George

Attention:

• Open letter to Richard Lochhead MSP: Google Docs
• Accompanying signature form: Google Forms
• Facebook: St Andreans for Summer SAAS
• Twitter: @StASummerSAAS
• The Saint, May 2020: Open Letter Campaign for Summer SAAS Payments
• The Courier, May 2020: Coronavirus: St Andrews University student president campaigns to avoid ‘unfolding disaster’ of student finance
• Scottish Parliament, May 2020: issue raised by Willie Rennie MSP
• The Saint, June 2020: St Andreans for Summer SAAS respond to government discretionary funding announcement
• BBC, June 2020: Coronavirus: Scottish students to receive financial support early

Progress: Scottish Government did not bring forward SummerSAAS, but we did convince them to invest a further £11.3 million into Scottish Student Discretionary Funds

Washstation

September 2019 to June 2020

Aim: to force Washstation (laundry provider at halls of residence) to reduce prices, improve services, and simplify its payment system.

Key people:

• Jamie Rodney, Association President 2019/20
• Senior Students of halls: Ryan Lunney (JBH), Chloe Fielding (Uni and Whitehorn), Victoria Briggs (McIntosh), Stella Maris (St Salvator's and Gannochy)
• Student campaigners: Ferdia McKeogh, Maitreyi Tusharika, Papa Obeng, Alex Beckett, Dan Marshall, Mark Stewart, Maia Raikovic, Iman Farooqui, Andhrei George, Lucy Penman, Lewis O’Neil, Alicia Whitty.

Attention:

• The Stand, November 2019: Dirty Laundry
• JSM, November 2019: washstation: a review
• Stalls were set up in most halls of residence, outside the main library, and outside the Union to get more signatures. The Washstation Costume was used to significant effect getting attention for them. Public meetings with Washstation reps were used to apply pressure.
• The Saint, February 2020: Our Washstation woes are far from over
• The Saint, June 2020: Washstation Campaign Reaches a Successful Conclusion

Progress: Washstation agreed to change their website, give automatic refunds to anyone whose clothes were not washed, give bursaries worth nearly £3,000 to students, and offer a laundry membership scheme which let students pre-buy washes in bulk at a 40% discount. We also put in place an interest free loan that could be payed back in installments for students who couldn’t afford the up-front costs.

Anti-HMO fee increase

February 2020

Aim: oppose Fife Council (without consultation of students or locals) increasing the University HMO fee by 900%, which would have increased student rents, increased pressure on the local housing market, and set a precedent for further increases.

Key people:

• Jamie Rodney, Association President 2019/20
• Camilla Duke, Rector's Assessor 2017-2020
• Morgan Morris, JC Community Relations Officer 2019/20
• Jane Ann Liston, Fife Councillor
• Dominic Nolan, Fife Councillor
• Student campaigners: Grant Wilshaw, Alyson Kierans, Surina Martin, Stella Maris, Maeve Slack-Watkins

Attention:

• Open letter (2,902 signatures from both students and locals): Google Form
• The Saint: Students’ Association Opposes “bizarre” HMO Fee Increase
• Non-affiliated Facebook page: HMO Memes For Funky Fresh Fees
• JSM: hmoh no
• Debates at the community council
• The Times, February 2020: St Andrews rent rise ‘will force students into the suburbs’
• The Courier, February 2020: Students and St Andrews University slam Fife Council over 800% hike in HMO fees
• Fife Today, February 2020: Concerns as Fife Council raises University of St Andrews HMO fees
• The St Andrews Economist, February 2020: How to Strangle a Student Town’s Economy—The St Andrews Housing Market
• SRC, March 2020: Motion Opposing Fife Council’s Increased HMO Charges

Progress: after giving Fife Council significant negative coverage and getting Willie Rennie MSP, Wendy Chamerlain MP and Community Council to condemn the charges, Fife Council agreed to review them with a view to changing them.

Voter Registration for the 2019 General Election

September to December 2019

Aim: to increase student turnout in the 2019 General Election

Key people:

• Jamie Rodney, Association President 2019/20
• Camilla Duke, Rector's Assessor 2017-2020
• Morgan Morris, JC Community Relations Officer 2019/20
• Sophie Bickerton, Senior Student (ABH and Powell)
• Prof. Rebecca Sweetman, Head of the School of Classics
• Student campaigners: Lottie Doherty, Josh Samuels, Harry Stage, Missy Bolt, Jack Morris, Max Waller

Attention:

• 50 volunteers signed up in the voter registration and GOTV efforts. Coverage in The Record and The Stand.
• Video organized by Morgan Morris featuring all political society heads.
• Teams of students doorknocking and running street stalls, both on election day and prior to the voter registration deadline.

Progress: highest turnout and registration of students in North East Fife since Individual Electoral Registration began.

Universal Credit

2018 to present

Aim: to change the aspects of Universal Credit that negatively impacted on Scottish Students

Key people:

• Sandra Mitchell, involved since 2018 but Association Lifelong Learners Officer 2019-2020
• Paloma Paige, Association President 2018/19
• Nick Farrer, Director of Wellbeing 2018/19
• Ciara McCumiskey, Member for Widening Access and Participation 2017-2019
• Jamie Rodney, Association President 2019/20

Attention:

• Open letter, 2018, at campaign launch: view pdf
• Open letter, 2019 (signed by 21 Association Presidents and 500 students): Google Form
• Petition (1,427 signatures): Change how Universal Credit is calculated for those receiving student income
• BBC, December 2018: Universal credit 'hits students harder'
• The Herald, February 2019: Universal Credit is hitting students hard
• The Herald, February 2019: Students sign open letter to call for review into Universal Credit
• The National, November 2019: Student anger over 'disastrous' Universal Credit leaving them destitute

Progress: won the support of MSPs (Willie Rennie, Bob Doris, Daniel Johnson) and some MPs (Heidi Allen, Frank Field, Stephen Gethins, Wendy Chamberlain), but few material gains. Still ongoing.

GP Out-of-Hours service

2018

Aim:

Key people:

Attention:

• Campaign video: Save the GP out-of-hours service
• The Courier, November 2018: St Andrews students protest against out-of-hours GP cover proposals

Progress: