UNION WIN: Food price triumph

Posted 98 Months Ago

Our five-week campaign to get the university to reinstate student pricing in the Edinburgh catering outlets has been successful!

The Student Union listened to the concerns of Heriot-Watt students and launched a petition calling on the university to reverse their decision. It attracted more than 1,400 signatures from concerned students. We met with the Principal and other senior management from the university who agreed to look again at the pricing changes. The University have now agreed to re-introduce a student price band in their catering outlets.

"The continued increase in Heriot-Watt University’s food supplier prices throughout 2016 resulted in some price increases in 2017. The University has been listening to our student feedback on these prices and will be reintroducing a new student price band.’

-Malcolm Deans, Director of Campus Services at Heriot-Watt 
"It’s a win for students that they’re getting their prices back, but it’s only fair."
- Diarmuid Cowan, Student Union President 

Your Union were delighted to get a positive response in such a short space of time. It's a great win for the Student Union and for our students. This change could only have been possible with you though and we'd like to say thank you to everybody that signed our petition. Your feedback really does make a difference and helps your Student Union to change things.

You should start to notice the lower food prices soon. The University are in contact with their suppliers of the new tills (which finally have contactless!) to make the required changes.

Now onto the next campaign...! Visit our Campaigns page for more information and to submit your own campaign suggestion. Or if you think you'd like to make your day job helping students, then why not consider running for nomination in the Student Union elections?  Nominations open on Friday 17th February.


Yo what about SBC? Here is an update from Corto, the SBC President. 
"We have a meeting on the 2nd March with Baxter Storey (SBC catering providers) to try get them to lower their prices. The victory in the Edinburgh campus and your complaints about the food prices in our online survey + on the iPad located in the canteen will all help to pressure them to do the same."

Big love,

Your Student Union
 x


Week 5 news

Posted 99 Months Ago

This is a copy of the President's update that was sent out last week via e-mail 

We Are Your Business

It has been a busy week at the Student Union! This week saw the launch of our campaign (you may have noticed the posters!) and also the beginning of the run up to the Annual General Meeting on the 16th February. See more information at www.hwunion.com/agm.

We Are Your Friends

Did you know only less than 5% of care experienced individuals enter higher education? Who Cares? Scotland is coming to the Student Union to run a session on care experienced students on the 15th February from 1pm to 2.30pm and we still have some spaces free, so if you want to come along and get involved then please let Eloise know at Union.VPWellbeing@hw.ac.uk to sign up and help us break the stigma!

We Are Your Living Space

Live in Anna Macleod, Mary Fergusson or Muriel Spark Halls? Unhappy with the problems you’ve experienced since moving in? TAKE ACTION by submitting evidence of your problems – written accounts of your experience, videos and sound files of noisy radiators, pictures of ANYTHING – and send it to p.glynn@hw.ac.uk by 14/2/17. Take a look at https://www.hwunion.com/change-things/give-feedback for more information.

We Are Your Safety

The Women's Group have created a survey for all genders looking into how students feel about safety on campus; do you ever worry about your safety while studying? Is it something you worry about a lot? Have you experienced an unsafe situation during your time at university? Share as much as you feel and let us know what we can do to make you feel safer. surveyplanet.com/5889f7907d3df83315eddb1b

We Are Your Food

Mate, what about those food prices? I can tell you, the Principal and the Senior Management of the university are aware and there is now action. They are currently waiting on the suppliers of the new tills (which finally have contactless) to reintroduce the student prices, so keep your eyes peeled! Check out https://www.hwunion.com/change-thin... for more information.

We Are Your Opinion

The National Student Survey (NSS) is now live for all you final year students. Final year students should have received an e-mail from myself and the Principal about how Heriot-Watt University use this data to make things better for students.

We Are Your Study Space

The Library is getting a £6 million refurbishment, if you want to know more then please ask your School Officer. Don’t know who they are? Get their details at: www.hwunion.com/school-officer-list
So much information, eh? That is not all (did I hear gasps of “Surely not good sir?”). We’ve been putting out blog style posts this week on our social media from your Union officers - telling you all about what we’ve been doing for you. And there’s more to come!
Cheers,
Diarmuid SU President

New hall problems - getting you compensation

Posted 99 Months Ago

The new halls of residence on campus haven't exactly got off to a smooth start...

Are you living in the new halls (Anna Macleod, Mary Ferguson and Muriel Spark)? Then read on...

Whilst it's great the University is building new accommodation and in theory, the new accommodation should be nice and shiny...there have been lots of teething problems with the new halls.

What we think

  • The University should be held accountable for the unacceptable conditions you have faced in the new halls 
  • We understand that you're not satisfied with the £25 Tesco gift voucher already offered by the University 

What we've done

  • Your Student Union has been negotiating with the University to get you compensation 
  • Speaking to students affected in the new halls to build a picture of what's going on

What's happening now

  • We're compiling a report to document the problems with the new halls so that we can collectively negotiate a compensation deal for you. 
  • We need your help
    We need you and/or your family members to provide all the evidence you can of the issues you've experienced in your halls.
    This evidence could be videos, photos, sound recordings or written accounts.

    Evidence should be e-mailed to Polly Glynn, Student Union Activities Co-Ordinator at p.glynn@hw.ac.uk with the subject of 'Halls' by 14/2/17

    We will use this information to push the university to reconsider its position on compensation. Please help us to make sure the university is held accountable.

I want to be more involved in helping the Union with this

  • Please let Polly know in your e-mail
  • Spread this message with people in your halls. We'll be notifying them in due course. 

Please send us your evidence to Polly Glynn, Student Union Activities Co-Ordinator at p.glynn@hw.ac.uk, with the subject of 'Halls' by 14/2/17


We are standing up for you.
We are your Student Union. 


Food price rises in uni catering outlets - sign our petition

Posted 99 Months Ago

You might have noticed recently that food prices in the university catering outlets have gone up, with the removal of student prices.

We’ve heard your concerns on this. So we’re launching a petition calling on the university to reinstate student prices in its catering outlets. If you want to make your voice heard, take a minute to sign it and we’ll make sure the university hears your concerns:

https://www.change.org/p/we-the-undersigned-call-on-heriot-watt-university-to-reinstate-student-prices?recruiter=597461420&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink 

Petition closes on Friday 27th January at 10am