Friday 15-01-2021 - 15:00

This term started with the announcement of the national lockdown - your Bristol SU officer team got straight to work pushing the University to support students in this challenging time. 

This week you'll have seen some important announcements thanks to the work of the officer team – rent rebates and academic mitigations. 

 

Rent Rebates 

Your Student Living Officer Ruth Day has successfully persuaded the University of Bristol to agree to a rent rebate scheme. Students who are not currently in residence in university halls, and who are unable to travel due to the national lockdown are now eligible for a 100% rent rebate for the period 1 February – 26 March. Please read the full terms and conditions on the university website to check your eligibilty. 

Ruth has also managed to secure a temporary covid rent release policy for students who feel that it is better for your physical and mental health to not live in University accommodation at the moment. 

Bristol SU has fought hard for these policies as we know that this has been an incredibly challenging year for students – it is right that the University of Bristol has agreed to provide this support. 

 

Academic Mitigations 

You'll have received an update today from the university on academic mitigations for assessments this year. This announcement has followed three days of talks with the university and we are pleased to see them implement some of the measures we have been calling for. We're proud of what we've managed to win for students so far, but we know the current mitigations do not go far enough and will continue to fight for more comprehensive support for the summer assessment period.

Read our full statement here and find out more about how you can get involved: https://www.bristolsu.org.uk/articles/academic-mitigations-officer-statement/

 

International student tuition fees 

Your International Students’ Officer, Roy Kiruri has been meeting with other ISOs from other Student Unions to start planning a campaign on tuition fee reductions for International Students – many of whom have still not been able to travel to Bristol since the start of their course because of the ongoing coronavirus travel restrictions. We will have more information to share on the campaign soon! 

 

Support for post-grads 

Leah Martindale, your Postgraduate Education Officer has been working to ensure reduce the negative impact of this lockdown on the experiences of Postgraduate students. She attended the University Postgraduate Research Committee and was involved in discussions on UKRI (UK Research and Innovation) funding during coronavirus.  She has also secured additional academic mitigations for PGT students.

 

Bristol drugs drop-in 

Ruth has been working on ensuring the Bristol Drugs Project drop-ins can continue during this lockdown. While the Richmond Building is closed you can access virtual appointments, or in-person appointments in the city centre. Keep an eye out for more from this campaign in the Spring! Find out more about current drop-in services here.  

 

And Finally.. 

Good luck in your exams! We’ve recorded a short video message to all students - we’re wishing you all the best in your upcoming assessments!