Hello! My name is Chloe Young and I am running for the Inverness President position in the upcoming Student Officer elections.
I'm running for Inverness President to improve the quality of the UHI Inverness experience for all students, including LGBTQ+ students. Originally from Fife, I moved up to Inverness to do a BAHons in Archaeology, I'm also Transgender and Queer and have experience dealing with mental health issues which I believe gives me a unique outlook on many of the issues facing students at UHI Inverness and which I can use to benefit all students.
I'm currently an SVR and the President of the QueerNess+ society and worked together with HISA to create many of the resources for Transgender Awareness Week and Transgender Day of Remembrance last November, as well as the interactive stall on the 2nd floor around the same time.
If elected, I will campaign on the following 4 key points:
1. Improving Transport
Most of us are aware of the appalling public transport links and service provided by Stagecoach between the UHI Inverness Campus and Inverness City Centre, as well as to locations in the surrounding area. These services are absolutely vital for so many students to make it onto campus for classes. I will push to put the pressure on Stagecoach to make changes and improve their services through further petitions, outreach and continued advocacy.
2. LGBTQ+ Issues
Every student deserves an inclusive high quality education, however LGBTQ+ students are far more likely to experience issues with this education. Despite the great work the college has done promoting inclusion on campus, many problems still persist, including bullying, issues accessing basic necessities like toilets, and accessing things like sanitary products in those bathrooms. I aim to make the experience of LGBTQ+ students at UHI Inverness better by pushing for the creation of a dedicated queer space, as well as bettering the response to discrimination-based bullying, improving the distribution and signage of gender-neutral toilets on campus, and making sanitary products available in all toilets.
3. Teacher and Lecturer Communication
How many of you have made it to class in time only to find out that your class has been cancelled? How many of you, online or in-person, have had poor communication from lecturers and teachers about course content, support or examinations? Problems like this detract from the education experience and can often lead to unnecessary stress or anxiety. I will campaign to make sure that teachers and lecturers are able to provide adequate notice and communication about changes to classes, exams, etc.
4. Mental Health Support
Lots of people suffer from mental health issues and it can be especially hard to talk to someone about getting help during busy periods of the academic year. Whilst great progress has been made at UHI Inverness in recent years, with all staff members required to have a basic level of mental health training, more can be done to improve access to existing services. I will push to make sure PATs and PDAs are more appropriately equipped to deal with mental health queries by students, and to ensure the existing mental health services are readily advertised by the college.
Make sure you get out there and vote!
Please consider voting for me, Chloe Young, for Inverness President in the upcoming Student Officer Elections between 10am on Monday the 10th of March and 4pm on Thursday the 13th of March.
You can contact me at 24012666@uhi.ac.uk if you have any questions!