PLAN OF ACTION KPS Commissioner Election
Alexander Hili Alexanderhili1993@gmail.com
KPS Elections 2015|16
24/04/2015
FOREWORD Accessibility, Transparency, Sustainability and Continuity; these are the four main points I will push forward if elected. I believe that these core values will help achieve a united university; a community unlike any other, within our own university. This can only happen though an inclusive, proactive approach, and through the empowerment of the students. This action plain is aimed at long term solutions, using achievable goals, and education. The aim behind the projects and proposals I am pushing forward is to create a community. Having a strong community is imperative for the implementation of policies that are truly representative of the student body.
ACCESSIBILITY I am a very outgoing person and thus it will be my pleasure to be in direct contact with the students, and to reach out to as many students as I can. I believe that Representation is nothing if you do not know who you represent and thus I am determined to get to know those whom I will represent. Thus I will use my time wisely and build a relationship with the student body helping them to feel comfortable to participate in the community on campus as well as encouraging them to involve themselves as much as possible and become active, interested students.
TRANSPARENCY I will be open to debate and discussion; whenever, however and whatever anyone wants to discuss. I believe it is something that is necessary for the inclusion of students in what KSU does, and I believe this will push more students to join and work with KSU and student organisations making the community on campus a wider reaching reality.
SUSTAINABILITY Every project, can be impressive, and but not every project can stay strong or even grow stronger for years. I will do my utmost to promote sustainability, long term projects and aims which will benefit not just the present students but those in the future. My proposals are aimed at growth, with each project and policy targeting the long term welfare of the community.
CONTINUITY Above all else I am not going to start building a new structure, I will build on what is there. On what those before me have left and this is the way forward. We always are building on what our predecessors have given us. I will be continuing to do what those before me have done, I will push forward their projects and make sure they reach the standards set by those before me.
1|Page Alexander Hili |99931803 Alexanderhili1993@gmail.com
KPS Elections 2015|16
24/04/2015
POLICY MAKING My main proposals will lie with the making of new policies that will be representative of a University that anticipates and takes a proactive stance. KSU is expected to react to the society as it is changing as well as think for the future. This is why while I am proposing new ideas aimed at avoiding future problems, we will be constantly updating and upkeeing current policies that KSU holds on various topics. The following proposals are to be discussed with the KPS Co-ordinator Emma Portelli Bonnici and worked on though the KPS in collaboration with the commission that is made up of the various student organisations.
WATER SCARCITY "if the wars of this century were fought over oil, the wars of the next century will be fought over water -- unless we change our approach to managing this precious and vital resource". Ismail Serageldin Our climate, and our geology have their limitations, however this should not stop us from using the technology and knowledge available to us to promote and push forward an awareness campaign, paired up with a policy that would be backed by the student body. I am proposing the calling of an ad-hoc committee whose aim will be to collect as much information about water scarcity in Malta as possible. Using this data, a campaign would be carried out aimed at gathering the public and student’s opinion about water scarcity. Using this information we could then build an information campaign to educate and promote water conservation. This would help make shine the limelight on KSU on a national scale, since we would not just be tackling issues which are affecting Malta, currently or issues which just affect students. We would be taking a proactive approach to safeguard Malta’s future. We are risking that within the next ten years, we will not be able to access water at will, within twenty years we will have people in Malta who will not have access to clean and fresh water. This is why I am proposing this as one of the main policies for next year.
MIGRANTS Migration is a large issue for us in Malta, with a large amount of irregular immigrants coming in from Africa as well as regular migration happening though the European borders. Apart from all of this, human trafficking occurs through the same countries specifically from Eastern Europe. I am proposing we push forward an information campaign to continue on the discussion that was started last year. This will be aimed at seeing why we view migrants in such a negative manner or if this is selective and racist towards certain groups of people. We will look into how we can push for better education and promotion of actual statistics to try to break the misconceptions that exist. This will be based on creating spaces where culture, ideologies and sharing personal stories is inspired and strengthened, reducing and trying to eliminate the us and them mentality. This will also work on fulfilling the idea that they can give us, just as much as we can give them. 2|Page Alexander Hili |99931803 Alexanderhili1993@gmail.com
KPS Elections 2015|16
24/04/2015
MENTAL HEALTH I would like to update the current policy that KSU has on this issue, so as to be able to deal with this matter which is spread across our society. This update would be reflective of the students’ needs and an online information campaign would be aimed at reaching out and showcasing services available at our university itself. This stand will be aimed at: -
Defining Mental Health Holding an information campaign Cultivating awareness about the topic
UPDATES TO CURRENT POLICIES It is very important that we work together to try and update policies which need updating to the current society that we live in. This is important because we are living in an ever changing society and there needs to be a flexibility within an organisation that wants to be as representative as possible of its members. Some of the updates would include: -
KSU’s stand on abortion KSU’s sexual health policy (In line with SDM’s Manifest this year)
ONLINE OPINION POLLS This proposal is so as to have a section on the KSU website with a constant opinion poll on the topics KSU would be tackling. These would be announced through the relevant medium on opening and reminders would be sent at appropriate periods. This would allow KSU to have a live update of students’ opinion. With those topics that need a deeper discussion, a forum could be set up allowing for debate to happen. These polls would be based on social policies and stands that KSU would be taking, giving an additional layer of representation that would be representative of a larger part of the student population at the University as well giving more weight to the stands KSU takes.
3|Page Alexander Hili |99931803 Alexanderhili1993@gmail.com
KPS Elections 2015|16
24/04/2015
ORGANISATIONS TRAINING I propose continuation of the concept put forward by Becky Micallef and Andrew Muscat this year of having a training seminar for students, with a focus on student organisations. However I would like to try to change this to appeal to more students and perhaps find a time to hold it in the first semester allowing for the student organisations to hold training at the start of their year. This would then be followed by the availability of training done though workshops held during the year. This would be focused but not limited to: -
Leadership skills Team work Delegation Education Marketing
I believe that these skills would allow organisations to improve their efficiency which would in turn would allow a larger amount of students to be reached and included in events held on campus.
CAREERS PROMOTING JOBS: Unemployment has become a large issue, especially with graduates from universities across all of Europe. So to try and improve and avoid this situation occurring in Malta I propose to keep working and improving on the Carriers Convention. This is an event of very large importance in the KSU calendar. So as to improve this convention, I am suggesting that we bring on board representatives from each faculty, allowing for their input and suggestions. This could be backed by companies allowing for insight into what is needed so as to make our courses and our degrees more compatible on a national and international level in an ever changing dynamic market.
PREPARING FOR AFTER UNIVERSITY: I would like to also approach students who have graduated from university, and try to set up a statistic showing the work and the relation to what they studied at university was. This once more would help to provide information to be used by the relevant faculties giving students a better studying environment which is conducive to better transition to a working environment.
4|Page Alexander Hili |99931803 Alexanderhili1993@gmail.com
KPS Elections 2015|16
24/04/2015
INITIATIVES DEBATING At our university this is highly lacking with students, often approaching issues with a closed mind set and not having room for flexibility. However this has been changing with the inclusion and work of several organisations which have been doing their utmost to improve opinion on campus though inciting several debating initiatives. This is something that allows the growth of discussion between students as well as awareness, understanding and acceptance of other opinions around us. I would like to propose more energy to be put forward in the promotion of the Debate Society League. Giving this initiative a higher exposure by a better promotion of the debates is highly needed as quality of the debates is exceptionally high however the audience for them is lacking. This requires work to make attending such debates more appealing to the students, with changes in venues and structure. One such way to improve and promote this important initiative would be holding mock debates by the finalists of the previous year during fresher’s week. This to show the importance and appeal of such a competition to as many students as possible I also want to work to achieve the proposal in the SDM’s manifest which is going to work towards creating a Union Debate Society. This will be aimed at creating spaces on campus which would allow well researched and structured debates to occur. With these debates occurring it would give our University a degree of respect from other institutions nationally and internationally. Apart from this, this is a means to include students and promote debating, giving them a better insight and providing them with different opinions to be able to widen their horizons.
GREEN EXPO This is a very important event that targets a very important part of our society; the environment. It is aimed at working towards promotion of green ideas and sustainability by taking care of our society and our future. Although improvements are seen every year, this doesn’t seem to be attracting the attention of enough students as it should be. With this said I am going to work harder, with all student organisations who want to be part of this event to try and find a solution. I propose giving more power to student organisations and including them in the planning much earlier on in the process. The potential that organisations have is enormous and it is in my opinion that this is the way to push it forward. -
I propose to move the date to a more suitable and appropriate date. I propose the better delegation and management of energy from KSU to the student organisations who would be willing to form part of the ad-hoc committee. I propose closer collaboration with LDI Malta for the clean-up which happens during the Green Expo.
5|Page Alexander Hili |99931803 Alexanderhili1993@gmail.com
KPS Elections 2015|16
24/04/2015
BUDGET REPORT This is a very important report that is needed to be drafted every year. In this report KSU voices its opinion on a very important issue that affects every student. With this statement I will try along with Emma, to work to make sure they affect all of the students in the most beneficial way possible. This is very important, as it is a space which will allow the students to show their stance on a national scale.
6|Page Alexander Hili |99931803 Alexanderhili1993@gmail.com
KPS Elections 2015|16
24/04/2015
OUT REACH WORKING GROUPS This year there were a large amount of students who worked in line with KSU, yet people did not know of these students and of what they were offering. I believe that these groups should be more transparent and more accessible to the student population. This would help to increase student outreach. This would make students see KSU as a much more accessible structure as others apart from the executive would be working on the projects allowing for more inclusion and an increase of accessibility. The main groups I would like to open are: -
Working Groups for the policies being written. Working Group on updating the current KSU policies in line with what’s discussed above.
UNIVERSITY LIFE For a truly representative organisation that can push forward the voice of the students it first needs a strong community of students who can back it up. That is why I would like to propose the improvement of the university life so as to make it easier for students to be part of the community. I propose we give students a space to talk, to express themselves and to communicate with each other. What is this space? We give them places to express themselves, though art, blogging platforms; creating the concept of outdoor study areas, something that was suggested by SDM in their manifesto. I propose the installation of blackboards that would allow the students and student organisations to express themselves on them, while at the same time also allow spaces for students to study as groups outside. I propose we give students a space were they meet together and interact with each other, building friendships and networking. This continues building on the concept of a community. For a community to be created those in it need to build a relationship. To try and achieve this, I will try to set up the concept of series night, and movie marathons where popular series and popular cult films are screened so as to get together students’ with similar interests together and spark conversations. I propose we give students an identity which they can unite behind. Something which they can feel a part off, and proud off with more mementos given off, such as what is given in fresher’s week given during the year, as prizes for events and competitions, allowing a sense of belonging and pride to be instilled in the students.
7|Page Alexander Hili |99931803 Alexanderhili1993@gmail.com