KSU Social Policy Commissioner 2015-2016 Melissa McElhatton
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Introduction The Student Vox Populi is a wonderful, powerful and mesmerizing weapon to possess in any democratic process, especially in Malta. Countless times over the past years, we have seen students strive for changes in the national agenda… and in countless times, we have seen them succeed. My years at University have opened my eyes to the true power that the students possess, and when it comes to implementing social changes nationwide, nowhere is this as evident as KSU’s Social Policy Commission. My studies in Social Work have exposed me to a vast array of social situations that not only need change, but most importantly, awareness and discussion. My experience in Insite has given me the experience and tools needed to attempt and tackle these situations hand-in-hand with fellow students and student organisations, both in the short-term and the long-term.
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Being KSU Social Policy Commissioner is not only a challenge… it’s also an opportunity for students to promote their proposals and agendas on the national agenda. My aim is to continue on the sterling work done by my predecessors, yet constantly aim to improve on it, in both the quantity of work done, and the targets I hope to achieve. This is not just my mission… this is also my promise.
Active Participation My primary focus is definitely to increase active student participation in KPS, especially when it comes to the discussion forum: this is essential for the continuous and active running of the KPS, because the idea can only survive as the people recognise and work with or within it. Therefore, my primary focus is to continuously update the students on what is going on within KPS through the constant updating of the KPS blog and/or website. This would include an informative list on what is being discussed within KPS, as well as how students can give their feedback. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy: And so, the blog shall also include several fun facts, or maybe a fun-fact category be it about KPS, KSU or the issues. The aim for this is to attract more students, and get them involved by combining the professional and serious aspect with the funny and easier side. Further, I would ensure that all social media related to KPS will be continuously, consistently and correctly updated. This includes the Linkedin page and the KPS website, the latter being in a state of disuse.
The website will be updated with the work that is being carried out, the debates/discussions/ consultation sessions being held on campus, centralizing the ways in which students may join the KPS subcommittees, and even be open to suggestions for future issues to be discussed. The social media would then work conjunctively, while also including ways in which KPS can be contacted. Should I be elected, I will bring KPS closer to the student body, starting from Freshers’ Week. Having a stand during the festivities would be ideal and essential in getting invaluable faceto-face time with the student, where we could explain what KPS is and how it functions. Students would be able to ask questions freely. Therefore, by making use of the added interest which generally centres Freshers’ week, more students may feel included in the happenings of KPS, as well as feel more encouraged to join, despite not being in a student organization.
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On the same topic, I will focus on getting students involved in the KPS subcommittees. I propose that every few months, an email would be sent to students through registrar or the faculty secretaries, informing students of the subcommittees and providing information on how a student can join a subcommittee. These emails could also include ways in which KPS has affected policies and legislation outside University as well. For example, the Gender Identity and Roles Ad Hoc Committee had its proposal of an ‘X’ marker until the age of eighteen, accepted and included in the Gender Identity, Gender Expression and Sex Characteristics Act. Should I be elected, I would also strive at getting student organizations more interested, and asking them for even more direct involvement, in the KPS meetings. The organizations will be encouraged to include issues they wish to discuss in the agenda, simply by sending an email to the social policy office.
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Furthermore, I also propose for these KPS meetings to happen in a more regular fashion, with plenty of prior notice before the meeting will occur. I will also look into the possibility of standardizing such KPS meetings, holding them periodically at a static location and time. Should I be elected, I will organize a startof-the-year meet-up for both students and student organisations, where interested parties can meet each other in a relaxed yet stimulating environment, to discuss the events which can be tackled and what points to be discussed throughout the year. The aim for this is to further include students and student organizations within the workings of the KPS, and encourage them to be active on issues they feel strongly about.
Subcommittees & Campaigns
Mental Wellbeing
Violence in Relationships (Youth) & Domestic Violence
Not enough has been done, both institutionally and at lower levels, to focus on the mental wellbeing of students, and I aim to change that.
This is an awareness campaign on domestic violence, specifically relationship violence which youth may be subjected to, focusing also on same-sex couples. Continuing on the work which I started in a somewhat similar campaign which Insite participated in during the last academic year, the aim would be to ensure for students not only to be aware that such scenarios exist, but rather can recognize even more clearly the tell-tale signs from beforehand, and are well-equipped in handling such situations as best as they could.
A campaign like this would be useful both before and during examination periods and when results start becoming published, to arm students and help cope with these well-documented situations which cause them to experience high levels of stress and anxiety. Simultaneously, another aim of this campaign is to combat possible stigmas that mental health carries. I suggest that such a campaign could be done in conjunction with both the University of Malta’s Counselling Unit, who year after year do stellar, yet oftenunderappreciated, effort, along with our friends from Betapsi.
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‘Let’s Talk About Sex’ This is a campaign solely aimed at demolishing the taboos and the barriers that students have on sex, while focusing on students to talk more openly and freely about their sexuality and their sexual experiences, negative or positive. Last February, Insite had its campaign ‘Between The Sheets’, where the focus was on getting people to talk about the things they are usually embarrassed to mention, let alone discuss or debate. However, apart from having its own subcommittee on how best to promote this issue, my primary aim is gauging whether the Maltese students are sexually active, and more importantly, whether the right medical and health safety procedures are being implemented. A secondary aim, is to see where the discrepancies are in the information acquired about sex and contraception, and seek ways to educate the student population.
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Should I be elected, I will try to have this campaign extended to secondary and post-secondary schools as well, where the discussion would not simply centre on abstaining vs. STDs, but include things such as what is consent, and what contraception is out there and how to go about getting the right contraception for you. Further, through this campaign I aim to target the niche of people who can only seek information from the internet because they have been denied access to the correct type of education in such important matters. For instance, people in same-sex relationships are never taught that they too need to make use of contraception, or how they can go about to protect themselves. This campaign aims to challenge that.
Being Responsible For One Another To continue with the theme of mental wellbeing, which is something I personally hold dear, throughout the year, I will strive to not only make the counselling unit more wellknown while actively encourage students to use these services, but also aim to educate lecturers and students alike on mental health, particularly on how to see the signs that someone may not be coping within the course. We need to all be responsible for one another. To ensure the success of this campaign, I would enlist the help of the media, student or otherwise, to be able to target a wider amount of students. Therefore, we would be able to make use of informative videos, interviews with counselors and students making use of counseling (anonymously – should they wish to remain so) in the form of articles, podcasts and so on, to deliver information to the student.
Be Fair I feel that it is important to keep up the great work of my predecessors when it comes to being green. Should I be elected, I propose to have a Fair Trade Fair, where stands on quadrangle will be selling things which are only fair trade, as well as offer workshops on how to upcycle, and the uses of upcycling. In the hope of getting more students interested in this, as well as promote activism on campus, this fair would be done in collaboration with various organizations, both Campus Organisations and External.
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Careers Convention I will work with the faculty and student organizations of various courses (ex. Sciences, Communications, Medicine and Health, Arts, Engineering etc) to give students the opportunity to learn about various career options they have and what these involve, as well as help students to gain internships, or even paid employment with a company related to their course. Further, I will emphasise on courses which usually are not adequately paid attention to, such as the Law course and the vocational courses (Psychology, Social Work, Social Policy, Nursing etc). It is important that all students have the opportunity to network and see which jobs are available to them, which would then enable them to decide which path they are most excited to take.
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Let's Gozo Further, I would do my best to have companies based in Gozo to attend the careers convention, while simultaneously I shall strive to organize a career’s convention in Gozo, so that even Gozitan students would have the opportunity to work on whichever island they please.
Other Matters To further encourage students to participate actively within KPS, I would suggest that should KPS hold an information session about the particular policy being discussed, then this information session would be conducted both at University and Mater Dei (making use of the central auditorium). In this manner, students at Mater Dei Hospital, would not feel disheartened about walking up and down, especially if they need to make it in time for a lecture. There could also be the option of conducting information sessions on the Gozo Campus, to further involve Gozitan students. Further, information sessions, and even consultation meetings, should be recorded, and posted online within a few days. This would enable students studying at the Valletta Campus, or Gozo to be informed of what KPS is doing. In the case of a consultation session, students would be able to send KPS their feedback and/or thoughts on what is being discussed, all of which would then be compiled into a report which will be subsequently be made public via the website. This opportunity would also be available to University students who, for some reason or other could not attend the session, or who had of a question/thought after the session had finished. In the case of an information session, the same procedure would apply, and all students would be able to send questions to KPS should they have not understood something.
Further, any videos posted by KSU or KPS, will have English subtitles. First, should the video itself be in Maltese, foreign students or students who are not comfortable with the Maltese language could still engage in what is being discussed, or learn new information. Second, these videos would also cater for people who are hard of hearing. Eventually, I would encourage all student organizations to adopt this procedure when publishing their videos.
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Concluding Remarks As I remarked in the beginning, my ultimate aim is to try and bring the KPS as close to the students as possible. By continuously and tirelessly working to demolish the elitist aura which automatically clouds students’ perception of the scheme of things, I would make it more accessible for students to partake in the discussions, engage in our information sessions, and on top of it all, strive to make the University of Malta an even stronger pioneer of nationwide change.
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