August has been a busy and exciting month filled with meetings, workshops, planning, and events. I’m slowly getting used to working in a fast-paced office environment. In July, my journey as Vice President began, and in this blog, I’ll reflect on the progress and experiences I’ve had throughout August.
KSU Insight Day
The month began with KSU Insight Day, a workshop led by our Student Voice and Insight team. The aim was to explore how we can use collected data to break barriers that prevent student engagement and adapt our services to meet student needs.
The key takeaway was learning to distinguish between three stages of data:
- Data – raw and unanalysed.
- Information – data that has been analysed.
- Insight – analysed information that reveals patterns and highlights actionable opportunities to guide decision-making.
This understanding is crucial for us, as student officers, to shape the future growth of both the Sabbatical Team and the organisation. We also explored the 1,067 responses to the Annual Student Survey. For example:
- 65.6% of you know how to get in touch with KSU (one easy way is by reaching out to me!)
- A staggering 21.7% of you spend between £10 and £20 per day to get to campus, with a further 6.7% spending more than £20 per day to get to campus
- 91% of you have friends on your course! We were interested in this because if you have friends at Uni, you’re more likely to have a better uni experience
- 85.8% of you are aware that KSU provides sports and societies memberships – you can find out about our student groups here
- The most common way for you wanting to hear about us is through our website – hence why we’re posting so much more on here (and will continue to do so throughout 25/26)
- 56% of you have never been involved in sports or societies at Kingston – I’ll be working on ways to make this more inclusive
Meeting with Student Life, Health and Wellbeing
Later that week, the President, Hamza, and I met with Timothy Dhir, Associate Director of Student Life, Health and Wellbeing. We discussed hardship funds, initiatives for the Student Hub, and ways to improve services for students facing accommodation challenges. Timothy also shared his experiences at Kingston and advised us on how best to start working with him to make these changes.
NUS Regional Campaign Day
On August 8th, I attended the NUS Regional Campaign Day at Middlesex University. It was my first time meeting fellow sabbatical officers from across England. We discussed important issues affecting students, including housing, international student support, trans rights, wage restrictions, and transport challenges. There was also a conversation on APPG support for Palestinian students. It was inspiring to see other sabbatical officers using their positions to raise awareness and campaign for these vital issues.
Welcoming a New Team Member
This month, we welcomed Upasana to our team, who many of you might meet if you speak with us at the KSU reception. She’s down to earth, motivated, and ready to get stuck in. Her addition brings fresh energy to the group, and we’re excited to work alongside her.
Finalising Manifestos
The highlight of week two was finalising our manifestos. With guidance from Sam, our Student Voice and Insight Manager, all three sabbatical officers were able to complete the final stages of our promises. We now know our working groups and are ready to bring our commitments to life for students. I will be working on:
- Work with active societies and sports clubs to increase student engagement.
- Secure regular hardship funds to reduce barriers and promote student community engagement by June 2026
- Deliver a successful programme of cultural events that reaches 2000 members of students by June 2026.
Students’ Union Conference at Essex University
Week three was undoubtedly the highlight of August. For the first time, I attended the Southern SUs Conference at Essex University alongside President Hamza and our SMT team. The three-day event was packed with workshops. I attended sessions on cultural representation and a workshop with Jim Dickinson, which were both insightful and thought provoking. These sessions gave me new knowledge and ideas that I can implement in upcoming projects, particularly in how to work with Hamza and Ckyra to be a successful Officer tram. The conference also provided a fantastic opportunity to meet more sabbatical officers from across the country and exchange ideas.
Reflections on August
We’re coming to the end of a summer planning our campaigns, which will hopefully have a positive impact on your time here at Uni. We’re really excited for all students to be back on campus over the next month, speaking with you all, hearing about your experiences, and supporting you get the most out of your time here.
Do be sure to check out all our great events – they are open to all students – including Freshers Fair on 24th September where you will get to meet our brilliant sports clubs and societies.