Posted on Fri 30 May 2025 at 10:05 by
Anthony Foster Sorry for the radio silence over the last few weeks. After eight months of full on work I am taking days off here and there as we experience a little respite on the annual academic calendar. In an ideal world we would be three months ahead in planning and a month ahead in day to day operations. That is my 'deadline' and despite my best efforts and the tireless work of the staff we are not quite there yet. However we have had other things occupying our minds, not least the new community plan and budgeting with a challenging landscape for Higher Education in the background. It is, in my view, for the University to have a stable and well resourced Students' Association to ensure students know they have a strong organisation that will represent an evidence based student point of view and can reassure students they will be at the forefront of any changes being made. We know working in partnership with the University gets things done but the leaderhip of the University also appreciate there will be times when we may challenge decisions being made. However we can have productive ehgagement and, on advice from the University, have established who will attend what meetings and which sabbaticals and / or staff will 'shadow' University staff to ensure a free flow of communication. At the same time we are improving our internal communications to ensure everyone is fully briefed and can share any cross over discussions that impact on the work we do.
EXCELLENCE AWARDS
On Wednesday I attended the Execellence Awards, which gives the opportunity for staff teams across the University to celebrate the work they do and it is voted by the people that matter the most - the students. 600 of them this year said lovely things about how staff members had motivated them, inspired them and supported them over the last twelve months. I think it is great that staff can hear (and indeed learn) from everyone across the University, meet up with colleagues, meet up with other coleagues they have never met and enjoy a simple thank you for the work they do. Everyone nominated is amazing (I'd love to say we have an exact science for the final winners but arm wrestling between the panel of 10 was used) and a special message to Pamela Calabrese who won the Sabbatical Award for staff member who goes above and beyond the work they do. This is the first year we have run that award and Pamela was chosen for her willingness to engage early, challenge, her informed thinking, willingness to explore an idea and positive attitude even when the idea may sound a little crazy! All the winners are here and well done to you all.
THE REP AWARDS
It's not just staff we support. It's Reps too! This is for Reps who have excelled in their role and have been nominated by staff and students. Well done to them. The winners are here
CELEBRATING SUCCESS
We publish each year an Impact Report about the work ENSA does and all the amazing work students do under the ENSA umbrella to enhance the student experience. You can read the report online here After a very short breather we are already working on Welcome Week 2026/27. More details here
ENSA ADVICE
As some of you know Alice left us for Glasgow University and our new member of staff will start on 24th June. Cecile Scott is also leaving us to work with Edinburgh City Council and I am pleased to say Marianne Hogg is stepping up to be our new team lead. We are intervewing for a new Advice Service staff member next week to replace Marianne. At present we will have a reduced service while we on board all new staff members and response times have been extended. However we will provide information to students or send you to a more relevant service if required. We hope to be back up to speed in July. We will be sad to see Cecile go as she has done a fantastic job and we wish her all the best in her new role.
CELTIC CONNECTIONS CONFERENCE
Nine staff members are off to the Celtic Connections conference in Strathclyde University for the day. There are a number of sessions on the future of Student Associations, data informed practice, engagement, student voice and the current crisis and what needs to change in Higher Education and the FE sector. We are very much looking forward to it as these events provide time to reflect and come up with new ideas and maybe revisitng a few old ones too! So Five Things For A Friday will be back in two weeks!