Category

Student Council 24/25 - Proposed Solution

Update on Current Status

Employability

ENSA will work with Employability & Careers to promote job skills workshops, job fairs, volunteering and more on the ENSA website and My Future platform.

• Employability & Careers is working with ENSA to improve cross-promotion on all campuses and online.
• ENSA website was updated with new Employability & Careers information.
• Employability & Careers events can now be posted on the ENSA Events platform, Native.

Employability

ENSA will work with Employability & Careers to implement improved job filtering and available information around suitability specifically for international students.

• Employability & Careers have redeveloped the My Future platform, including the look and feel, as well as improved accessibility and ease of use.
• ENSA was consulted and involved in the process of My Future improvement.

Employability

ENSA will work with Employability & Careers to provide workshops and training for international students on employment within the UK.

• Employability & Careers partnership with Student Circus has already started to have a positive impact for international students.
• Employability & Careers are working with the international recruitment team to improve their offering of support to incoming and existing students.

Employability

ENSA will work with Employability & Careers to strengthen industry links, networking and opportunities within programmes of study.

• Integrated employability support within programmes of study is a core part of the new Employability & Careers Strategy.
• Work across all Schools is headed by the Vice-Principal Learning & Teaching, and ENSA is being consulted on improving employability skills development within classes.

Employability

ENSA will work to improve the promotion of available internships and volunteering opportunities.

• ENSA has introduced new paid internships for students - Academic Community Reps, Recreational Sport Intern, Content Creators etc.
• ENSA will continue to introduce new employment for students and continually refresh our volunteering opportunities for students across the year.

Health & Wellbeing

ENSA will produce a practical guide to starting University.

• The ENSA Advice Team is currently working on this as a resource for all students.
• The guide will be brought to Student Council for review and suggestions.

Health & Wellbeing

ENSA will work with the University's Wellbeing Team to promote a positive approach to student health and wellbeing in all programmes of study.

• ENSA is continuously working with the University to improve its' approach to student's physical and mental health and wellbeing.
• ENSA has been part of the University's work on compassionate communication to ensure that all student communications, e.g. on VISA's and Academic Integrity, are written to help understanding and not negatively affect students.
• ENSA is continuing work on improving University support of sport, including freeing Wednesday afternoons for fixtures, and the creation of a comprehensive sport strategy that includes improving facilities for all.

Health & Wellbeing

ENSA will work with the University's Wellbeing Team to streamline information provided to students on wellbeing support available, including timeframes available for accessing support.

• ENSA regularly meets with members of Wellbeing & Inclusion team.
• Waiting times for Counselling & other Wellbeing services are not shown on the website due to fluctuations throughout the year. Max waiting times are available to students however to help expectations.
• It has been found that Napier's service waiting times are amongst the shortest for all students in Scotland.

Health & Wellbeing

ENSA will work with the University to improve the availability and pricing of healthy food across all catering outlets, and the signage showing dietary requirements.

• ENSA have introduced regular meetings with the Catering Team to provide feedback and discuss ongoing improvements.
• ENSA undertook a review of all catering outlets, in comparison to comparable services nearby and at other universities, and submitted findings on affordability and variety to the University.
• Catering have now introduced online feedback forms to allow for continuous feedback from students, and are acting on the feedback through the year.

Housing & Accommodation

ENSA will help students struggling to find flatmates by providing information on various platforms, and through targeted events like 'Speed Flatting'

• ENSA has updated information on our website about finding a flatmate. This information will also be included in the upcoming practical guide to starting university.
• ENSA has started running 'Speed Flatting' events and will continue to run these at appropriate times throughout the year, alongside other events related to housing and accommodation.

Housing & Accommodation

ENSA will address the issues around guarantors for international students, including requirements and advice on letting agents allowing for international based guarantors.

• ENSA has updated information on our Advice pages about guarantors that is linked to information on the University Accommodation website.
• ENSA is working on producing a new student guide that will include information on this.

Housing & Accommodation

ENSA will improve information provided on student rights around housing; including landlords, council tax, guarantors and more.

• ENSA Advice is currently undertaking a review of all accommodation information on our website.

Housing & Accommodation

ENSA will seek to open dialogue with local landlords and estate agents, as well as the Scottish Association of Landlords, to improve student treatment by private landlords and lobby for better student access to private accommodation.

• ENSA President (Societies & Community) has been working with the NUS and other Edinburgh SU's in speaking to Edinburgh Council about the situation with student housing and how this can be improved.
• ENSA has worked with the NUS on their Renters Rights and Housing Bill campaigns, and will continue to do so.

Housing & Accommodation

ENSA will demonstrate and improve its commitment to improving student housing and accommodation by incorporating the area into a Student President position and mandating work on the area each year.

• All candidates for President (Societies & Community) had to answer a question on housing in order to run in the Student Elections 2025, and this will continue each year.
• Housing has been incorporated into the President (Societies & Community) role at ENSA with work mandated each year.
• ENSA is exploring the recruitment of a student intern dedicated to campaigns on housing.

Housing & Accommodation

ENSA will work with University Accommodation to implement an improved online system of reporting repairs in university accommodation, with a timeframe on the issues being solved.

• ENSA met with the Head of Accommodation to discuss this.
• Expectations and timeframes will be further communicated to those in university accommodation, with timeframes reviewed regularly.
• University Accommodation Repair Update:
  • Non-essential: 15 days
  • Routine: 7 days
  • Essential: 5 days
  • Urgent: 24 hours
  • Emergency: 1 hour
  • Majority of repair jobs logged are fixed between 24 & 72 hours.

Housing & Accommodation

ENSA will work with University Accommodation to produce a Student Accommodation Agreement to clearly set out expectations for students and accommodation services.

• ENSA met with the Head of Accommodation to discuss this.
• ENSA is reviewing the Tenancy Agreement signed by students in University Accommodation to improve clarity, language and equality.

Housing & Accommodation

ENSA will continue to work in lobbying the university to act as guarantor for international students struggling to access affordable and private housing.

• Following lobbying by the Student President, University Senior Leadership agreed to offer guarantorship for international students based on the same requirements as the University of Edinburgh.

Personal Safety

ENSA will work with the University to improve navigation and accessibility across all campuses.

• Conversations has started with the university around signage on campus, as well as the opening of the Receptions.
• ENSA has been reporting any accessibility challenges and will undertake more work to improve this.

Personal Safety

ENSA will improve promotion and information around the SafeZone app.

• ENSA staff received training in relation to the SafeZone app and its use.
• ENSA has promoted the app alongside the University Security team, and is working together to ensure that information on the app is relevant and up-to-date.

Personal Safety

ENSA will work with the University Accommodation to provide clear instructions on all appliances.

• University Accommodation have agreed to provide printed instructions for appliances in each flat for easy access and understanding.

Personal Finance, Budgeting & Money Management

ENSA will work with the National Union of Students (NUS) to lobby for improved student funding and access to financial support for students.

• ENSA will remain in the NUS following the Referendum in March 2025.
• Meetings have been ongoing with the NUS around ENSA getting involved with campaigns leading into the Scottish Election 2026.

Personal Finance, Budgeting & Money Management

ENSA will start a regular 'Swap Shop' to provide free student necessities such as textbooks, clothes and homeware, as well as food via a Community Pantry.

• ENSA has launched a Community Pantry to provide free food to students, courtesy of FareShare, which will be run weekly.
• ENSA successfully lobbied University Catering to sign up to 'Too Good to Go' to help provide affordable food and reduce food waste.
• ENSA has been collecting donations from staff and students and will be giving all to students for free at various times throughout the year.

Personal Finance, Budgeting & Money Management

ENSA and the University will work together to offer a series of budgeting and money management workshops following Welcome Week.

• ENSA has met with the relevant university departments over Summer 2025 to provide appropriate support to students at the right times throughout the year.

Personal Finance, Budgeting & Money Management

ENSA will lobby the University to require all programmes of study to provide a breakdown of additional costs to all students prior to starting.

• ENSA is working with the Vice-Principal Learning & Teaching & Deans of Schools to ensure that students have a fair idea of additional costs for each programme of study.