Every year a National Student Survey (NSS) of all final year undergraduates is taken across the UK. This provides ARU and the Students’ Union with valuable information about what you think about your university experience.

This year a series of new questions were added, including a question about whether you thought the Students’ Union effectively represents your academic interests.

We are proud to say that over 62 per cent of you agreed that ARU Students’ Union effectively represents your academic interests. This is over five per cent higher than the national average.

Over the past year we have been working hard to make sure we focus on the things that matter to you. You said that the experience on your course is most important, and that you want your voices to be heard.

This year we have:

• Changed our structure to make sure your elected student officers directly represent your course and faculty
• Significantly expanded our support and training for your course representatives
• Created a new online ideas forum where you can tell us directly what you’d like to change

If you want to help shape the future of the Union you can stand to represent your course. Nominate yourself here.

You also told us that you wanted spaces to collaborate, work and learn from course mates. This year we will be actively supporting you to create new course-based societies, put on exciting events and opportunities through our Creative Minds hub and revamping our students’ union spaces in Cambridge and Chelmsford so you have a space of your own to meet and make friends.

There is, of course, lots of room for improvement. Our new student officer team are prioritising you and your interests by:

• Making student mental health a priority
• Reforming the personal tutoring system
• Making sure there are better food options on campus
• Fighting for more social spaces
• Providing events to learn about other cultures
• Taking action to make ARU more inclusive and welcoming for all students – no matter what their background

We also want you to be involved! Make sure you look at our Freshers website (whether you are a new student of not!) to see what’s going on, and how you be a part of it.