Welcome back to the GSASA after Spring Break! Here’s Alicia with the lowdown on what our Student President and Vice President got up to over the break…

☀️Celebrating Union Partnerships ☀️

Myself (Alicia, Prez) and Rachel (Vice Prez) celebrated the spring sunshine by visiting a few different campuses and unions around Scotland and meeting up with some of the student unions who have been supporting us this year. Also, lots of train rides meant plenty of time for crafting, and I finally managed to finish knitting my gender-based violence awareness vest 🧶

Visit 1: We started the tour by visiting our very own highland campus to mark the opening of Rural Lab. It was great to meet so many students from GSA and international universities participating in this year’s winter school.

Visit 2: We then stopped by Aberdeen University Students’ Union on our way back. We were warmly welcomed by the Aberdeen University Students’ Union Sabbatical Officers, and it was cathartic to discuss and share our challenges. We met up with the CEO, who is our Current Vice-Chair of Trustees, and has been providing integral support for the governance of the GSASA this year. We also bumped into the always lovely NUS Scotland President!

Visit 3: I then paid a visit to the Dundee University Students’ Association (DUSA) whose incredibly hard-working and dedicated events team has been working with us this past year to open the Vic Bar, run regular events, and create a friendly and welcoming atmosphere in the Assembly Building. I got to see all of their event spaces and raid their prop store for our upcoming degree show after party (more details are coming soon… 👀🪩).

It has been heart-warming to travel across the country and meet so many dedicated Sabbatical Officers and staff working tirelessly to provide student experiences, collaboration and collective organising in the face of budget cuts and an increasingly challenging higher education landscape.

From a personal perspective, this year as President, joining the national student movement has helped me learn so much and feel more supported as a Sabbatical Officer. I am immensely grateful for the wonderful partnerships we have built with other unions this year.

Here’s to more collective organising, support and knowledge sharing! 🌸