The Students' Union President and Vice-President (Welfare), Queen Mary Student's Union and Vice-Principal (Education) have written to all students about keeping safe and promoting good health and wellbeing along with sources of support and guidance.
Dear student,
It has been wonderful to see our campuses springing back into life over the past few weeks, first with Welcome Week for our new students and then the first full week of the semester for our returning students. It’s great to see you all making new friendships and reconnecting with fellow students and members of staff.
In addition to the activities within your School or Institute, we hope you are making the most of the great programme of social activities that we have arranged for you. Our sense of community is at the heart of everything we do at Queen Mary, and we are very proud of the huge range of sports and student-led societies, which contribute so importantly to that sense of community. With over 60 sports clubs and 250 student societies, we believe we have something for everyone. And our clubs and societies have been working incredibly hard over the past few weeks, as they do every year, to ensure you feel welcome.
At the heart of our sense of community is your health and wellbeing. We know that the start of a new academic year, while exciting, can also be challenging in all sorts of ways. Please make sure you are aware of all the support the University provides for you, whenever you need it. This includes our Report + Support website, which is a safe and secure means through which you can report any case of bullying, harassment, hate incidents or gender-based violence, and access support. If you or someone else experiences any of these – whether online or in person – please tell us about it.
You may have seen recent news coverage of troubling initiation ceremonies within clubs and societies in other universities across the country. Your University and Students’ Union stand firmly together in condemning these acts wherever they take place and we work closely with our student groups to ensure this does not happen here. You should never be asked to do something you are not comfortable with. If you, or someone you know, is put in that position, please tell us via our Report + Support website. You can also contact the Students’ Union directly.
I do hope you are enjoying the start of the semester. If you have any questions or need any help to get the most from your University experience, your Advisor is there to help you and there is also the Student Enquiry Centre and our Students’ Union. We are so pleased to have you all back on our campuses! Do make the most of all the educational and social activities on offer.
Best wishes,
Adi, Muneer and Stephanie
Adi Sawalha
President, Queen Mary Students’ Union
Muneer Hussain
VP Welfare, Queen Mary Students’ Union
Professor Stephanie Marshall
Vice-Principal (Education)