Jemma Hart
We want to ensure that our students have the right support available to them throughout their studies. My area of work focuses on reviewing and expanding the support offered to learners in the Faculty of Science so they have the best possible experience and can thrive at university and beyond.
I am involved in projects that aim to enhance the experience of underrepresented student groups, such as international, mature, disabled, and students returning after a period of absence. The higher education journey for these students may not be straightforward so it is important that we offer additional provisions for their needs. I work closely with the teams associated to these groups to ensure we have proactive support mechanisms in place if required.
A key focus for the current academic year is help for our students who are facing financial hardship. We run a series of initiatives seeking to alleviate some of challenges learners face around money management, budgeting, travel, period poverty and other necessities. I am continuing to work closely with the Students’ Union to support a centralised food bank and partner with our Education and Student Experience Manager for Transitions who is currently developing community kitchens and support for budget friendly recipe books.
I am the ESE lead for digital accessibility across the faculty and liaise regularly with our apprenticeships and CARO teams to ensure consistency of support for our learners. I feel especially passionate about the work I undertake around wellbeing recognition, in the context of reducing stigma and increasing engagement and, as the ESE lead for to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion I ensure these core values are weaved into every area of work across the whole team.