Somebody who you can talk to, somebody who you can relate to, somebody who enjoys helping people. My name is Luke Prothero, and I am running to be your next Digby president.

Your thoughts are what really matter, so I asked many Roehampton students their personal opinions about what could improve university experience. There were three main areas that were common from students’ responses:

Safety

• “Why are there no lights around campus at night?”
• “Why is the door to my accommodation always broken?”
• “Why does Report and Support do so little to support me?”

Whether you live on campus or not, Roehampton should feel like your home during your studies, and what is the number one priority for a place that you call home? Safety.

There are many issues that have been raised by students regarding safety which I find disturbing, as seen in the student feedback.

I want to make it clear to everyone how important student safety is. This will be my largest priority and I promise to communicate all issues regarding your safety to the university, to ensure that a solution will be provided.

Service and Communication

• “Why has my ticket not had a solution provided in a month?”
• “Why have I not got reception or WIFI in my own room?”
• “Why is maintenance working in my flat when I wasn’t notified?”

I know that a lot of students have felt unheard and dismissed when it comes to communication, perhaps you didn’t hear anything back after reporting a fault, or you weren’t notified when maintenance was working in your flat?

My priority would be to establish a communication plan between all students and the senior management team, to ensure that when an issue is raised, a solution will be provided quickly.

I also plan to put a system into place where students are informed exactly when staff are due to work in your accommodation. This is your living space where you shouldn’t have your privacy unexpectedly disrupted.

Events and Reputation

• “Why do I not find out much about college events?”
• “Why are there not many free events for students?”
• “Why are the union events so empty?”

Our community here at Roehampton has been gradually improving over the past year to become a more positive and inclusive setting. The more our community thrives, the more we will all benefit, and events are a crucial part of this.

I aim to use your feedback to develop these student events, with a focus on making sure that everyone is aware of what they could be taking part in and fostering our Roehampton community.

I cannot emphasise enough my genuine care for this university, and if I am elected, I promise to work to the best of my ability to make sure that you are heard, respected, and valued.

There are many other things that we as a university and college can achieve, but these won’t happen through words alone.

For change to happen, actions must be taken.