After reading Fabians Blog “we are a guild of students! A response” . I’ve decided to reply. I commend his desire to re-engage students in the very highest levels of guild politics. I like many was very encouraged by his manifesto promises of change and the sentiments he expressed during the election. I believe he really intends to try make these changes.
The platform me and Fabian are arguing on that is our guild provided blogs. These blogs are now as Nick Petrie says the “primary means of submitting a Guild Council report”. Guild council is the chief mechanism for students to debate with the officers the contents of these reports and the direction of the guild. To do this they are given the platform of guild council.
Online in the officers new e reports it’s a different matter any student commenting/ debating on these reports are given no platform. I think its time the guild followed step with other institutions and groups progressively trying to engage their grassroots.
I think you’ll agree that the “meet the team feed” you have on left and side of your page is the primary area for discussion of executive activities, it’s like a officer team giving reports but there is no guild council, lets not waffle to empty room anymore. The number of student’s blogging tweeting about guild issues shows how many students are clamouring to be let in to this room.
It’s great that you check their blogs that reflects well on your style of governance, however you don’t have to do it and other presidents may not do as you do. So I think it is time that we let those students fully into the online guild council, create an organ for them as Helen says. Include all students and students groups who want it in your “meet the team” feed on your blog because they are very much part of the team. Put links beside the officer blogs to all the students’ blogs that request it, promote them, give them a platform, create a organ etc.
“I been given a platform which is disproportionately superior to fellow student bloggers? Well, according to my google analytics statistics only very few visitors to my blog have come via the Guild website so hence many people have come through word of mouth and my own advertising via facebook and twitter”
Yes however I don’t think that reflects on the power of the platform it probably just reflects on how tucked away and poorly promoted these blogs are on the guild website (my analytics shows a similar story). Not many students turn up to guild council (or atleast stay for the motions) that doesn’t affect the power of it as a platform just its effectiveness.
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why not go futher and create a small feed box on the home page of the guild website, much this one at http://peopleandplanet.org/ ?
ReplyDeleteBringing the BUCF and BULs feeds would be nice; these are active sites for discussion. We get plenty of visitors’ probably more than the officer blogs(lol). This discussion on our sites is happening in a somewhat detached way from the officer group. If the guild were to create this amalgamated online platform it would certainly engage blogging student societies with the officers.
ReplyDeleteEd, how about I start a second feed on my blog where I include any student or group who want to be included? To keep it tidy I will arrange it so that the newest stories are on top and that it shows the 10 or so most recent stories.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I do feel that it should be a separate feed to that of the officer team as the students aren't blogging in a mandated Guild officer capacity.
How about that?
i think that sounds good fab :)
ReplyDeletesecond feed prob best because some people might want to specifically check officer blogs, and edd as much as all opinions are valid you also have to help people find what they want, and i think in this case out of practicality for the user, and clarity, they should be separate. but more blogs should definitely be on there.
arent these open bloggy chats constructive eh? :)
No I don't think thats good enough, providing a link doesn't encourage participation, I understand you want to keep a separate officer team feed that sounds fine. Students who want to engage in debate and involve themselves in the guild shouldn't have to do so under their own steam. The guild should provide for them a platform and space that actively encourages their participation and promotes their views in a very public space. Making a few links on your blog seems rather a nominal step towards this end.
ReplyDeleteAlthough that aside please do go ahead. Its definitely a step in the right direction.
ReplyDelete