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Meet your Students' Union President

9 October 2024
Andrew introduces himself as Students' Union President and tell us how the SU can benefit students.

When you join EKC Ashford College, you automatically become a member of the Students’ Union (SU).

The Students’ Union has many exciting clubs and societies for you to get involved in where you can meet new people and make new friends. 

It is also there to represent your voice on issues that matter to you, and ensure you have a positive experience at College. You can help to make a difference to the College community by becoming a Class Rep or Students’ Union Officer and voting for your Students’ Union President. 

The Students’ Union President helps to organise a range of trips and events both inside and outside of the College, such as Freshers’ Fayre, Celebration of Culture, and visits to Thorpe Park.  

We spoke to this year’s Students’ Union President, Andrew, about his role and how the Students’ Union can benefit students.  

Andrew Stiffell | Students’ Union President 

SU president Andrew - smiling at the camera

Why did you run for Students’ Union President? 

My name is Andrew, I’m 26 and I study Level 3 Creative Media and Technology at Ashford College.  

I ran for Student President for several reasons. I wanted to have more engagement with the College and there were several things I’d like to change.  

Another reason I ran is that this role is very good for my CV. I came to College from a full-time job and I was ready to have a job again while I study. I specifically wanted a role which would work around my studies so this is perfect.   

From School, I went into an apprenticeship then into a full-time job for five years, before coming back to education. I hoped that my experience would help me to relate many different students of all ages. 

Tell us more about your role and what you do in College. What do you do as Students’ Union President? 

I’m the leader of the Students’ Union Officers, including roles like the Events Officer, Wellbeing Officer, Equality Officer and Class Reps. I attend meetings, and chat with these Officers about the College and my plans. Essentially, I help bring the student voice to life.  

Another part of my role is to get trips and events organised. I’m all about making the College as much fun as possible for every single student.  

One of the things I wanted to change as Students’ Union President was ensuring the E-Hub was more of a quiet space and had areas for students to study in. This change has already begun which I’m really happy about.  

What do you love about the role? 

I love that I get to meet other students on a daily basis and making connections. It’s great for the courses to be able to work together on different projects. As an example, in the Media department we tend to work with Music if we want a specific sound or musical piece for our projects.  

I like helping and meeting new people so this is definitely the role for me. There’s a real sense of community here.  

You mentioned helping to push change in the E-Hub. What’s another change you hope to drive this year? 

I’d like to help improve general well-being and dietary habits. More and more people are interested in being healthy these days, so I’d like to introduce free fruit bowls for students.  

How do I join the Students’ Union? 

Everyone is part of the SU when they join the College but if you want to get more involved then there are many roles you could join.  

Class reps are really important as they are the voice of their class. The class reps will join meetings with me and senior staff and can bring any issues or ideas to these discussions.  The meetings are essentially about how can we make your experience better while you’re at EKC Ashford College. 

What do you love about College? 

I like the environment of College, as you are treated like an adult which is very different to school. 

You are given lots more freedom and you can be yourself and express yourself openly. This type of learning gets you ready for University, an Apprenticeship, a career or wherever your next steps may take you. College learning is fantastic, and students being actively listened to is one of the best parts. 

Do you have any tips for new students? 

The key is to be yourself and try new things. I came into my course not knowing anything about Media and now I know what I’d like to do with my life. I know some people struggle to make friends as I was once one of those people. My advice is to be open and get into conversations with people. If you have any issues, then come see me and I’ll do all I can to help. 

Finally, where can students find you? 

I’m located in the Students’ Union Hub downstairs, and Wednesdays are my main day in the role.  

I also can be found throughout campus during the week interacting with staff and students. I’m also happy to be messaged on teams with any enquiries.  

Learn more about our Students’ Union or speak to Andrew in College.