Advocacy and Welfare are hitting the road!
Did you know that our Advocacy and Welfare services aren’t just for on-campus students? A lot of students don’t know this! So we’ve hatched a plan to reach more of you…
This coming April, we are hitting the road to visit some of our UNE Campus Centres to meet our online students, and even hand out a few freebies – in the most delicious shape!
To find out more about the exciting road trip, and how students can get involved, we sat down with UNE Life Welfare, Advocacy, and Student Programs Manager, James Hudson.
What does Advocacy on the Road actually mean?
The purpose of Advocacy on the Road is to reach as many students as possible. We’re aiming to visit online students as well as those who call our study centres home. UNE comprises over 90% of online students who also pay SSAF funds and are entitled to our services. Advocacy and Welfare are loading up a car with freebies and Advocates in order to bring free lunches, grocery vouchers, and provide an opportunity to talk in person about our services.
We understand that online and on campus students often have different needs – so this is your opportunity to let us know what support you need. Our first trip covers UNE’s Tamworth, Kempsey, Taree, and Paramatta study centres and campuses, plus all points in between!
We want students to reach out to us on the trip and let us know where they are so we can meet them for a freebie or random prize! We want to make sure that all UNE students feel part of the experience.
Why is it important for our off-campus students to get to know the A&W team?
A&W is super important for all students! Off campus students have, at times, expressed that they feel the least supported of all students – that they don’t have an advocacy or councillor to visit and talk with in person, so we think it’s important to get out into the community and spruik our services to let students know – you’re never alone at UNE.
We (and other UNE support services) are here for everyone, and although we can’t always see you in person, we are accessible! As of this year, we are happy to announce that we actually have one of our advocates living in Newcastle, which is really exciting! She primarily works online, but she is also prepared to travel to our centres to meet with YOU!
What are you most looking forward to on the trip?
Oh, so many things, meeting all the centre managers, hearing from our remote students, and seeing the centres in real life! Most importantly, we’re excited to build upon the services you can access in these centres.
Often, students don’t find out about our service until it’s a little too late… they get a letter from their course-coordinator that can make them very worried. That is exactly the time to give us a call. We are here to help and deal with this every day, so can definitely ease your nerves and point you in the right direction with the next steps! So it will be great letting more students know this. Oh, I’m also very excited to catch up with our remote advocate, Tiarne!
How can all students get involved?
Online students can get in touch via our social media. If you are close to any of our designated centre stops – Tamworth, Kempsey, Taree, and Paramatta, then definitely reach out and we might be able to stop by and see you as we travel through your town! Check out our landing page, and Facebook Events page for the dates and times we will be in your area. If we aren’t coming near you on this trip, there are still prizes up for grab for students that engage with the road trip on social media, so keep an eye out for more details on that!
Thanks for your time James! We are so excited to follow the road trip on the Advocacy and Welfare social media channels! Students can find out more about the event on our webpage here.
You’re never alone at UNE.
Our team at Advocacy and Welfare offers confidential support to students! You can contact us here.
Student Success also has confidential counselling for students, you can find them here.
Lifeline is also a 24/7 hotline and you can call them on 13 11 14
