Welfare
Students' Union Welfare Support
The welfare team at Birkbeck looks after a wide range of academic-related welfare and rights issues and works closely with your reps who head up the educational quality unit. With ensuring that we work closely with the College and University authorities on academic regulations governing student conduct and academic standards to your right of experiencing a student experience at Birkbeck that is free from discrimination and harassment. We are proud of our diverse student community at Birkbeck and often one’s time at University is the first time when we can express our true selves.
We have dedicated autonomous member-run liberation groups for women, disabled members, parents/carers, Black members, LGBTQ (lesbian, gay bisexual, trans* and queer) members and our senior or older members. Together with the National Union of Students and colleagues in our neighbouring Colleges, we work to provide a huge range of campaigns and information for you, often also through the medium of clubs and societies and other peer groupings which offer safe spaces.
So what type of issues does the welfare team work on? There are five specific portfolios currently which are the responsibility of the welfare team: international students, campus communal/social space, advice & representation, equality & diversity and general welfare support & academic rights. To ensure that we have the tools to deliver for our members in these sensitive areas we fund wholly through the Union’s funds a full-time Advice Centre which is affiliated to Advice UK (i.e. offers bespoke official advice similar to a Citizens Advice Bureau) and nearly 40 hours of Counselling services open only to our members. If you ever need the support of the Advice Centre or the Counselling Service, you can be assured that it is independent of the College and University authorities, so there is no conflict of interest for our team if you need support in challenging an Exam Board or need therapy for personal issues which you wish not to divulge to the College.
You can be part of the welfare team as a member representative, governing our work and services for the wider benefit of our members in a variety of ways. Crucially, you can dedicate as much or as little time as you wish to fit in with your busy life. For more information, contact the Students’ Union Office or email info@bcsu.bbk.ac.uk