SLOs prepare for the new academic year
In July, Student Liaison Officers from across the Unite! alliance met in person at TU Darmstadt for three days dedicated entirely to how they work together to support students’ experience of the alliance.
It was the first time the SLO network had gathered on its own, outside the usual Dialogue events. With nine universities each bringing their own local context, having dedicated time together, was very valuable. With Unite! entering a new phase, the timing mattered too: the group used the time to take stock of what's working so far, tackle long-standing challenges, and plan ahead together.
Working in small groups, SLOs focused on four topics that shape daily student life in Unite!: making the Seed Fund application process clearer and more predictable for students applying for funding; deepening the partnership with SURE!, the alliance's student representative body; launching a new Ambassador Programme to help students disseminate Unite! on their own campuses; and improving the SLO role itself, to better reflect the work SLOs do every day.
The group left with a concrete action plan, including practical proposals the Secretariat can act on directly to make future funding calls smoother for applicants.
With the new academic year underway, SLOs are now turning these plans into action, together with SURE! and colleagues across all nine Unite! universities.