Welcome to Ayrshire College Student Association

WHAT WE DO

As soon as you enrol at Ayrshire College you automatically become a member of our award-winning Students’ Association and can take advantage of being part of this Ayrshire wide network.

The Student Association exists to support and represent the 14,000 students across the college’s campuses including apprentices, part-time students and evening students. Regardless of your mode of study, the Association is here for you!

We also help bring students together through events, clubs, sports, initiatives and campaigns and by providing opportunities for volunteering and social interaction.

We are an autonomous organisation which works in close partnership with the college and have our own governing document, known as the Constitution.

The Association’s elected officers work closely with college staff to ensure that you have the best possible student experience therefore, if you have an issue which is a barrier to your learning or which is having a negative impact on your ability to reach your potential here at Ayrshire College, we're here to help!

The Student Association is led by two full-time student officers known as ‘sabbatical officers' - the Student President and Student Vice President. The sabbatical officers are elected by the students each year and are in post for one year, with the opportunity to stand for election for a second year.

This year your Student President is Darcie Hamilton, and your Student Vice President is Connor Skipsey.

The Student Association is supported by a dedicated full-time member of staff, the Student Association Advisor.  The Advisor's role is to support the work of the Student Association and to ensure that the Sabbatical Officers and their Executive Committee have the information, knowledge, training and resources they need to run a successful Association. The Advisor is also there to help students turn ideas into action. From fundraising to starting a club or society, the Student Association Advisor is here to help.

The Student Association team are here to support all Ayrshire College students, therefore spread their time between campuses. When not on campus, the officers can be contacted quickly through Email or Teams.

Representing You

Ayrshire College recognises Ayrshire College Students' Association as a democratically run organisation, committed to serving and representing the students of the college.

The Student President and Student Vice President sit on the College's Board of Management, as full student Board members, and do so to provide a voice for students on organisational decisions that may affect them.

Students may also choose to volunteer for an Officer role. Officers will have a specific role such as LGBT+ and Women’s Officer to invigorate events of those themes. This ensures our events represents these communities in the best way.

We welcome feedback from all students. The Association Sabbatical Officers are on campus and are available via email and Teams. If you would like contact either of the officers please email studentassociation@ayrshire.ac.uk or reach out on Teams.

Get Involved!

There are many ways in which you can get involved in the work of the Association;

Become a Class Ambassador - With training and lots of help from the Student Association team, you could support students on your campus to have a say in improving their College experience, gaining valuable skills and having something that demonstrates your leadership skills to add to your CV.

Become a Student Officer - Why not apply for our officer’s positions. These roles allow those with protected characteristics and interest in different areas to play a vital link in the landscape of student representation. As a Student Officer you will work closely with the Student Association and other college departments to promote events, campaigns and awareness raising.  Being a Student Officer also provides you with extensive personal development opportunities and are a great addition to your CV.  There are different Student Officer post available throughout the year and information about when we are recruiting for officers will land in your student inbox.

Join or start a Club or Society – The Student Association supports students to facilitate a range of clubs for you to join such as our Chess Club, Student Carers Group and LGBT+ Group. If you have an idea for a club, we are also here to support you and help you get started.  If you are interested in joining, sign up here: https://forms.office.com/e/5w9sTcwaS7

Fundraise - If you would like to fundraise, give us a shout, we can help with fundraising ideas, promoting your event and can provide resources such as collection buckets.

Events and Campaigns - The Association runs events and initiatives throughout the year, and we are always looking for volunteers to help. We can also help students with their own campaigns. If you feel strongly about a particular cause and would like to build a campaign to raise awareness amongst students, we can give you advice on how to go about it safely and effectively and support you to put your idea into motion.

Focus Groups - The Association support various focus groups to gather student opinion on a wide range of topics. Invitations to take part in Focus Groups on various topics will be sent to your student mailbox during the year.

Student President Elections - Every year during Spring, Ayrshire College Student Association holds its Student President elections, and we need enthusiastic students to come forward to stand for election. The elections determine who will be the Student President and Student Vice President for the following year. The roles are full time, paid positions and are open to any student over the age of 16. For nomination forms, please check your student inboxes frequently nearer the time.

Use your Vote! - the Student President and Vice President are there to represent you. Make sure that we have the best people in place by using your vote in ACSA elections.

Ongoing Student Association Events and Campaigns

Mental Health & Wellbeing

The Student Association works closely with our NHS Mental Health Liaison Officer, Michelle Morton, to deliver a wide range of events, campaigns and activities for Students Mental Health.  This includes sharing resources, taking part in Mental Health Days and Awareness Weeks as well as the newly release Mind Thyself Mental Health App.

Do you want to make improvements to your emotional & mental health but don’t know where to begin? The mental health advice drop-ins are offered on a first-come-first-seen basis and is a 1:1 chat with the Mental Health Liaison Officer (Michelle Morton). Each student will be given a 30-minute slot to discuss their concerns and be offered a range of resources and signposting information to help improve their overall emotional wellbeing. If you’re interested and would like to book a slot, please look for the Mental Health & Wellbeing Drop In posters at the Student Association Office.

Pathways of Hope

The College and the Student Association have been supporting a new campaign called Pathways of Hope.  This campaign aims to encourage students to talk about suicide and how to find a pathway to hope through talking and sharing of experiences, as well as accessing support and resources.

Reclaim the Night

This event is part of our Women’s campaign work and happens each year in November to mark the 16 Days of Action Campaign. The event is aimed at raising awareness of the threat and perceived threat of Gender Based Violence on our streets, especially at night. The Event allows participants to call for safe streets for everyone and is open to anyone. Please see your student inbox for more information about this event.

Periods R Pants

Do you know that the Scottish Government has introduced financial provision for free sanitary products to all students across Scotland? This is to eradicate period poverty so that students education is not impacted negatively by not being able to attend college due to the cost of sanitary wear. You can access free sanitary products in the College's female and accessible toilets and from Student Services and the Student Association. If you are interested in doing your bit to help reduce sanitary waste, you can access free sustainable products, such as reusable period pants from the Student Association office. Please contact studentassociation@ayrshire.ac.uk.

LGBT+ History Month

LGBT+ History Month takes place in February each year to remember and celebrate the contribution Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender people have made to our society. By marking LGBT+ History month here at the college we hope to help increase the visibility of LGBT+ people, advance education on the matters affecting the LGBT+ community, help to create safe spaces for LGBT+ students and staff and help to ensure that LGBT+ people live, learn and work in a society which allows them to fulfil their potential. If you would like to contribute to LGBT+ History Month, let us know. There is also an LGBT+ Group where you can find a welcoming community. For more information on the support available to LGBT+ Students, please contact studentassociation@ayrshire.ac.uk.

National Union of Students

Ayrshire College Student Association is affiliated to the National Union of Students (NUS) and we receive lots of support and guidance from our colleagues at NUS Scotland.

NUS Scotland brings together students from colleges and universities all over Scotland to fight for changes which make a real difference to all students’ lives.

As well as various initiatives and campaigns that students can get involved in, NUS offer students the opportunity to take advantage of a wide range of Student Discounts through their NUS Totum Card.

For more information on NUS Scotland, please see their website: https://www.nus-scotland.org.uk/

If you would like to keep up to date with the Student Association, you can follow them on Twitter and Instagram or for more information email studentassociation@ayrshire.ac.uk

Contact Us

Email: studentassociation@ayrshire.ac.uk

Teams: 

- Darcie Hamilton

- Connor Skipsey

Social Media:

- Twitter - @AyrshireColleSA

- Instagram -  https://www.instagram.com/ayrshirecollsa_/