Hello everyone my name is Ancha and I am your union president. Last year I was the vice president of activities. During my time as vice president of activities I created the BAME leaders network called “The ACE Network”. I am very keen on equipping students with leadership skills which they can take into jobs when they graduate and become more confident. I am also very passionate about leadership and BAME representation and this is what motivated me to set up the network.
The A.C.E Network has been set up to give UWL BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) Students a chance to develop and learn new skills.
You will be able to learn a variety of leadership skills and collaborate with one another, as well as hearing about individual lived experiences. It is a space to network and connect with students/peers in similar positions. There will be workshops about the following:
Not only this, but there will be ample opportunity to and hear about people’s experiences within leadership positions and the journey to get to that place.
The next session is running on Friday 2nd October 2020 and we will be hearing from the ex president of UWLSU Kat Hacksaw and masters student Chandni Guram about setting up their online business and their experience with leadership. It will also be a chance to ask them any questions and hear their personal experiences with leadership.
Events and services
The ACE network was initially set up in 2019 and we had a successful first year. We engaged with feedback from students about what they wanted from our sessions and how we could tailor it to the student’s specific needs. Students asked for sessions including learning skills, public speaking, networking, and hearing about peoples lived experiences. We have also used this insight to plan 2020.
During our first year, we heard from Chuchu Nwagu, talking about his experience being a sabbatical officer at the University of Roehaptom and how this shaped his views on leadership and being a black man in this position. We also heard from Charmagne Barnes, the Pro Vice Chancellor at UWL who presented her Doctoral research into the experiences of Black Minority Ethnic women in roles of academic leadership in HE. (We also had lots of free pizzas).
The first session will run as part of virtual freshers week to welcome you to the ACE Network so you know what its all about! Also it’s a great chance for you to see what the SU offers when it comes to sports and societies and how you can get involved.