New communications role in SUSU for ECS student Joe Mcloughlin

ECS student Joe Mcloughlin will be moving across campus to the University Students’ Union after his graduation this summer.

With his MEng in Electronic Engineering almost completed, he will take up the one-year sabbatical post of Union Vice-President for Media and Communications.

Joe achieved this position after an intense and hard-fought election campaign earlier this year when he spoke to many students, gaining their views on the Union and the University. He now aims to put this experience to good work as he takes on a key role that covers all the Union’s communications channels with the University’s 22,000 students.

Joe developed his interest in communications and leadership on Surge Radio - where he had his own show in his third year, and then took over running the station this academic year. Surge is run by the students themselves, drawing on a team of interns and volunteers, who were led by Joe. “We needed as many volunteers as possible and I had to inspire them,” he says. “I loved doing it, and learned so much.”

He also enjoyed the election campaign, and used it to find out what the students want from the Union. “I’d like to see Union communications focus more on what Southampton students want,” he comments. “Communications are a way of us getting messages across about important student issues, such as housing, what’s happening with the University restructuring and the curriculum changes.

“SUSU isn’t just a building,” he says. “Not all the students go there, so it should be a much bigger concept. It’s there for all the students and it should be involved in everything that affects them.”

Joe’s first big task when he starts his job next month will be to organize Freshers’ Week. With his own experience of being a Fresher not far away he’ll be aiming to create something that will be valuable and relevant.

Despite not continuing with Electronics in the future Joe says that he’s confident he will use the experience of being an engineer. “I love electronics”, he says, “but there are lots of other things I’d like to do in the future.”