For an accessible, progressive and accountable Students' Union
I am a new postgraduate student, studying MA Conflict Transformation and Social Justice. I’m running in this election to promote an accessible, progressive and accountable Students’ Union.
Accessible
- Mandatory lecture recordings - lecture recordings are useful for everyone and can be vital for students with disabilities. I will support the introduction of a policy which makes recording and uploading lectures to Canvas the standard
- Better introduction for new postgraduates – joining Queen’s for the first time as a new postgraduate was overwhelming and I felt that as a PG student I was expected to know how things worked even though I was new. This process will be even more difficult for international students. The registration system needs to be improved and new postgraduates need to have access to as much support as new undergraduates
- I will fight for HAPP to promote welfare services so that new postgraduates know these services are available from the very beginning of the year
Progressive
- Cost of Living – I will support action to ease the COL crisis for students including supporting the National Students’ Union’s campaign for rent freezes
- Sustainability – I will promote environmental issues on the council including pushing for an ethical and sustainable investment policy
- Student-Staff Solidarity – Staff working conditions are student learning conditions. As such I will support university staff in their fight for fair pay and conditions
I have three years of experience in progressive campaigns from my undergraduate university: fighting institutional racism, islamophobia and transphobia; organising student solidarity campaigns for the UCU strikes; campaigning for the university to adopt an ethical investment programme and being part of a successful rent strike campaign that saved students hundreds of pounds during the pandemic. I want to bring this experience to Queen’s on the Student Council.
Accountable
Holding Students’ Union officers to account is a key part of being on the SU Council and it is a role I would take very seriously. During my undergraduate there were no official mechanisms to hold officers to account but I was part of a team of people who found ways to hold them to account anyway. I would like the opportunity to do this again, through official channels this time.
Additionally, as the school representative for HAPP I would make sure to stay in regular contact with course reps within the school and communicate with relevent societies to ensure that the voices of people across HAPP are represented.
For an accessible, progressive and accountable Students' Union, vote Jess Hindley for Postgraduate School Rep (SHAPP)