Adam Mandeville

Hi, my name is Adam Mandeville.  I am currently studying Anthropology and International Relations, and I am running for Education Officer!

 

Why am I Running?

I’m running because it’s time somebody fought back against the University and stood up for students.  Every single student deserves true representation, regardless of age, discipline, level of study, or country of origin.  The University is intent on making students customers and commodities, rather than learners - I believe that we deserve better.

Queen’s has, time and time again, put profit ahead of people and business ahead of its students.  Almost every student I talk to feels that they have been let down by the University, and I am no different.  I have witnessed, first-hand, the lack of care top University management have for their own students.  It is not good enough.  I will work tirelessly to achieve changes that will make this University function for students.

In many ways, the Student’s Union is no better.  Most students have very little idea of what goes on in all those board meetings and discussions with management - I believe that this must change.  Students deserve complete transparency regarding the decisions made concerning their own education.

 

Refund Students

The truth is, students just haven’t got what they are paying for. This broken education system treats students as customers and staff as tools and the result is that students are forking out thousands of pounds only to be met with constant disruption. 

As Education Officer, I will pressure the University to fully refund each and every student for the classes missed during strike days.  As staff on strike went unpaid, we know that the University made money during this period, and it’s time they redistribute these funds to those affected by the strike action. 

Some people have said this is impossible, but right now our Union isn’t even fighting for it. You deserve a Union that stands up for the economic justice that you deserve. I’ll also join with other Students’ Unions from across the country and lobby our national Unions to make the case for compensation for students. 

 

Scrap the Re-sit Cap and Fee

Students deserve a second chance. As it stands, you can’t repeat if you pass your exam and even when you do, if you don’t have Exceptional Circumstances you are capped at 40% and have to pay a fee. During Covid-19, this cap and fee was temporarily removed. 

If elected, I will lobby the University to remove the cap and fee permanently, so that every student can have a second chance. 

 

End Bunched Deadlines and Improve Feedback

Time and time again, students are caught out by bunched deadlines (i.e. multiple assessments occurring close to one another). I’ve heard from so many students that as soon as they finish one assessment, they have the deadline for another just around the corner. We know that these deadlines have a really significant impact on a student's mental health as well, piling on pressure when they can least afford it. 

As Education Officer, I will work with the Centre for Educational Development as well as Directors of Education and Heads of School to reform assessment so you don’t have all your deadlines come at once. I will also make it a university requirement for Schools to report the scale of bunched deadlines so we can hold them accountable.

I will also hold every School accountable for timely, constructive and quality feedback that helps you to do better in the next assessment. Far too many students still don’t get any feedback whatsoever. That needs to change. 

 

Lecture Recordings

The vast majority of universities across Britain and Ireland have lecture recording, but Queen’s still falls behind. That isn’t good enough and the Students’ Union needs to work with the University to establish lecture recording as common practice across the University. This is particularly important for students with disabilities, commuter students, student parents and mature students who find it more difficult than others to make it to every class. It can also help students for whom English is a second language, to check their understanding. 

By ensuring that every single lecture is recorded, I will create a university experience that is accessible for all.

 

Introduce Remarks

I believe that if you think your assessment has been incorrectly or unfairly marked, you should be able to request a remark. Yet right now, there is no process for this, which I believe may disadvantage students who could benefit from their assessment being revisited. 

As Education Officer, I will work to make sure that all students can request remarks on their assessments. 

Tackle the hidden costs of higher education

For far too many, higher education is still out of reach, not just because of tuition fees but also because of all the costs that come with being a student.  As Education Officer, I will work to address the various hidden costs that have become all too prevalent for students.  

 

Fight to Increase Bursaries for Placement Students

The current placement system is, for many, essentially a form of slave labour.  An increase in bursaries is long-overdue, and is the first step in removing the hidden cost of education. I’ll lobby the Department of Health to increase bursaries for nurses and other students of health-related disciplines. 

 

Keep the Free Graduation

Many students don’t know that you have to pay to graduate. During Covid, the fee to graduate was removed, proving that the University doesn’t need to charge this money. If you complete your degree, you should be entitled to walk across the stage and collect your certificate, regardless of how much money you have. 

 

Oppose Rising Tuition Fees

As Education Officer, I will strongly oppose any rise in tuition fees and fight for an end to the marketised system of higher education which charges students for an education and saddles them with decades of debt. 

Some people say this is impossible, but the Economy Minister recently announced a review of our student finance system. I will be organising students to fight for an education system here, like in Scotland and across Europe, where you aren’t charged for an education. 

 

Overhaul Exceptional Circumstances System

The current Exceptional Circumstances system is not fit for purpose. Many students don’t know where to turn to or how to navigate the system when they need it. 

As Education Officer, I will make the system more accessible and easier to understand and use.  I will also work to ensure that the system becomes more lenient.  As part of this, I will pressure the University to make the fact that severe period pain is an acceptable exceptional circumstance evident and obvious on the Exceptional Circumstances website.

 

Improve the Course Rep System

Your student representatives are volunteers who work hard for you throughout the year and there are over 800 of them in the University. 

Despite the huge power of our course reps, far too many students do not know who their course reps are and that means they often don’t have their voice heard on their education. 

I would work with Schools and the Students’ Union to make sure that every student knows who their representative is and that the representatives and staff themselves have the support they need. 

 

Other issues I will work on: 

• Joint-Honours Course with Irish: As Education Officer, I will push for more Joint-Honours courses with Irish.

• Transparency of the Students’ Union: I believe that all Student Officers should be fully accountable to the student body.  I will make sure that I am in constant communication with students, and that my work as Education Officer is fully transparent.

• Support for International Students: International students pay huge amounts of money, yet too often don’t have their voices heard in University. As Education Officer, I will ensure that international students have a real say on their education.