As Education officer I will fight to expand lecture recording to all schools, implement assessment and feedback deadlines on all assignments, empower student reps through more democracy and influence in courses, increased neuro-divergent inclusion through easier to access resources and fighting for better cost of living support for all
About me
I am a third year Irish language and History student and have been a Gaeilgeoir all my life, with vast experience in campaigning both within the SU and the University I was the secretary for Queens Pride society and brought the society to one of the most active societies on campus. I have been an activist within the students Union for over 2 years now, finding my feet in multiple referendum’s which tackled the University directly and I have fought for students to not be exploited. I have taken part in the 3Ds campaign which demanded a complete divestment from unethical companies such as Blackrock and have shown solidarity with striking lecturers and staff.
Policies
- Finishing the fight on lecture recording:
For too long Queens has fallen far behind every other Russell group university in terms of lecture recording, with many students who are impacted by long term illnesses, family concerns and money problems being unable to access the teaching that they have paid for. This needs to stop. If elected as Education officer I will finish to fight to institute lecture recording for all courses across the University so that every student can have an equal opportunity at the education that they deserve.
- Assessment and feedback timelines
In many courses students are left waiting far too long for marks after their assessments have been completed, with no opportunity to receive feedback before completing their next assignment, with many students feeling lost on how they should go about their larger assignments later in the semester. I will push for concrete timelines for marks to be returned to students to ensure that every student will be able to have feedback on their assignments before they complete their next one.
As Education officer I will advocate and empower student representatives to have a larger impact on how their course and modules are run, placing the student representatives at every point in the decision making process at the same level as staff, with paid opportunities made available for student contributions. This process will include the expansion of Staff-Student partnerships where staff are advised by students on issues that directly impact them to improve the quality of life within the course. This will give students more ability to shape how the course they study into something that works for every student no matter what background of field they study in.
- Neurodivergent inclusivity
Too often students who are Neurodivergent or suffer from disabilities feel excluded within their courses or faculty areas, with many becoming overwhelmed in the environments they are supposed to feel comfortable and accepted in. I will push for improved safe spaces for students such as quiet study spaces, increased funding for support systems and also simplifying the process to recieve these resources, using feedback from students to make all students feel comfortable and able to complete their work in a space that makes them feel safe.
Many students struggle with money and the impact of this leads to many students being unable to access a proper meal during class times and severely impacting their ability to learn. As Education officer I will build upon the success of the free breakfasts and warm up schemes to support students who may be struggling financially so that students are able to benefit from these successful schemes. I will lobby the university to increase funding for these programs as their continued success supports students through the hardest times of the year.