Amy Smith

Hi everyone! My name is Amy Smith and I am a current Arts Management postgraduate student here at Queen’s. I recently graduated in summer of 2023 with a Bachelor of Arts undergraduate degree in Drama and English, and have been a member of Queen’s Musical Theatre Society since my first year. I am the current President of Queen’s Musical Theatre Society and have therefore been advocating for the voices of those in the arts this past year. Throughout my work in the Student’s Union as an operations assistant, I have come face to face with the problems postgraduate students go through on a daily basis. The amalgamation of my degree and societies has driven me to run for this role to advocate for the postgraduate student voices within our university. I will continue to improve the wellbeing and inclusion of the postgraduate students, not only within the Students’ Union, but in the entire university body as a whole.

Halting and Aiding the Rise of Postgraduate Tuition Fees

• Many students I have interviewed have expressed that they were hesitant in applying for a postgraduate study due to the continued rise in price and the continued cost of living crisis.
• Student Finance NI only provides up to £6,500 towards tuition fees which is not the full cost of the degree as a whole. (The average being £7,025)
• Postgraduate tuitions fees are set to rise yet again for the upcoming year and I aim to aid this by advocating for additional financial support from the university including scholarships and bursaries dedicated to postgraduate studies.

Postgraduate Accommodation

• University postgraduate accommodation is limited in comparison to the increased interest in masters studies, further deterring our students of the opportunity to study.
• Postgraduate students are encouraged to use the ‘Willow Walk’ accommodation in BT9, prices are currently set at £165 per week and are set to increase within the next year.
• The limited availability of these facilities make it difficult for postgraduate students to be able to afford accommodation, on top of the cost of the degree itself.
• I will work for more accommodation to be available to postgraduate students, as well as the option of scholarships and bursaries to be put towards the balance.

Postgraduate Inclusion with Events and Clubs/Societies

• Because of my involvement with many clubs and societies over the years, it is extremely apparent that there is a severe lack of postgraduate students that get involved.
• There are many reasons for this including “feeling out of place”, but it was also brought to my attention that many students did not know that they were eligible to be a part of a club or society.
• Therefore I will advocate for a postgraduate student discounted membership for student led clubs and societies.

Placement Compensation

• There is a staggering number of students struggling to find work due to compulsory placement modules.
• This is a combined limitation with accommodation as people struggle to afford this alongside being unable to earn external money, due to unpaid placement commitments. 
• I will fight for paid placements and to provide opportunities that could result in a graduate job after a successful placement period.

I hope I can rely on your vote. Feel free to DM my Instagram page with any queries or concerns with present or future postgraduate education.                                                                                                                                                                       

Insta – amy4postgrad