VOTE AMY #1 for President 25/26. I will support placement students with their financial struggles whilst reforming assessment ensuring our students get the most out of university opportunities. I will work on ongoing issues like cost of living and mental health, ensuring the continuation of mental health awareness around campus.
About Me;
Hi everyone! I’m Amy, your current Postgraduate Education Officer for this year. I studied a Bachelors of Arts degree in Drama and English and am currently working towards my Masters in Arts Management. I have been involved in all things SU since working in the Operations and Reception desk and being a student officer this year.
When it comes to clubs and societies I have been an active member of Queen’s Knights Cheerleaders and Queen’s Musical Theatre Society, taking up roles such as Treasurer in the year 22/23 and also President in the year 23/24. These roles helped me a considerable amount when it came to my role this year, specifically in terms of experience in leadership and working in a team.
What I Have Done;
- Was a part of many academic committees surrounding the graduation reviews, education for the future, graduate school reviews etc.
- Helped to form the new structure of the academic year, standardising reading weeks across schools and faculties. Adding in assessment periods to ensure students can prepare properly and have rest periods.
- Was apart of the working group creating policies for lecture recordings across the university. Reviewing the pilot stage this year and hopefully implementing across all schools next year coming.
- Successfully trained and empowered over 500 academic reps at both UG and PG level, helping to strengthen the student voice within academic decisions and reviews.
Placement Support
Throughout the year of 2024/25, I worked to create a survey for students completing placements and dissertations, answering questions surrounding finances, repayments and supervisors. This allowed me to see the depth and details of issues our students face on a daily basis.
I plan to decrease the length of time reimbursements take, ensuring appropriate cash flows for our students so no student will be left short. I will work with the staff in MHLS to fight for free parking for our students undertaking placements in hospitals. I will also work with the academic staff to ensure that placements that are undertaken are an asset to our students rather than a burden.
Cost of Living
Our students are far too often struggling to find the money to eat and heat their homes, basic human rights. We can do something about this. Students are left with no option other than work excessive hours in their part time jobs to be able to afford basic necessities, having a negative impact on both their academic as well as their university experience.
I will fight for the continuation and an increased amount of free meals at all times of the year. I will gain more visibility for the SU advice department who can aid our students with these issues and advise them accordingly.
The cost of living crisis is having major impacts on our students travelling to and from mandatory placements, with students struggling even further without the support of a part time job. Our students shouldn’t have to struggle their way through finances just to have the access to their education that most are already in debt for.
Academic Assessment Reform
From working in education this year, it has become clear from students that the assessment burden has a severe effect on the mental health of the student population. Students are currently balancing their student life, classes, part time jobs and involvement in the SU, whilst also being assessed in sporadic and heavy loads.
I will use analysis from years previous to fight for a lighter assessment load for students that will in the long run have a more positive impact on their graduate outcomes. The work within the academic year group has also had an impact that will prove to be favourable for students in terms of having that exam period to properly prepare.
Mental Health
The mental health of our students continues to be the top priority for me. Mental health remains as one of the main issues students face as a result of the many burdens that come with university life, such as assessments and cost of living have such a negative impact on our students mentally. I want to change this. I want to empower our students to make the decisions about their mental health improvements.
Therefore I want to invest and expand in the services provided in the SU, such as growing the club and societies services, encouraging more students to volunteer and improve visibility of the opportunities offered in enterprise and voice.
All of my policies will inevitably lead to better student mental health and I believe student mental health is the heart and soul of issues we have yet to conquer. I will fight to make the necessary changes to improve this.