Chloe O'Malley

Hello everyone! I'm Chloe- your friendly neighbourhood AEL Undergrad School Rep, Film Society social media officer, and many other things. But I'm also someone who cares a lot about how our education here in University affects our lives now, and into the future. So I'm running to be your next Undergraduate Education officer. So... there's the dossier, now what am I setting out to do?

Diversify Assessment

We are in an age where getting a degree of any shape or form is essentially mandatory for most jobs we want to pursue. Making our cohort a massively diverse group of students, and for many of us, the rigorous academic system does not work. Similarly, many of the jobs we will find our way to will not necessarily require every skill we develop as we adapt to rigorous academia; they will want someone who is also practically capable with technical knowledge. Our degrees should be setting us up to make ourselves stand out once we're in the job market (or even a placement year!). This means preparing us for all aspects of our fields of interest. By keeping some of the assessments we have, but also looking to more practical styles, we take a step in this direction. And it is something I want to work on.

Design Student-Driven Modules

As AEL School Rep, I've been involved in a very exciting project: creating a new module type in my school to be brought for approval. These are called SLICCS (Student-Led Individually Created Courses). These are a module type where the student works with an academic supervisor to build the module they take so that they can get the best out of it, and make the module to their interests. These are currently being looked at for work placement modules. I see potential for this to be rolled out across the university for academic modules, where groups of students can pitch and design what they learn hand-in-hand with their faculty. Allowing you to focus on your interests, broaden your horizons, and have it all still count toward your degree. This is a passion project of mine, and I see so much benefit in bringing these modules in for everyone across the University; I will give my all to it.

Cost of Living on Campus

There is a lot in place to tackle the current cost-of-living crisis, but is it enough? How much do we spend on hot drinks and food to get us through the Uni day? I may have an idea. I have been a fan of the app TooGoodToGo (TGTG) for many years now, and I know it operates in Belfast. With TGTG, you purchase a mystery bag of goods from a participating store that have not sold by the end of the day, but need to be: they are at a very reduced price which is great for a student who needs something to eat in the evening but can't afford a full price takeout, and needs more than crisps and nuts/seeds. I also see how some days there can be lots of snacks, treats and pastries left in on-campus cafes such as Junction or Social. I want to explore the possibility of them bringing in TooGoodToGo bags with the food that would be potentially going out at the end of the day, which would be vastly cheaper than the prices we currently pay there.

Also, Queen's is now the first cross-border University on this Island, yet unlike institutions from ROI, no campus cafes or shops are subsidised. Many of us see a majority of our money going to food and drink to get us through a long day of class or studying. And better yet, sometimes it ends up cheaper to go to a nearby Independent Cafe (and we all know how expensive they are). I will fight to have more cost-reducing schemes, like loyalty programmes or deals rolled out, but with the end goal of highlighting that we need our University to make our lives on campus more affordable.

Education for the modern student

We cannot be just full-time students in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis. (Trust me, I know ball, I have three jobs 🫠) Yet from my experience as a School Rep, I've seen firsthand how this is forgotten about. We are expected to give full-time hours to University, but still participate in societies because employers will consider how we got involved, work part-time, be in class, and get our assignments in on time. It is a recipe for disaster, which will inevitably burn students out. I will strive to have our faculty not just recognise that the student experience has changed dramatically, but also cater for it in the work we take on.

And many other things...

Like strengthening the employability structures built into our courses, so we have the best chances possible at landing an entry-level job. 

But ultimately, keeping our education in check and making sure it is worth all the costs to us: our time, the effort we give our assignments, the cost of course materials and of course, the fees we pay. 

It's a modern student's world, and I am standing to fight for our university to live in it.