Interview by Emma van Oosterhout
From your perspective, what is the most serious issue currently affecting the academic experience of students?
“From my perspective, the most serious issue affecting students’ academic experience is financial pressure. The cost-of-living results in students having to juggle part time work alongside full time study. When Students have to worry about affording groceries or the next month’s rent, it becomes increasingly difficult to focus on one’s education. Financial stress can then impact factors such as attendance and academic performance. Education shouldn’t have to feel like something you need to survive financially. As VP for education I would campaign to abolish unnecessary costs such as exam repeat fees and also push to stop rent increases for on campus accommodation.”
Students often say feedback is slow, unclear, or inconsistent. What would you do to improve assessment and feedback across the university?
“To improve assessment and feedback across the university I would ensure that students get feedback on time and in a clear and useful way. This means, setting deadlines for when feedback should be returned to students. I would also push for more opportunities for face to face meetings with tutors so students can ask questions and receive advice directly. Feedback should help students learn and improve, not just tell them what grade they got.”
How will you represent students in academic boards and committees in a way that leads to real change, not just discussion?
“I would enter academic boards with clear priorities set that have been directly shaped by student consultation and supported by data gathered from surveys, class reps and lived experiences. I wouldn’t simply raise concerns and move on but would follow through by requesting updates and remaining persistent. Real change happens when issues aren’t just framed as complaints but rather as solvable challenges with clear proposals.”
How will you support students who are struggling academically due to issues like housing insecurity, mental health, or financial pressure?
“I would push to make workloads more manageable for students, this would include spreading out deadlines more evenly across the term instead of having deadlines come all at once. This would avoid periods of high stress for students as it would reduce an over reliance on exams worth a large percentage of your grade. The goal is to have a system that doesn’t involve students getting completely burnt out over trying to make deadlines.”
How will you support students who are struggling academically due to issues like housing insecurity, mental health, or financial pressure?
“Supporting students in these kinds of situations requires both compassion and action. I would ensure that students are aware of the supports that are out there and how they can access them. I would make sure that students aren’t punished for things out of their control and liaise with staff to offer flexibility in deadlines when needed. The main goal is to help everyone keep up with their studies even when things get difficult.”
