Manifesto
Hi! I’m Liam Emery, and I want to be your SU Postgraduate Officer for 2017/18.
I have the skills necessary to make significant improvements to student experience. This stems from the amount of relevant experience I have gained since entering the Higher Education system back in 2012 and the passion I have in working with students to drive change. While working full-time as a Societies Development Coordinator, for the SU at UWE, I impacted the student experience by assisting students to set up new societies, developing societies through coordinating their trips and events & also trained sport/society committee members.
If you are an undergraduate reading this, my reforms would directly benefit you. The university is currently shifting their focus towards postgraduate students and now is the time to take up on this opportunity and drive positive change. Through having an effective and open dialog with the university, I know that together we will be able to secure wins for all students in the postgraduate community.
#LiamSortsItEmeryTime
Elect me as your Postgraduate Officer and I will work towards:
- Introducing printing credit for all students at the university.
Through hidden course cost campaigns many students’ unions have successfully managed their university to give printing credits to all students. With the amount we are currently spending on printing, I do not see why we can’t get our university to offer printing credit.
- Increasing postgraduate involvement within students’ union and extra-curricular activities.
Current participation in sports and societies is running at under 5% of total postgraduate students. More needs to be done to tackle the barriers to postgraduate students getting involved with sports/societies and community groups. I will work with the other officers to develop opportunities for postgraduate students. Increasing the presence of the Postgraduate Association and its funding will also help towards this.
- Establishing a taught postgraduate peer support programme.
My work in the Peer Support office has shown that while some programmes have peer support structures in place others do not. I will work with the Peer Support team to formally establish a programme.
- Ensuring every postgraduate student has a good personal tutor.
Many postgraduate students are unaware that they should be allocated a personal tutor. I will work with the Education Officer to ensure that postgraduate students are not being missed in the offering.
- Ensuring a fair deal for Graduate Teaching Staff.
While it is great that the university are offering teaching opportunities for postgraduate students, often the work is unfairly distributed and/or not paid. By working with the Education Officer we can work towards general best practise guidelines across the university.
- Improving the recording of lectures and marking feedback.
I will lobby the university to help assist lecturers with recording their lectures and ensuring that assignments are marked on time, with a good standard of feedback.
In addition to:
- Securing future commitment of parking permits for postgraduate students.
- Widening the bursary scheme to increase participation from all backgrounds.
- Making sure course fees are not rising inappropriately.