Q: Cast your mind back to June/July 2023. What were your thoughts coming into the role, and how have your thoughts about the role changed one year later?

A: I didn’t have much expectations about the role as it’s not a fixed job description, each officer will do something different in the role. Even though I had worked closely with our previous SCO, I knew there was room to shape the role.

I did not anticipate the amount of involvement I would have with UAL directly, as there  are elements in the role that are more rigid, but the role can be designed around you as an individual.

Q: How do you feel about your year as Student Communities Officer?

A: Fast. Everyone says the term as an officer goes fast, but you don’t really realise how quickly the year flies by until you’re in the role. It was fun, and I was able to refine my professional skills.

Q: What were some memorable moments this year?

A: Black History Month is one of my favourite moments, particularly the end-of-month celebration. I was worried about facilitating with a new team, but it was great to see everything come together and see University staff get involved. I was happy with what I did.

I really enjoyed the Officer Residential as it was nice to know the team in a different environment, and I had a great time.

Q: Was there anything you wanted to do this year but ran out of time?

A: I wanted to get ahead in my access to sports campaign, but these things can take years sometimes, and I’m glad to have started those conversations.

Q: In your time here as an officer and employee of Arts SU, what have you learned?

A: I’ve learned quite a lot. This is my first office job, and learning about workplace culture and how to navigate being an individual in the workplace is something I was able to develop on throughout this past year. Being able to see how passionate people are about students and education was really nice. The transition from being a Society President to Student Communities Officer was a lot smoother with the knowledge I had been able to learn.

Q: What advice would you give to people who want to become the next Student Communities Officer?

A: Plan further in advance, and take into account the pattern of students. Understanding what activity takes place throughout the year such as exam season or when students will be off campus.

OFFICER OBJECTIVES:

Objective Title: Increase the accessibility to sports and movement activities, through expanding and  increasing awareness of free and discounted sports and activities, in addition to decolonizing sports culture

Progress: Ongoing.

Worked with the Communities team to improve on diversity and inclusivity, this included small steps such as having a POC DJ and wide range of food options at the Community Awards 2024, and diverse food options at Varsity 2024 as well.

Hopefully, as communications about free sports and societies, people will see that these groups are inclusive and will want to take part.

We have been in conversations with various local councils about being able to provide discounted gym memberships to students.  

Objective Title: Continue to uphold UAL to their pledges of decolonisation and anti-racism through existing work on crits, liberation periods, expanding resources, and supporting students from marginalised communities in complaints processes

Progress: Ongoing.

Was part of multiple working groups around EDI and anti-racism, where I was able to be vocal and continue to question UAL on their pledges. Each time the working groups meet we discuss the action points and how UAL is meeting those pledges.

I was able to dedicate my capacity to Black History Month and supporting Sof (LCC Officer 2022-2024) with South Asian Heritage Month.

I’ve been working with our SU Advice team around the complaints processes and should be able to get some clarity on that in preparation for the next officers.

Objective Title: Fostering an increased sense of community between and on campuses for all students. With additional focus on the integration and movement of sites and courses. Through hosting and promoting events.

Progress: Ongoing.

Most of my activity this year has been event-focused, and I have seen the positive impact of facilitating or supporting events - 26 to be exact, across the colleges. I collaborated with Kat (LCF Officer 2023-2025) on an event at the London College of Fashion, which has set a precedent for creating more collaborative events between UAL and the SU.

I have also been part of the LCF Student Experience working group, which aims to ensure a smooth transition between colleges and improve the student community at LCF.

Q: Cast your mind back to June/July 2023. What were your thoughts coming into the role, and how have your thoughts about the role changed one year later?

A: I came into the role because of things I wanted to work on based on my own experiences at university. Being a commuter student as well as a student from different communities, I wanted to use my position to be able to address issues I felt weren’t really addressed, such as the Cost of Study linked to commuting.

I knew the role was very broad, and it would come with other responsibilities, such as being a member of the Board of Governors and being able to connect with all the UAL colleges.

Now at the end of my role, I realise that I wasn’t alone in my desire to create change at UAL as I had the support of my fellow Sabbatical Officers.

Q: How do you feel about your year as UAO?

A: When I look back, I think it was the perfect role for me. It aligned with what I wanted to achieve this year as the work I wanted to achieve this year was very broad and being the lead public voice on university matters, speaking to students and raising their feedback in places such as the Board of Governors.

Also, being able to engage with the NUS (National Union of Students) as the Union Affairs Officer and connect with other officers at different Universities in similar positions allowed me to see things on a broader scale and the national approach to issues affecting students.

Q: What were some memorable moments this year?

Interfaith Week

The Art Therapy event I held in November was one of the most memorable moments of the year. It was the first time we had done an event like that for Interfaith Week and the first time we had involved other UAL staff. I was able to meet students from 9 different religious identities and create a safe space to talk about our experiences and our faiths. As a practicing Christian, this was a truly celebratory time for me, as I could reflect on my own beliefs while also learning about those of others.  We opened about what “Faith” meant to us; it's necessary role in well-being, strength, inner peace and friendship with God. My own faith in Jesus has helped me navigate life's challenges with courage, therefore this event was a deeply moving experience.

Black History Month

Black History Month was another key moment for me. For the very first time, I hosted (a) panel at the Black History Month celebration event. I was able to speak to some of the student artists who submitted their work and hear more about their lived experiences and their experience at university. As a black woman, it meant so much to me to be able to have those conversations, especially as I was still settling into the role.

Guarantor Scheme

As the lead Sabbatical Officer of the Guarantor Scheme campaign working group for 2023/24, it was a significant achievement to see the Guarantor Scheme approved and introduced at UAL. I was part of much-needed conversations about the scheme and participated in its test runs. Knowing the hard work put in by other Sabbatical Officers, the Campaigns & Student Voice Coordinator, and key staff to create a proposal to UAL and now that it has been approved is a really big milestone.

Commuters Report

Lastly, launching the commuters report and being able to present a keynote speech to the Students’ Union and University Staff was a really meaningful moment for me, as a lot of the things I had experienced at university were being validated and experienced by other students. Creating a report where those voices are heard made me so happy to be a Sabbatical Officer. A proposal for trail funding railcards has been submitted by the Dean of Students for consideration as part of the Hardship Fund. If approved, it could soon be implemented.

Q: Was there anything you wanted to do this year but ran out of time?

A: There was more work I wanted to do with the Food and Renters campaigns, such as being able to speak to students and interview them about their experiences and what advice they might have for other students.

I wanted to more directly address student homelessness in a more impactful way, and wanting to work on a housing report to help students understand their rights and the resources that are available especially if you’re experiencing homelessness.

Q: In your time here as an officer and employee of Arts SU, what have you learned?

A: I’ve learned that the University cares a bit more about students than I thought. My perception before was very different, but being able to see how things are done on an institutional level, whether it’s at the Board Of Governors or various committees or working groups, I’ve noticed that staff (especially teaching staff) are one of the biggest supporters of students.

A lot of this support is on a level that is usually not visible when you’re a student, and now I’ve worked in the Students’ Union (who exist to work for students) it has been great to see the actual amount of care that’s there for students.

Q: What advice would you give to people who want to become the next union affairs officer?

A: This role requires a lot of thought about the Students’ Union as a whole, what it stands for and the relationship we have with the University and for me, realising that you’re not just the public voice to students, but also the voice for the SU. This voice could be in spaces such as NUS Conferences, Board of Governors, or committees where you’re representing students as the SU.

OFFICER OBJECTIVES:

Objective: Lobby UAL to fund the 3-year-discounted 16-25 railcards for the 24/25 cohort of incoming undergraduate commuting students living outside Oyster card zones.

Progress: Ongoing. We had discussions with the University, and they are looking into it.

Objective: Lobby UAL to standardize cold food portions and prices while improving the transparency of more affordable foods in each cafeteria across UAL campuses.

Progress: Ongoing. We ran a digital campaign to let students know what their money can buy them at a UAL Canteen and at a supermarket local to that college. The university has had a lot of discussion about their catering provider, and that is ongoing.

Objective: Plan and deliver interfaith week in November through organizing an ‘inter-faith exhibition, panel talk and ‘Prayer Tree’ at UAL, while also strengthening relations with the UAL Chaplaincy and between the religious societies at the Arts SU.

Progress: Complete. We delivered an Art Therapy session instead of a panel talk and worked with the UAL Chaplaincy service. Unfortunately was not able to create a Prayer Tree.

Objective: Increase the awareness of the definition and effects of student homelessness, what support homeless students can get, and begin to acknowledge homelessness in surveys related to finance and housing.

Progress: Ongoing. I was able to work directly with the SU to discuss the language used around housing and homelessness. The housing guide is in progress, with conversations have taken place.

Q: Cast your mind back to June/July 2023. What were your thoughts coming into the role, and how have your thoughts about the role changed one year later?

A: I was quite nervous and excited, wanting to understand more about how the role worked and what I wanted to do over the year. I was definitely more ambitious than I thought, once I was in the role and doing it day to day.

Q: How do you feel about your year as LCF Officer?

A: It has been a good yet challenging year, for example with moving into the new building had come with it’s problems in relation to the student experience and had meant delaying some of the things that I planned to work on such as building student community building which I wasn’t able to do as much as I would like (such as more events). In spite of that, it has been important to champion raising student feedback of the new building to better the student experience. Raising this feedback has meant that I have been able to build connections and network with staff and students. I look forward to next year and seeing how to really get stuff done.

Q: What were some memorable moments this year?

A: Being able to put on and work on events and meet so many of you at the new building has been great such the LCF Student Grand Opening Party, Pre-May-Day Rave and the Arts SU LCF Grand Opening Event. Secondl, working with the SMC CHS Team on trialing more inclusive dissertations has also been a key memorable moment of this year.  Lastly, definitely working on Black History Month, Disability History Month and the LGBTQ+ History Month exhibition which included a collaboration with Queer Britain, including a queer alumni panel and Vogue Workshop and Exhibition.

Q: Was there anything you wanted to do this year but ran out of time?

A: Trying to implement a funding support system for courses, has been one of a key challenge and it is something I want to focus on more in my second term. I also wasn’t able to release the toolkit that aims to raise awareness of the decolonisation and attainment gap but hope to be able to do this in my second year when the academic year starts.  Lastly, I wanted also to do to more to support for graduates after they leave university in terms of awareness of things that are out there.

Q: What was one key thing you learned this year?

A: Learning to really advocate and speak up in senior spaces such as meetings with UAL Executives (e.g Vice-Chancellor). It’s important that they really listen to you as an officer and I think that’s been something I’ve been trying to do more of. It also really helps to have your evidence or arguments ready to really show that a specific item is a huge issue for students.

Q: What are your thoughts and feelings about entering your second year?

A: Excited! I’m working on being more confident and knowledgeable as an Officer. It feels like the first year is getting to grips as an officer and the second year is really when you can get things done more efficiently. This is my last year as an officer to be able to complete as much as I can.

Q: What advice would you give to people who want to become the next LCF officer?

A: Really step into the role if you want to advocate for other LCF students, and make sure you want to know what you want to do.

OFFICER OBJECTIVES.

Objective title: Improve the Student Community for LCF Students throughout their move to Stratford ensuring that it is inclusive, diverse, and welcoming through events such as community panel talks with creatives and alumni, welcome mixers with first years and returning students, and workshops.

Progress: As the new LCF Stratford (East-Bank) Building and SU office was delayed in opening, progress on this objective was slow at the start of the year. There were also logistical challenges with trying to organise events during this time. This is really progressing now.

Objective title: Reduce the Cost of Study for LCF students, particularly for Media & Communication and Design & Technology Schools, through accessible and more available funding by lobbying UAL to implement a new bursary or scholarship, a travel scheme, and making an application process for the hardship fund easier and less invasive for students.

Progress: This objective has been worked on in a few different ways and is ongoing. We are looking into the bursary, scholarship, and hardship fund processes.

Objective title: Reduce the Black Home students' attainment gap for final year students within each School at LCF through contributing to decolonising the curriculum using committees, working groups, developing policy, reviewing course resources e.g., reading lists available to students and increased BAME senior staff within the curriculum. 

Progress: This is still ongoing, but progress is being made and something we will be looking at continuing to campaign for in this coming academic year.

Cast your mind back to June/July 2023. What were your thoughts coming into the role, and how have your thoughts about the role changed one year later?

I think I had some knowledge of the role, since I was previously a School Rep and then becoming CCW Officer, so the jump wasn’t as steep. Although I don’t think I quite realised how high up the Officers sit such as being on the Trustee Board and the relationship/meetings we have with UAL Executives. I didn’t have any specific thoughts about the role but was going with the flow and I’ve enjoyed the year.

How do you feel about your year as CCW Officer?

I really enjoyed it. It has been a pleasant experience on both a personal and professional level. I’ve been interested in entering Higher Education anyway and the position allowed me to enter that journey. Overall I enjoyed the projects I worked on (even with some challenges) and felt supported by the Students’ Union and University, especially in CCW with the connections and people I was working with who were so supportive and welcoming.

What were some memorable moments this year?

It was great to be able to put on events such as the Wimbledon Winter & Summer balls and see students come together.

Being able to talk with students, course reps, and school reps has been great, being able to foster that community.

Being able to work for students was great as well, and that feedback from students being delivered to CCW around issues such as Studio Access and Collaborative Units. It was amazing when staff recognised the feedback and supported me and relevant teams in creating actions that will support students.

Was there anything you wanted to do this year but ran out of time?

The CCP Units (Collaborative Units), which is ongoing. I was determined to work and improve these units, and understanding the different procedures and processes the CCW Schools have with these units. I collated feedback from students and provided this to CCW and they have a working group about the CCP units.

This objective overall is very large, but it was good to know that the CCW college does have a working group, and hopefully future CCW Officers are provided a space on that working group to also raise student feedback.

In your time here as an officer and employee of Arts SU, what have you learned?

A lot!

I’ve been able to develop how to interact with corporate areas, especially understanding more of the ‘corporate lingo’

My organisational skills have improved as well, I felt pretty good about my organisational skills anyway but this year I took it to a new level (e.g extra to-do lists and categories)

Also, being a trustee was new to me and was something that I had to learn to do well as it involves legal and financial responsibilities.

What advice would you give to people who want to become the next CCW officer?

For this position, I think you need to be an organised person and develop a way that works best for organising you in this role.

Be open to listening to the thoughts and views of the people from all walks of life who study at UAL.

Be prepared for potentially difficult conversations and times you might have to push through.

Ultimately, be prepared for this position to be completely different to what you might imagine, the role covers a lot of responsibilities and the role can change depending on who is in the position.

OFFICER OBJECTIVES:

Objective Title: Lobby UAL to provide additional studio access to CCW students during winter & spring breaks, to ensure that students have sufficient studying space throughout the Cost of Living crisis.

Progress: Ongoing.

Conversations were had with CCW, we ran a survey with students about their current access to studio spaces and from there that data was used with discussions with UAL. Currently a report is being created. Wanted to do a trial-run of the access being extended but wasn’t able to.

Objective Title: Lobby UAL to introduce a new collaborative unit across CCW, extending the current work taking place at Wimbledon to encourage students to explore new techniques.

Progress: Ongoing.

Progress started with conversations with CCW, finding out more about the current state of the Collaborative Units and what has been changing. Held discussions with course and school reps about the units and gathered student feedback which was presented to CCW.

CCW currently have a working group about the Collaborative Units and how to improve them.

Objective Title: Improve the sense of community across CCW campuses through targeted activities in order to ensure wellbeing of CCW students.

Progress: Ongoing.

Initially thought the issue was that CCW doesn’t host events, and later discovered that the current events aren’t engaging students.

Created the Winter & Summer Ball as suggested by a School Rep and a Course Rep. Realised that community building is a very layered objective and began creating the Community Audit (understanding what already happens, what could happen, and what does and doesn’t work) which is currently being wrapped up.

We also created the Chelsea Annex evenings, social nights facilitated by CCW.

Objective Title: Increase the visibility of Arts SU by implementing visible and recognisable signposting in officers and gallery spaces to ensure the accessibility and visibility of our services to UAL Students.

Progress: Ongoing.

The core part was developing the SU Offices around CCW, and now we do have all three offices. Signposting is still an issue but is being resolved. The spaces are still being developed so that students can attend these spaces and that students know about the SU and who their officers are.

I’ve also had conversations around creating more gallery spaces for students in CCW, and discussions are currently taking place.

Q: When you started in 2022 you said “really excited to work on projects full time, focusing on not just CSM students but all UAL students.” As we near the end of your term of office, what ways has your thoughts about the role changed?

A: Yeah it’s been a very interesting year and I’ve spent a lot of time with the other colleges this year. My heart will always be with CSM as their officer and understanding the students there and the college. I’ve been able to reach students at other colleges through our events and other opportunities such as our Food Parcels project that we managed to expand to all the other colleges this year and that was really nice and exciting to be able to offer the project to more students. Additionally, with our Degree Show, we were able to expand that across the Six UAL colleges.

Being a dedicated college officer doesn’t necessarily mean that all of your work will be focused on that college, but being able to link up with other colleges and fellow college officers, being in spaces and having conversations about the experiences of UAL students allows you to see patterns across all colleges and that will change how you engage with students on the issues affecting them and how the officer team works together.

Q: Overall, how do you feel about your time as CSM Officer?

A: It’s been a really great time; when I joined, it was the first year of the SU’s transition from four remit-based officers to six officers, with a dedicated officer for each college. A lot more time could be spent on that specific college and building relations. CSM also had a new head of college and a new executive team, so I had to build strong relationships with those stakeholders, such as meeting with our head of college and discussing our priorities for the year. I’ve also been close with our Associate Dean of Student Experience, who has been a great help in navigating this role and is very well-connected and responsive to the issues affecting students, allowing me to pick up on things quicker.

Q: What were some memorable moments this year?

A: The first big one for me is the lecture / panel I hosted with Zarina Muhammad from The White Pube and Sof (LCC Officer 2022 – 2024), which was focused around critiquing the crit. This was something I had wanted to do since becoming an officer. I’m a big fan of The White Pube, they’re an art critic duo who came from my course at CSM (Fine Art) and they are really involved in a lot of discussions about how to improve the art world and by extension the experiences of students who are making their way in the art world. The session was really insightful and I learned a lot, and really grateful that I was able to do the event and am very proud.

Also, everything Katwamba (LCF Officer 2023-2025) and I did for LGBTQIA+ History Month in February was top-tier, in my opinion. We had a lot of other commitments going on in February as well, so we stuck to what was within our capacity but did the very best, choosing quality over quantity. The feedback and attendance we had at all our events (specifically the opening night of our exhibition at CSM with the after-party at Queer Britain) really reflected that. Most of the feedback we received noted that the events felt like a safe space, and overall, that was my goal.

The food parcel project is also a big achievement, as we wanted to create a way to support students during the Cost of Living crisis, and the feedback we received allowed us to know we are making a positive impact for students during a difficult time.

Q: Was there anything you wanted to do, but ran out of time?

A: Specifically the policy paper that was written around crits. Overall, I am really happy but think there are many ways that objective could have gone further.

I worked with the SU team and many people from UAL to create this guidance document for staff about how to conduct a safe and inclusive crit, and I think the fact that it was co-authored by both the SU and an executive at UAL highlighted the importance of this work. At the moment, it’s in the process of being distributed, and I’m excited to see where that goes, but I think if I had more time to focus on it, I would have liked to develop student guidance as well. What we’ve done with this re-imagining of crits to make them safe and inclusive is a huge achievement.

Q: In your time here as an officer and employee of Arts SU, what have you learned?

A: SO MUCH! This is my first full time job and I’ve learned many things. I’ve learned to have confidence in myself, as it’s a role where you can easily feel imposter syndrome very heavily due to how quick you are put into high levels of responsibilities (e.g becoming Charity Trustee’s) that you must take seriously as we’re talking about legal responsibilities (Staffing / HR, Finance, Charity law).

Particularly for me, where I was focused on only my degree with my art practice, knowing that what I’m doing isn’t just for me or the other officers but thinking about what decisions will benefit our 20,000+ students.

A lot of it takes practice, such as developing my organising and administrative skills which I improved on by practicing. I’ve also learned to set boundaries for myself so I can have work-life balance.

Q: What advice would you give to people who want to become the next CSM officer?

A: There’s so much I could say. The role will always be what you make of it and your individual experiences and feelings will shape the role.

Regarding potentially feeling the imposter syndrome, it’s good to remember that there will always be someone in this role, and they’ll always be a student. They might not have had a lot of life experience or been a course/school representative; sometimes, it can be someone like me, a student who is very passionate about improving their course or UAL – which is all you need.

There is always going to be someone in this role, so why not you? If you think you can make a difference, you probably can.

You’ll naturally step away from your artistic practice to take on a role with wider responsibilities, so you’ll find ways to integrate your creativity into the role.

OFFICER OBJECTIVES

Objective Title: Cost Of Living: Continue work on the Cost of Living campaign to expand and solidify existing projects to ensure longevity at Arts SU. This will include making the free food parcels project more financially sustainable; continuing art supply giveaways; expanding the degree show sustainability funding; run a digital campaign for visibility and money saving tips.

Progress: These actions have been completed, and funding has been secured to continue the food parcel projects and to create a future role at the Students’ Union to oversee projects relating to ‘basic student needs’ (such as food, transport, etc.).

The Art Supply giveaway event a couple months ago and it was successful with over 300 students attending. We received positive feedback on the giveaway, and conversations about continuing the Art Supply giveaway tradition took place.

The degree show fund also went really well, with positive feedback and are excited to see the photos from the artists.

Digital Campaign: Digital promotions took place during Student Money Week and connected with the Union Affairs Officer around a digital campaign for food prices at UAL. I’ve made various guides around money tips, food, and art materials.

Objective Title: Continue work on the safe crits campaign to expand and solidify the existing projects to ensure longevity at Arts SU and the University.  This will involve running our own safe crits with the SU, networking and getting student and staff feedback (forums, workshops, committees, school reps and other institutions), lobbying UAL to make crits part of the education strategy. Finally the campaign will develop a written document about what is the ‘UAL crit’ and what is the guidance for staff and students to ensure there are safe space crits in class.

Progress: Complete. Policy passed at UAL to ensure crits are safe and inclusive, staff guide has been written, and the Student Guide for crits coming soon.

Objective Title: Use the various channels of communication between CSM staff, the SU and students to talk about how they want to build community and collaborations. For existing community projects I’ll look at how can they be improved to implement the student voice more and identify which student groups need more community support

Progress: Ongoing. I was part of the Undergraduate and Postgraduate collaborative units working group at CSM. The collaborative units (aka Creative Unions) are the modules in which students from different courses collaborate and create group projects.

Most feedback from these projects is controversial from staff and students, and I wanted to find out why. Most people don’t have a good experience with these units and feel it takes away from their art practice and why they are being done.  

I don’t think there is any direct changes yet, but raising student feedback was the catalyst to starting these conversations, as it was the first time the SU had been involved in these working groups.

Objective Title: LGBTQ+ History Month

Progress: We had the exhibition at CSM and had a nice mix of students from different courses and levels who had never met before. When they met on the opening evening, I had an artist panel with four of the artists who discussed their work and had a Q&A. It was nice to see people coming together, and through that, they had a lot of connections and common interests. We ran an online crit afterwards where the artists felt comfortable candidly talking about their identity and heritage and how that was sometimes misunderstood by other classmates and teaching staff, and the crit was able to be a safe space to voice their frustrations and the artists mentioned how they previously didn’t feel able to discuss so candidly about their experiences which was so valuable.

I also held a film screening evening at close-up cinema in Shoreditch who were an amazing organisation to work with. That day had horrible weather on a Thursday evening and I was concerned that people might not attend in the pouring rain but we filled out the whole cinema. Just to see people showing up and bringing their friends along to the film screening was so good. Afterwards, a lot of the film-makers were standing in the bar area swapping contact information, and at that moment, I realised that I’d created a natural networking environment where everyone could come together and share the enjoyment of each other’s work.

Q: When you started in 2022 you said “excited to start the role but unsure of what it would entail” As we near the end of your term of office, what ways has your thoughts about the role changed?

A: Quite a lot! – I think it was difficult being the first ever LCC Officer, and having to discover the role of being a Sabbatical Officer as well as shaping the new role that is specific to LCC, which was a learning curve for everyone involved at the SU and University.

The good part about being a Sabbatical Officer is being able to form those connections and figuring out the role and being able to pass that down to future officers, and so hope that future LCC officers can be more knowledgeable about what the role entails.

Q: Overall, how do you feel about your time as LCC Officer?

A: I have loved it. The role really is what you make it; for me, It has involved a lot of hard work and determination. I chose some very tough objectives to achieve in this role, and so being stubborn came in handy. Mama didn’t raise a quitter!

and I came to UAL to study my masters in photojournalism because of how photojournalism is a way I can advocate for people, wanting to learn how to do it properly, respectfully, and ethically. Through coming to UAL I then found myself in this role and was able to advocate for students in a whole different way which was inspiring to me.

To me, this role has been about fighting for equality and better rights for students, making sure they get what they deserve from their time as a student.  Overall, this role has shaped me as much as I’ve shaped this role, it has turned me into a better and confident person as well as becoming more politically savvy.

Q: What were some memorable moments this year?

Being referenced in the House of Lords

I was on a train and was sent a clip from the NUS’ Instagram of three baronesses from the House Of Lords, who were quoting me word for word about what I said to them a few weeks prior about the student housing crisis.

I remember sitting there feeling so amazing that someone had not only listened, but heard what was said and taking it forward to a huge political platform, especially as it was three people reading my statement out loud, which increased the impact.

It was amazing to see people who actually cared about students and wanted to advocate for them with the political power they hold to do so.

Introducing South Asian Heritage Month to UAL

This is something I’ve wanted to do before becoming an Officer, and had asked UAL previously to introduce this. So it felt really good to make this happen, bringing together this community of UAL students and staff to share the shared heritage connecting us.

Liberation Work

Supporting and leading some of our liberation work and seeing it expand is heartwarming. For example, leading on Disability History Month and trialling sensory zones for students to have areas in their campus where they could go to avoid being overstimulated, which had not been done before. It’s my understanding that UAL is looking into funding this to be permanent, so keep an eye out!

My work with students

Overall, I'll never forget being able to connect with as many students as possible throughout my role, such as the SJP and sports Clubs and societies.

Q: Was there anything you wanted to do, but ran out of time?

A: I started a few things but ran out of time:

I aim to continue my housing work by working with the NUS and other means.

Reviewing the Dissertation Process is still ongoing and hopefully is being continued. There is an unusually high percentage of academic misconduct around the dissertation process and it became clear to me this was more issues with the process letting students down instead of academic misconduct.

I wanted to set up a Parents, Carers, and Guardians network but never got it off the ground. Creating that space for those students is important, and I hope that happens in the future.

Q: In your time here as an officer and employee of Arts SU, what have you learned?

A: So, so, so much!

One specific thing I’ve learned is how to be politically savvy and when. By Politically Savvy, I don’t mean talking as if I were a politician, but rather how to talk with politicians, policymakers and lawmakers. This is a valuable asset because you need to be able to communicate with these people where they’ll not only listen, but take action to support your campaign.

I think I’ve refined working with young people and students, learning a lot about compassion, empathy, and supporting people in cases such as advocating for others.

My interests while being in the role have changed as well; during my time as an officer, I’ve now become really interested in policy and lawmaking, which was a shock!

Q: What advice would you give to people who want to become the next LCC officer?

A: UALs student body is very diverse, and so as LCC officer you must represent a variety of needs across the whole college, which can be intense. My advice for that really is to listen to students and their needs and work out how to reflect their voice in your time as an officer.

The wonderful part about this role is spending so much time with so many students from all walks of life, who are wonderful in their own way.

Officer Objectives

Objective Title: Improve the commercial outlets and outreach to ensure that students have ownership over their spaces and products through ensuring the Darkroom bar is profitable and accessible, and providing opportunities for students to take on more paid work related to their studies.

Progress: Complete. (Work has been established to continue for future years)

Objective Title: Provide more representation and visibility of underrepresented groups to educate staff and students at UAL on the different background's students are coming from and to give those students recognition and a sense of community.

Progress: Semi-Complete. (Work has been established to continue for future years, including a review of Made In Arts London – MIAL, was not able to set up a Parents, Carers, and Guardians network)

Objective Title:  Education & Welfare (Dissertations, Safe Space Crits, Supporting Postgrad & International Students, LCC & SU Relationship, Student Safety, and UCU Strike Action)

Progress: Ongoing. (Work has been established to continue for future years)