Introduction

Hi there! I‘m Miles, and I’m in my final year studying Politics and Philosophy. For the last three years, I’ve been on AUSA’s Education Committee fighting for student interests over cuts, assessment, and graduations, currently as your Vice-Chair for Education. We’ve made lots of progress over the last few years, but our education has never been under greater threat, and we need now, more than ever, to pull together to protect it. Give me your vote and I’ll use my experience to hit the ground running as your VP for Education, as we head into an incredibly turbulent year.

What are your three priorities for the year? 

STOP THE CUTS – Save Our Degrees

Management has made clear that they won’t step back from cuts.

• With courses, staff and support being scaled back or scrapped completely, all of our degrees will suffer. Continue the campaign with students, staff and nationally and oppose compulsory redundancies.
• Student representation has been denied repeatedly – our voices must be heard in key forums.
• Cuts are University and national problems – work with NUS to lobby governments to reverse them.

Fair Assessment – Compassionate Policies

Throughout Covid, we fought for fair assessment, blended learning, and compassionate policies. As universities panic over AI, we risk losing those student-centred approaches.

• Fight in-person exams; advocate for realistic assessment.
• AI is here to stay. Lobby for pragmatic approaches that don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.
• Advocate for compassionate policies for extensions, absences, disability, and student support, that don’t burden students with ever more paperwork when they’re already struggling.

A Union for All of Us

Empower more students to have their voice heard, because all parts of Student Representation work better when we’re all involved.

The Class Rep System is Broken – Let’s Fix It

• Synchronise roles and start dates across schools, to provide earlier, more effective training.
• Run more in-person training and create a dedicated Blackboard area with reworked material.
• Make sure reps are integrated better into AUSA – continue events like the class rep conference and meet-ups to strengthen class rep and school rep links.

Student Voice

• Open-forums have put student voices first on languages – run open-forums and informal events on all major issues.
• Make it easier for students to influence policy, by providing suggestion boxes in the SU building and on the website.

What unique skill/knowledge can you bring to the role to stand out from the other candidates?

I’m really passionate about the work we do on education – over my time at AUSA I’ve gained experience on the committees, and learnt the (overcomplicated :’)) processes that we need to tackle to change things for the better at the uni and AUSA. For the last three years, I’ve worked closely with AUSA staff, the university and NUS, and on the Languages Campaign Group, council and senate, so I can pick up where we left off.

What do you think is the biggest issue that students are facing at the moment and how do you plan to tackle it?

Funding cuts are affecting every part of uni life. Standing united, we’ve been successful in taking the worst outcomes off the table, but it’s vital we keep the pressure up, here and nationally, and review the University’s processes to make sure future cuts can’t be rushed through the same way.