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Sabbatical Officer Roles

The Students’ Union is led by a team of five sabbatical officers who are elected from across the student body. Their role is key in ensuring the work we do is 100% student focused and each role helps to shape the strategic direction of the organisation, influence University policy and act as a trustee of the Students’ Union.

President

The Students' Union President is the figurehead of the organisation. They lead the sabbatical officer team, work closely with the Chief Executive on strategy and lobby the University at high level meetings.

The Candidates

Natasha Barrett

This year has been so rewarding but I still have so much to I want to do for Royal Holloway students.

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RON (Re-Open Nominations)

Vice-President Education

The Vice-President Education is responsible for coordinating the academic representation system on campus, lobbying for better teaching standards and also acts as Deputy President of the Students' Union.

The Candidates

Clement Jones

I will endeavour to serve the immediate and long-term needs and aspirations of students at Royal Holloway.

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RON (Re-Open Nominations)

Vice-President Welfare & Diversity

The Vice-President Welfare & Diversity leads and supports students campaigning around welfare and liberation and takes a key role in delivering the Union's campaigns around housing, finance, health, safety and general wellbeing.

The Candidates

Gabriela K. Christian

VOTE GAB 4 SABB.

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Steven Francis Pettitt

I am the candidate striving for a tolerant, united Holloway.

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Kyam Sajid

For a truly representative Union that benefits everybody, #BackTheBEARD and vote for Kyam!

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Willow Wong

In the simplest terms: I will listen to your voices, and stand up for your concerns.

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RON (Re-Open Nominations)

Vice-President Societies & Media

The Vice-President Societies & Media leads on the development of our societies and media outlets ensuring they continue to offer positive experiences for students.

The Candidates

Pippa Gentry

I’ve got the knowledge, experience and passion to make your student experience better. From societies to media to RAG, I’ve got you covered.

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Chris Harris

I want to act not just as Society’s representative as a whole, but as a member of each of their teams.

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RON (Re-Open Nominations)

Vice-President Sport

The Vice-President Sport leads on the development of our sports clubs, works closely with College departments to ensure facilities meet the requirements of clubs and delivers a range of sports based campaigns.

The Candidates

Fergus Adams

Improve communication and the rest will be easy.

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Steff Milne

Sport Steff and Let me Finish what I’ve Started!

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RON (Re-Open Nominations)

Part-Time Roles

Alongside the Sabbatical Officers we also elect Student Trustees to sit on the Union’s Board of Trustees, a College Council Representative and NUS Delegates who represent the University at a national level.

Student Trustee

This role will hold a position on our Board of Trustees which is the body that oversees the operation and strategic direction of the Students' Union. It is a part-time, voluntary position.

The Candidates

Josip Martincic

A vote for Josip means your voice will be heard

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Rachelle Jiongco

For your voice to be heard, Rachelle is your bird!

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Luke Tibbetts

Striving for a fair and responsible union

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RON (Re-Open Nominations)

College Council Representative

This role will be a voting member of the College Council who are the highest decisions making body of the College. It is a part-time, voluntary position.

The Candidates

Emilie Ancelin

Making student life better altogether

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James Ansorg

Voting for James means that the College Council will put STUDENTS FIRST!

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Josip Martincic

A vote for Josip means your voice will be heard

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RON (Re-Open Nominations)

NUS Delegate

This role will attend NUS National Conference and represent the views of Royal Holloway students on a national platform. It is a part-time, voluntary position.

The Candidates

Emilie Ancelin

Making student life better altogether

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George Lawley

Let’s invoke real change – Vote George Lawley

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RON (Re-Open Nominations)

Referenda

During this year's Annual General Meeting two motions were put to the floor but due to the meeting not attaining quoracy these have now been pushed to referendum and will be decided during this election period.

NSS Boycott

During the Annual General Meeting it was proposed that the Students' Union boycott the NSS in-line with the current NUS policy. With that in mind the question being asked during this referendum is:

The Students’ Union should boycott the NSS and actively discourage students of Royal Holloway from completing the survey. Yes or no?


What is the NSS Boycott?

The National Student Survey (NSS) is an annual survey targeted at final year undergraduates, which measures the level of student satisfaction with their education at the end of their degrees. The survey data, which is collected independently by Ipsos Mori, feeds into a number of university rankings, alongside other information such as cost of courses, graduate employment opportunities and the student to staff ratio.

For the first time this year the results of the NSS are going to be used as part of an aggregate rating in the government’s new Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) to award universities either gold, silver or bronze status. TEF is a relatively complex assessment framework but, in simple terms, those universities achieving better ratings will be allowed to charge more in tuition fees as follows:

  • In year one (2016/17) and two (2017/18) of the TEF, universities that are rated as bronze, which is classed as ‘meeting expectations’, will be able to raise their tuition fees in line with inflation.
  • In year three (2018/19) there will be two fee levels:
    • Universities rated as bronze (meeting expectations) can raise their fees by up to 50% of the inflationary uplift.
    • Those with a rating of silver (excellent) or gold (outstanding) can raise their fees by up to 100% of the inflationary uplift.
  • Universities will not be able to charge more than the maximum capped amount, this means that any changes to tuition fees under the TEF will not be higher than inflation.

More information on TEF can be found here.

National Union of Students (NUS) is campaigning against any rise in fees and has therefore decided to boycott the NSS. The boycott is intended to cover all of the UK including higher education courses which take place in FE institutions. A number of Universities have already joined the NUS campaign and Royal Holloway Students’ Union has received a motion at the recent Annual General Meeting on 21 February 2017, calling for the Students’ Union to join the boycott.

As a Students’ Union we exist to effectively represent our students. For this reason we are calling a referendum to ensure the entire student population has a say in making the decision. The question being put to referendum is as follows:

The Students’ Union should boycott the NSS and actively discourage students of Royal Holloway from completing the survey. Yes or no?

To help you make a more informed decision before you vote, please read some of the arguments for and against a boycott below.


Reasons to boycott the NSS

i. Commercialisation of education
It is argued that once the NSS is used as a metric to inform the TEF it will become implicated in the commercialisation of education. Universities already incentivise the completion of the NSS through freebie giveaways while simultaneously putting pressure on students to complete the survey by warning that failure to do so will impact their future job prospects should the University fail to score highly and thus drop down the league tables. By boycotting the NSS, the NUS believes that students might undermine the TEF and derail the connected fee rises and continued push towards a commercial higher education sector in the UK.

ii. Linking of tuition fees and teaching quality
The NUS is opposed to the linking of tuition fees with ‘teaching quality’. The NSS is used as a measure of student satisfaction, and not the quality of teaching. With data from the NSS set to be one of the key metrics used in the TEF there is concern that instead of improving teaching, a higher score in the TEF could be achieved by admitting students from backgrounds who are statistically more likely to get higher paid jobs. Alongside the NSS scores the Government will also use measures such as dropout rates, graduate destinations and salaries to measure teaching standards – metrics which opponents of the TEF feel have very little to do with actual teaching quality.

iii. Fair access to education
The move to differentiated fees for home students across the UK could have implications for fair access to education. Good quality education should not only be an option for those who can afford it. The ramifications of the TEF go beyond students this year but to the heart of who can be a student in the future.

Reasons not to boycott the NSS

i. Less money for teaching and services
Fewer students taking part in the completion of the NSS at Royal Holloway may result in the University’s NSS results not being published (results are only published where at least half of all students on a course have responded). If Royal Holloway’s NSS result was not published, it would mean Royal Holloway would not appear in many university league tables leaving prospective students with less comparative information when deciding where to study. This would almost certainly reduce the number of students who decide to study at Royal Holloway – meaning less money for teaching and services.

ii. NSS results incentivise universities to work harder
The NSS has been around since 2005, long before the current Government or the proposed TEF. The NSS exists to make universities work harder to satisfy students, and the statistics suggest that it works: here at Royal Holloway student satisfaction has been improving steadily since it was introduced. NSS results can be a catalyst for major reforms within various aspects of university life. Nationally, the NSS has put contact hours firmly on the agenda across the sector. Similarly schedules for the return of feedback on assignments, and equally the form and quality of feedback. Here at Royal Holloway the responses of students through NSS have led to positive changes including the building of the new Emily Wilding Davison Building and the creation of the Boilerhouse Café.

iii. NSS questions have changed and academic experience is more prominent
This year, the NSS has been refocused with nine questions specifically around students’ academic experience, assessment, feedback and learning resources. This will be mean that improving education will get more recognition, focus and potentially funding. By encouraging students to boycott the survey, we will be restricting the ability for students’ voices to be heard in this area.

Egham Street Lighting

During the Annual General Meeting it was proposed that the Students' Union oppose Surrey County Council's proposed plans to switch off street lighting in Runnymede. With that in mind the question being asked during this referendum is:

The Students’ Union should campaign to oppose Surrey County Council’s proposed plans to switch off lighting in Runnymede. Yes or No?


What are the plans Surrey County Council have proposed?

Residential streets across Runnymede borough will be in darkness between midnight and 5am from early march, as Surrey County Council intends to make budget savings by switching off some street lights.

This proposal was introduced for streets in Surrey Heath, Guildford, and Waverley boroughs before Christmas. Runnymede is in the final phase, and consultation has been undertaken recently with Surrey Police to ensure that any areas of concern will retain limited lighting.

Major roads will retain some lighting during the early hours, and a list that was released this month indicates that areas such as the Thorpe Industrial Estate, where businesses operate late at night, have been taken into account. Egham station is on the main Reading-London commuter line and has trains arriving after midnight, so Manorcrofts Road and Station Road North will keep some lighting.

As a Students’ Union we exist to effectively represent our students. For this reason we are calling a referendum to ensure the entire student population has a say in making the decision. The question being put to referendum is as follows:

The Students’ Union should campaign to oppose Surrey County Council’s proposed plans to switch off lighting in Runnymede? Yes or No?

To help you make a more informed decision before you vote, please read some of the arguments for and against a boycott below.


Reasons to oppose Surrey County Council’s switch off plan in Runnymede

i. Student Safety
The streets that will be affected have large numbers of students living on or close by. It is argued that the switch off will bring darkness to areas across Egham and Englefield Green which create an unsafe feeling around the local areas. Students have complained about local lighting and this looks to cause more fear among students to their safety when walking home. Due to students’ schedules they often walk the local streets late at night coming back from activities on campus.

ii. Wider Safety
These changes will affect road users which could present more danger in the local area. Streets that are in darkness could present areas in which incidents occur. This would mean the area could become unsafe for not just pedestrians but also road users.

Reasons not to oppose Surrey County Council’s switch off plan in Runnymede

i. Cost Saving
This forms part of a wider cost-saving scheme embarked upon by Surrey County Council, with other proposed budget cuts totalling £123 million. It is argued that these savings will allow the council to invest in other areas to benefit the local areas. It is also likely that other areas of the budget will need to be cut if it was not the street lighting.

ii. Cutting Down Light Pollution
It is argued that street lighting can caused unneeded light pollution, especially in the late night/early morning periods where there is smaller use of the main roads and pathways. Houses along the areas in questions will likely benefit from lower light pollution from street lights that can be directly outside of properties.