Hi! My name is Elise Eriksson, and I’m a second-year business student running for the position of School Rep.

As School Rep, it would be my priority to ensure that your voice is advocated for in the School of Business and Management, creating an environment where everyone’s opinion is seen and heard.

Your feedback as a business student is valuable, so together with the course reps, I’d be able to bring the issues that our students are facing to light in meetings with senior members at the school, engaging in discussions to make the changes you want to see happen.

Transparency in what actions we take and how they’re being implemented is crucial for this kind of role. As School Rep, I will ensure that our initiatives are clearly communicated, so you know how we’re working.

An issue I’d like to tackle would be looking closer at our assignment structures. Having spoken to students, I’ve found that many are dissatisfied with the feedback section in particular, often finding the responses too vague or not constructive enough to know how to make an improvement for the next assignment.

I’d like to find new solutions to ensure that students have the right kind of support to help them progress throughout their degree, such as implementing clearer guidelines for markers to follow.

As the current Vice-President and co-founder of the Nordic Society, I also understand the value and necessity for a strong community on campus. My aim as School Rep would be to encourage greater collaboration between not only students and staff, but also between the different year groups and pathways.

This is to ensure the members of our school can gain knowledge and expertise they previously wouldn’t be exposed to, either through networking events or programs that will match you with the right person to guide you in your academic and professional journey.

I am incredibly excited for the opportunity to be able to represent my peers not only on an academic level, but to also be someone they can turn to for support during their time at Royal Holloway. If elected, I hope the impact we make together on the School of Business and Management lasts for years to come.

Thank you for considering me!

Hi, I'm Will, the current Secretary of the Mathematics Society and a Computer Science course rep. These roles have provided unique insights into inter-departmental issues, motivating my candidacy for EPMS school rep.

Firstly, I aim to raise awareness of the course rep system.
Many remain unaware, evident in the disproportionate number of reps across courses. Improved accessibility to the list of reps and meeting details would help with the feedback process, allowing students to voice concerns and ensuring their feedback is acted upon promptly. On top of this, joint honours course reps should be included by both departments they belong to since their concerns may be different across them. Most importantly, implementing year-round feedback mechanisms, like forms on department Moodle pages to be addressed at SSAMs, would streamline the process.

Secondly, I seek to address the concerns of joint honours students.
Due to being a smaller cohort in EPMS than other schools, we face unique challenges stemming from departmental disunity and occasionally unclear course information. I've already made a start at this by pushing Computer Science to announce their modules earlier to be in line with the Mathematics module selection deadline. There should also be a separate induction talk in welcome week for each joint honours course to give them information on the year that will follow and address their course-specific concerns. Once these concerns are ironed out, a push towards allowing you to take a module or two from another course could be made however that change would take longer than a year.

Lastly, my goal is to enhance the role of personal tutors in EPMS departments.
There's a stronger sense of separation between the staff and us in EPMS than in other schools which makes seeking help more stressful than it should be. I will promote regular meetings with personal tutors beyond the first year, at least once a term, to help give all of you a direct contact within the department for any of your concerns. For many, this becomes an issue during module selection where it may feel uncomfortable to ask a professor for advice on what to pick. Strengthening student-tutor relationships would alleviate this concern.

In summary, as EPMS school rep, I will aim to raise awareness of the course rep system, address the concerns of joint honours students, and strengthen student-staff relationships.

My name is Mia Cavanagh and I am running for the position of Humanities School Rep as I want to enable positive change within the school. Having been a course rep for English in my first year and a senior course rep in my second, I have already begun implementing changes within my department. Some of my biggest changes include working towards a changing of the module allocation process and opening the lines of communication between students and staff. I want to extend my work to improve the academic experiences of students in the School as a whole.

Diversify the curriculum in Humanities courses
Great strides have been made in recent years within the School of Humanities regarding diversifying the curriculum. However, in my discussions as a senior course representative for English Literature with members of the English Department, I believe there are still significant steps we can take to improve the scope of our studies. Positive, informed changes to the curriculums of Humanities Courses to include a better range of female, LGBTQ+ & BAME voices will better reflect the ethos of the School as a whole.

Better academic and pastoral support for students
The Disability and Neurodiversity teams do great work in supporting students across campus, yet I think there are more direct steps we can take as a School to assist students both registered and not with formal services. Ways we can ensure all students are given equal opportunities academically include: ensuring all essential reading is made available, various formats of required content is created and/or published for students (ie. text-to-speech, large print), schedule more student-tutor meetings to improve dialogue on student mental health.

Improve links with the Careers Department
Having worked in the Careers Department from September 2023, I am very well informed on the events and support offered by them. I do not believe that the School of Humanities fully utilises the service and we should work on improving the link that exists between us. For example, advertising of specific Humanities related careers events, such as the Humanities meet the grads night, is seldom adequately advertised within the School. We must push for improved communication between all groups in the form of better event advertisement, and more conversation about careers.

Please contact me with any questions or concerns you may have and make sure you vote!

@mia4humanites

I'm Allison Pizzo, a second-year BioMed student, and I'm running for LSE School Rep.

So far this year, I've been involved in many projects within the university aimed at further supporting students and improving our university experience.

As someone who hasn't followed the most traditional route to higher education, I'm aware of the challenges some students might be facing, from learning difficulties and mental health issues to lack of financial support and housing problems. That's why I've been working as a PASS leader and volunteered as a Peer Guide to support students facing challenges, helping to make our university more accessible to everyone.

As a course rep, I've worked closely with current school reps and staff members, raising concerns and issues experienced by students. Including discussions with the wellbeing team about additional support tailored to individual student needs. As well as addressing more widespread issues such as improving our learning facilities by increasing the number of study areas, creating safe spaces for students with disabilities to relax between lectures, and addressing the structural decline of the Bourne building.

Being part of committees such as VP for Biosoc, Social Sec for First Aid, and Charity Sec for Medsco, I've had the opportunity to interact with many students outside of my department. Many event ideas and projects were raised to help bring together the different departments in our school, fostering a more supportive and engaging community.

I believe that the skills I've developed so far, along with my life experiences, will be fundamental in representing students fairly and pushing for much-needed changes. If elected as School Rep, I would be honoured to continue working on improving students' experiences and representing even more students.

My name is Dominika, and I’m thrilled to announce my campaign for the position of School representative for LSE. Through my involvement across various sectors of our University, including volunteering and professional work, I’ve nurtured my commitment to make the benefits of the student experience on campus better. I’m striving to develop a school that provides the ideal environment for both personal and academic growth, and to maximise the advantages of being an LSE student at Royal Holloway.

If elected, my first aim would be to encourage the introduction of a Q&A chat feature for every lecture. This could promote active participation in a comfortable environment that is prioritising a student-focused approach to tackling module content. Many students hesitate to ask questions during lectures due to the lack of inclusivity in the teaching structure, hindering effective engagement based on individual needs. My goal is to prioritise student understanding, foster curiosity and cultivate student-led teaching.

Secondly, I hope to celebrate student progress and success across all modules. Students who show great improvement, whether through improved quiz results, well written essays or successful research, should be recognised for their efforts throughout the term. Currently, the student-professor relationship is limited to critique and constructive criticism; I believe that positive affirmation is crucial in success, as it encourages further development and encourages the engagement of students with module content.

Thirdly, I hope to develop a relationship with neighbouring Universities of London such as KCL, UCL and QMUL, to cultivate interdisciplinary growth and versatility in connections across disciplines. As scientists, the diverse nature of our field means specialists are working in various niche sectors spread across many establishments; collaboration between universities is therefore essential for interdisciplinary development as well as network branching. I will aim to promote intercollegiate connections, offering students opportunities to explore different institutions, interact with a range of professors and enrich their understanding of course material, while integrating individual interest into education.

Student voice is the driving force of my campaign; in addition to my main goals, I’ll consistently work to adapt, evolve and enrich the experience of students across the school. All students should feel integrated with the course material, empowered to continue in their successes and nurtured in their love for science; We are the atoms; We are the mantle; we are the mitochondria of the LSE department.

Thank you,
Dominika

Hey everyone,

Last year as your LSS rep we kicked off some amazing projects and changes. But we're not stopping there. I'm running again because there’s still so much more we can do together to make our LSS community at Royal Holloway even better.

Here’s What We Achieved:
I kept all my prior manifesto policies and we managed to open doors to employability modules across all departments, brought everyone together through awesome social events, and I was your voice on the Assessment Futures Committee. We've seen what we can achieve when we push for it, and I'm all in to keep this momentum going.

What's Next? Here's the Plan:

1. LSS Mentorship Programme:
First year can be confusing so I want to set up a mentorship programme where upper-year students help first-years navigate uni life, both academically and socially.

2. Commuter Support Package:
Travel can be a pain, and it can feel like you’re missing out. That’s why I’m proposing a Commuter Support Package: better study spaces with lockers, a comfy lounge to chill in between lectures, and a carpool scheme to make travel easier and cheaper. Let’s ensure everyone feels fully part of our community, no matter where they live.

3. LSS alumni network:
Let’s see if we can get former LSS students to create a network for new students to use as connections.

Why This Matters:
These ideas aren’t just about making things better for the sake of it. They’re about making sure every one of us has the best possible experience at uni. More support, better connections, and a community that genuinely looks out for each other.

So, Why Vote for Me Again?
Because we’ve already seen what we can achieve together. I’ve got the experience, and the drive to make these plans a reality. But I need your vote to make it happen. Let’s keep the momentum going and make our LSS community the best it can be.

Hi, my name is Ewan Strangeways and I am running for the position of PDA School Representative because I want to continue my work as a representative for my peers and department on a larger scale.

If elected, I would aim to:

GOAL ONE: Continue working on feedback on course layout and content with the faculty. I think this will have a positive impact because this should always be up to date with the needs of students today, especially with the ever evolving industry that those training in the PDA department will be working in in the future. My goal of opening new channels of feedback from students so that we have a larger base of feedback in order to enact positive and relevant change will enable this to happen.

GOAL TWO: Increase the amount of events available for students, e.g. more regular events from Student Champions and networking between departments. I think this will have a positive impact because currently students in departments and courses tend to stick together and not know others outside of that circle. My goal of creating more opportunities for students to network with each other as well as regular events to build a community outside of modules will enable this to happen.

I have experience in being a Course Rep and a Senior Course Rep for the last two years, working alongside students and faculty to help bring feedback from my peers to a larger discussion. I have also been a Mental Health & Wellbeing Student Champion during the last year, which has allowed me to find out more about the needs of students outside of their studies and what would benefit my peers in their work-life balance. I have developed skills in creating a safe space, finding paths of feedback and how to bring it to a larger discussion through these roles.
First year can be confusing so I want to set up a mentorship programme where upper-year students help first-years navigate uni life, both academically and socially.

Feel free to contact me with any questions you might have here Ewan.Stranheways.2022@live.rhul.ac.uk. Voting starts March 5, 2024 and ends March 7, 2024 so make sure you vote!