Please outline why you’re running for the position, and any skills/experience you possess which would enable you to be successful if elected:

Hi, I’m Abi and I would like to be your next VP Education! I am a third year Classics student in my second year as President of the History Society. Being on a society committee for three years has allowed me to collaborate with a range of people from the university, other student groups, London universities and the careers service. I recently helped to plan the humanities ‘meet the grads night’ and was able to interview alumni during, this experience has made me more passionate about providing the same opportunities for all students to gain relevant careers advice and the chance to network. I have also been a course and senior course rep for a year each and that has provided me the chance to work with the department to represent my fellow students, gaining a more in depth understanding of how to enact change that benefits my peers #Abi4All!

Outline your top 8 priorities in ranking order:

1. Increase the number of social and study spaces on campus
2. Run more departmental events and networking opportunities for undergraduates and postgraduates
3. More student-friendly timetables
4. Reduce deadline stacking for assessments and coursework
5. Improve personal tutor support
6. More departmental careers support
7. Improve support around extenuating circumstances and assessments
8. Cheaper and more frequent transport in the local area

For your top 3 priorities, identify 1 or 2 actions you would achieve to address the issue:

1. I would review if vacant academic rooms or su venues could be repurposed as a space for commuting students during the day, increasing the number of non-transactional social space and hopefully creating more space for studying in the library. I would also lobby to have the library open for longer hours, especially during the January exams and busy assignment periods.
2. Through working with departments and the careers service, I would create more networking events between current students and alumni, generating opportunities to interact with those in a variety of industries and levels of academic study. I also aim to encourage academic societies to collaborate with their fellow student groups within the University of London, creating a more exciting range of events for members and key networking opportunities.
3. I would correspond with schools to minimise large gaps in daily timetables. Commuting students would then have the ability to choose how long they stay on campus rather than it being necessitated by class times. This is essential for students that struggle to accommodate a part-time job around their lectures and seminars. I also plan to improve communications between departments with popular joint honour degrees, hopefully minimising clashes and allowing less course-related confusion.

Please outline why you’re running for the position, and any skills/experience you possess which would enable you to be successful if elected:

I am running for Vice President Education because I am committed to ensuring that every student has the right to access a high-quality and supportive learning experience. As a postgraduate student, I understand the challenges students face and believe that with the right representation, we can bring meaningful change.

My goal is to amplify student voices, improve academic policies, address financial issues, and make resources more accessible. Every student deserves to be heard in decision-making.

With my experience as Vice-Captain throughout secondary school and Captain during my senior year, I have demonstrated strong leadership. Over the past three years, I have independently organized events, strengthening my teamwork, problem-solving, and decision-making skills. My passion for leadership and advocacy drives me to create a better academic experience for all.

Outline your top 8 priorities in ranking order:

1. Standardize marking criteria and feedback within department.
2. More financial support for students.
3. Improved support around extenuating circumstances and assessments.
4. Improve personal tutor support
5. Longer opening hours at food outlets
6. Make SU events more affordable and accessible
7. Cheaper and more frequent transport in the local area
8. Run more departmental events and networking opportunities for undergraduates and postgraduates

For your top 3 priorities, identify 1 or 2 actions you would achieve to address the issue:

1. To address my top priority—standardizing marking criteria and feedback—I will conduct surveys to understand student concerns. I will then meet with department heads, faculty, and academic committees to present these issues. Collaborating with faculty, I will develop a transparent marking guide and ensure students receive constructive feedback. Additionally, I will establish a student-faculty working group to regularly review and improve marking practices.
2. My second priority is increasing financial support for students. I will advocate for increased university funding and scholarships while proposing new merit-based and need-based scholarships to assist struggling students. Additionally, I will work to create a centralized financial aid hub—a website or guide listing all available grants, bursaries, and scholarships. To further support students, I will expand on-campus job opportunities, enabling them to earn while they study.
3. My third priority is to improve support for extenuating circumstances and assessments. I will work with the university administration to ensure policies accommodate genuine student hardships, including illness, mental health struggles, and personal crises. I will also advocate for a clear, student-friendly application process with faster decisions. Most importantly, I will collaborate with student services to ensure mental health is officially recognized as a valid extenuating circumstance.

Please outline why you’re running for the position, and any skills/experience you possess which would enable you to be successful if elected:

Hi everyone! I am running to be VP Education to improve the education experience for all students at Royal Holloway. I have been a committed member of RHUL’s student community for the past three years, and I am incredibly passionate about the community I’ve been building here. I would be grateful for the opportunity to continue to make a difference here for another year. As the School Rep for LSS I have been able to make improvements within my school surrounding the inclusion of commuters, hosting careers events, and relaying student feedback at a school level. If elected I could use the skills I have gained across my Politics degree, and as LSS Rep to effect meaningful change. My focus is on timetabling, personal tutor systems, and improving social and study spaces as these issues affect all of us – and that is why tackling them is my main priority.

Outline your top 8 priorities in ranking order:

1. More student-friendly timetables
2. Increase the number of social and study spaces on campus
3. Improve personal tutor support
4. Reduce deadline stacking for assessments and coursework
5. Run more departmental events and networking opportunities for undergraduates and postgraduates.
6. More departmental careers support
7. More affordable food options on campus
8. Standardize marking criteria and feedback within departments

For your top 3 priorities, identify 1 or 2 actions you would achieve to address the issue:

1. More student-friendly timetables:
   Reduce time spent between timetabled hours so students have more choice in their day, whether to utilise that time to study, socialise, or travel to and from university. Publish timetables in advance of optional module selection to dramatically reduce the number of timetable clashes faced.
2. Increase the number of social and study spaces on campus:
   We all understand how difficult it can be to find a quiet space to work on campus, especially when you need it most. I will ensure that no matter when there will always be adequate spaces available on campus for the number of students at our university.
3. Improve personal tutor support:
   Increase the role of personal tutors to provide guidance to students on coursework throughout the year and ensure that students have the option to meet their personal tutor at least twice per term if they choose. Have personal tutors be consistent as students’ progress through university and guaranteeing joint honours student a tutor in each department.

Please outline why you’re running for the position, and any skills/experience you possess which would enable you to be successful if elected:

My name is Poppy Coates, and I’m running for the position of VP Education, because education is at the forefront of the university experience.

I am a third-year MSCi Psychology student, Women’s Student Community Officer, SSO Executive Member, an Academic Rep and Secretary for Rounders.

One of my main aims is to increase social and study spaces on campus. I have experienced first-hand the struggle of trying to find a seat in an overcrowded library. There is a continuing influx of students year-on-year and not enough non-transactional spaces to accommodate them all.

With my various roles within the university, I am well-equipped to listen to student feedback and turn it into actionable change. For example, I turned feedback from students about an insufficient range of menstrual products available on campus into an expansive range of menstrual products (available in the SU Shop).

Vote Coates to turn words into action #VOTE4COATES

Outline your top 8 priorities in ranking order:

1. Increase the number of social and study spaces on campus.
2. Improve personal tutor support.
3. Improve Parking on the Egham Campus.
4. More student-friendly timetables.
5. Improve Maintenance and Support for University Halls of Residence.
6. Run more departmental events and networking opportunities for undergraduates and postgraduates.
7. Standardise marking criteria and feedback within departments.
8. Improved support around extenuating circumstances and assessments.

For your top 3 priorities, identify 1 or 2 actions you would achieve to address the issue:

1. Increase the number of study and social spaces
   I aim to increase suitable studying/socialising spaces on campus by identifying underutilised rooms, investigating their potential for repurpose and implementing an availability app/website to allow students to search and find available rooms in which they can work/study.
   I would also advocate for longer opening hours in both the EWD library and other spaces across campus to ensure people have a suitable place to study.
2. Improve Personal Tutor support
   Results from a 2021 PT review showed that (N=393) 13% did not know who their PT was, 11% were unsatisfied/very unsatisfied, and 10.4% said their PT took over 3 days to respond. Henceforth, I will introduce mandatory group introductory tutor sessions for first-years and compulsory termly 121 PT meetings.
   I would also conduct an updated review of student opinions and issues with the current PT system.
3. Improve car parking on Egham campus
   I would install parking availability LED boards across campus so individuals can see in real time where there are parking spaces available.
   However, this does not solve the ever-increasing issue around lack of space, therefore, I propose discussions with the local community and working alongside the local council to provide external parking options for students.