Hear from Your School Reps

With nominations for our Leadership Elections open now, you might be wondering what the roles entail and whether you'd be a good fit. Hear from our current School Reps and see what they have to say about their experiences.

Oliver Case, LSS School Rep 

I nominated myself to be LSS rep as I saw the change that I wanted to make at School level that I hadn't been able to make as a senior course rep. Having been actively involved in my department, I was ready for the challenge of the role. The election was an enjoyable experience, and the SU staff were super helpful.

I am very proud that I have implemented my five manifesto pledges and I have developed good organisation skills by balancing this role with my studies and life. The advice I would give myself on the campaign trail would be to talk to as many people as possible and hear what your fellow students want.

Isabella Neergaard, LSE School Rep 

Leadership Elections. What daunting two words, right? It sounds so official, so important, and rightfully so! But it also represents the unity of students, the excitement of change and the opportunity to be heard. When I nominated myself for the position of School Rep for the School of Life Sciences and the Environment in the winter of 2023, it was really because I was tired of the marking and assessment boycott warnings, tired of strikes impacting my modules, and tired of the never-ending impacts that the COVID-19 virus had had on my degree. I wanted large-scale change, and to be heard. The process of nominations was rather simple: send in your manifesto and a LinkedIn-style picture of yourself, hit the nominate button and wait to see what happens.

The exciting, nerve-wracking process began after nominations had closed and I had to run an election campaign. "But Izzy, School Rep isn't a paid position, do you have to campaign?", you might ask. The answer to that would be no, you don't necessarily have to go all out, but I found that half the fun was attending the election breakfasts, talking to people about my manifesto, promoting the change I wanted to create and meeting all the other, excited, nervous students that were running. The election was a rush, all over in approximately two weeks, and concluded in an election party at the SU, complete with canapés, virgin mimosas and flowers for the excited winners.

In the past six months that I have been acting as a voice for LSE students, I have managed to assist with changes regarding assessments, mark weightings and extenuating circumstances. All things that I mentioned in my manifesto, and that I am proud to say will (hopefully) impact the incoming students in 2024. On a smaller scale, I have revamped the School's Instagram, set up monthly drop-ins with course reps and assisted with student engagement, trying to make LSE feel like home. All things, I hope will continue in the coming years.

If you are sitting out there, reading this, and thinking "Gosh, what a ride! I sure would love to do that too", then my only advice is to take the leap. My mum has always reminded me that "one should just go for it. The worst that could happen is that you get it, and must do the work!", a mantra, which I would remind all interested students to adopt. It is nothing short of noble to represent your fellow students and your friends, ensuring that future generations have it better than you have had it. So go for it, nominate yourself and see what happens. The worst outcome is that you have a year of fun and networking.

Martin Kapusta, Business and Management School Rep 

Being a School Rep is a great way to have a say in your studies and give valuable feedback to the department and fellow course reps. It is one of the most important voluntary roles, and the Business & Management department has put a lot of weight on student representation and gives a range of support. It is always great to get to know your professors from the other side and reverse the roles, making them the ones to listen. I would highly advise this role and help understand the importance of student representation and strongly enhance your CV. 

I nominated myself to support the students in the department and work closely with the course directors, approving many influential changes. I'm proudest of our recent change in assignment structure, making it more inclusive and useful for a career after university. This role has helped me develop strong leadership and critical thinking skills. Finally, the academics are aware of their study responsibilities and are very grateful for any time dedicated to the role. If you are thinking about running, just be honest and show that you care about what problem you would like to focus on. If you have any questions regarding the role or the campaign, feel free to reach out :) my email is zktm797@live.rhul.ac.uk.

Good luck! 

If you're interested in running to represent your School in the upcoming elections, head over to our Leadership Elections minisite. Don't forget nominations close on Sunday 4 February!