Ashna Salman.
Candidate for VP Education
As a first-generation university student from a disadvantaged background, achieving quality education has always been a personal goal of mine. During my time as VP of Education, I aim to recognise challenges that individuals may have had to be a student at Royal Holloway and how I can contextualise these individual issues to the wider student experience and tackle those issues to improve student life, particularly corresponding to education quality at our university.
As someone passionate about improving student engagement and experiences overall, I have spent this academic year being involved in the running of Desi and K-pop society by being part of their committees to get to know other students more, which has allowed me to gather a variety of opinions which I have grouped to provide a set of critical issues I would like to work on if I get elected for this role:
Better Organization - Some of the constant issues students have encountered can be improved by creating a better organisation within this university. Part of this is enhancing face-to-face services such as student services and making help more immediate and accessible for students as I realise that unorganised help services can impact students' engagement with education significantly.
Development of Careers Website - Another aim is to further develop and expand the Royal Holloway Careers website and department so that students can have a clear outline of the requirements or opportunities opened to them within their degree. This website should also advertise any jobs/ placements and opportunities available on and around our campus as well as any short accredited courses available to gain skills beneficial for employability.
Improving our Services - I would like to engage with well-being and other services to improve their rules and regulations to fit recent concerns impacting students' education better. Problems related to (but not limited to) well-being, cost of living difficulties and struggling to keep up with work. The opinions and concerns of students should also be considered seriously and we should regularly interact with students online and in person to work on these issues.
Overall, I aim to improve student educational engagement by working with other sabbatical officers as VP of Education to improve services across campus to better student experiences whilst also improving the organisation, advertisement of opportunities and more interaction with students which should result in better academic engagement from students.
Vote Ashna Salman as VP Education for better grades!