Sharanya Sivarajah.
Candidate for VP Education
Hi, I’m Sharanya, a third-year Politics, Philosophy and Economics Student. I’ve had a rewarding year as the Secretary of the Politics and International Relations Society which has helped develop my administrative skills and my connection with the SU. I will utilise these skills to help the student body as your VP Education for 2023/24.
1. Inclusivity and Accessibility
Growing up a part of the BAME community and now being a first-gen university student, I have realised education is not accessible enough. I am running this year to ensure everyone gets the opportunity to grow and expand their capabilities.
During my term as your VP, I hope to:
- Expand your curriculum to include more work from BAME and LGBTQ+ academics
- Develop outreach programmes and summer schools for prospective students who are part of underprivileged demographics
- Introduce drop-in hours for you to attend and speak to me directly about any concerns
2. Flexible and supportive learning
COVID-19 and the current cost-of-living crisis showed us that education can be easily compromised by things out of our control. I will ensure all courses allow for the maintenance of flexible and supportive learning through:
- Improving the equipment used within lectures – ensuring the sound and video quality is reflective of the investment we put into our education
- Including sleeping pods within the library – catering towards commuters and those with extensive deadlines who need a minute to rest.
- Introducing more bursaries and loans with no interest rates – guaranteeing students have unlimited access to financial support
3. Careers and opportunities
University is not only to further our education, but to develop our skills with our future careers and employability in mind. The Careers Support report conducted by the SU’s student voice team discovered the university has attempted to help in increasing employability among students, but more can be done.
As such, when elected as VP I plan to:
- Ensure the Careers & Employability Service coordinate an increased varied events programme for both undergraduates and postgraduates throughout the academic year
- Utilise our connection with the University of London: holding LinkedIn events with other London Universities – helping you network and build connections within the working world.
- Lobbying for personalised 1-1 Careers support during the job-hunting process – catering your application to you by:
- Implementing the practice you need in tackling aptitude and psychometric tests within the job hiring process
- Increasing internships and graduate schemes promoted by the university to each academic school