SU Officer election interviews: Round 3

Voting for the 2017-18 Bristol Student Union officers opens 9am Tuesday 14th March. You can vote online here, with polls closing at 9pm Thursday 16th March.

In this, the third of three articles, we showcase the candidates who deigned to be interviewed by The Tab Bristol.

You can read our previous article here.

Below are all the candidates for the positions of Undergraduate Education Officer and Postgraduate Education Officer.

Undergraduate Education Officer

Mason Ammar

Q: What changes would you make to the university curriculum?

A: The one thing I want to change about the curriculum is making it relevant to all people. A lot of the curriculum needs to be liberated or updated to make it more inclusive for all students. There needs to be a wide range of opinions presented at university to ensure different perspectives are shown.

Q: What steps will you take to rectify the BME attainment gap?

A: Since I am the only candidate running for Undergraduate Education who is BME and has worked as a BME campaigns co-ordinator at Bristol SU, there is a lot of work we have done already to look into this issue. For example, there is a strong need for culturally competent mental health care because BME students are more likely to struggle with their mental health.

Q: If you could date one of the other candidates, who would it be?

A: I’d date Des because she’s one of the most passionate people I know. Failing that, Josh Buxton because he looks like a teddy bear.

Joshua Buxton

Q: What changes would you make to the university curriculum?

A: I want to see a more flexible curriculum where students have more control over the units they choose and the means by which they’re assessed. This would be to cultivate an atmosphere of inter disciplinary learning and development.

Q: What steps will you take to rectify the BME attainment gap?

A: I want to see a more inclusive university where all people are supported and have the correct framework in which everyone can fulfil their potential. I think the university needs to be more open minded and listen to the concerns of all students. This is particularly highlighted by the recent incidents of racism on campus.

Q: If you could date one of the other candidates, who would it be?

A: Hari Sood because he’s a kind and compassionate man. President of RAG- doesn’t that say it all? I’d like to Jailbreak with him.

Martina Beleva

Q: What changes would you make to the university curriculum?

A: One of the good things that has been happening in the university recently has been the ‘Why is my curriculum white?’ campaign. One of the big changes I would like to make is a minimum of 10 contact hours and the opportunity to study languages regardless of your course or credit points. I would also ensure the workload of each unit corresponds to its Credit Point award.

Q: What steps will you take to rectify the BME attainment gap?

A: One big point in my manifesto is to reinforce the results from the BME attainment gap report which the current ELA Officer has ensured. I’d make sure that the results themselves have a massive impact on the curriculum. Not enough students are aware of the problem but it should be a thing people are aware of.

Q: If you could date one of the other candidates, who would it be?

A: I haven’t stalked them enough on Facebook to decide.

Rebecca Filer

Q: What changes would you make to the university curriculum?

A: One of my policies is about open units, I think our degrees are too rigid and there isn’t enough choice and enough support for those who want to broaden their degree. I want to see more open units available and academic support for people taking open units from different disciplines.

Q: What steps will you take to rectify the BME attainment gap?

A: I would work with the BME officer and make sure that they take the lead on this issue. I think it’s really fantastic that the university and the SU are prioritising it and I would do everything to ensure it is tackled effectively.

Q: If you could date one of the other candidates, who would it be?

A: I don’t know, there are so many other candidates, I wouldn’t know where to start!

Shauna Coleman

Q: What changes would you make to the university curriculum?

A: First of all, from previous research, from student likes and dislikes, it seems that assessment dates are one of the major things that stress students out. I believe it is important for units within departments and courses to get together and discuss assessment deadlines so they are a little more spaced out.

Q: What steps will you take to rectify the BME attainment gap?

A: I think research definitely needs to take place in order to figure out the reasons behind it. With those results we can both better inform students and ourselves about the reasons behind this gap and the solutions to rectify it.

Q: If you could date one of the other candidates, who would it be?

A: Mason, because I promised I would answer that!

Zack Muddle

Q: What changes would you make to the university curriculum?

A: The main change I’d make to the curriculum is there should be more democratic input for students for the curriculum. If that was done, there’d be a greater diversity in the perspectives and authors in the curriculum.

Q: What steps will you take to rectify the BME attainment gap?

A:  There are several ways to deal with this. As well as needing affirmative action, a significant contributor to the BME attainment gap is aspects of how education works which make it difficult for working class people to engage with the university so that it makes it difficult for BME working class students. There are things in my manifesto about fighting against the government’s higher education reforms and fighting for free education and repealing the abolition of the maintenance grant.

Q: If you could date one of the other candidates, who would it be?

A: That’s not what I’m here to talk about. The sexualisation of politics is bad and I am here to talk about why my campaign experience makes me a good candidate, not my personal life.

Kerensa Phelps

Q: What changes would you make to the university curriculum?

A: I’d integrate more careers support in the curriculum so students are better prepared for life after university. I would also ensure all feedback is prompt and helpful.

Q: What steps will you take to rectify the BME attainment gap?

A: I would support all efforts to research this area in greater detail and make the support available to better advertise support available for students affected.

Q: If you could date one of the other candidates, who would it be?

A: Another one of the Undergraduate Officer candidates and then we’d be like a tag team, a power couple.

Postgraduate Education Officer

Shubham Singh

Q: What do you believe to be the biggest challenges facing postgrads at Bristol University?

A: For me I think the postgrad experience is most difficult for international students because of the most postgrads who come here for masters so it’s quite difficult within that one year timeframe to become involved in social activities, improve their English, look for jobs etc. In the last 7 years, not a single international student has been a full time officer so if elected my priorities would be centred on the experience of international students.

Q: What changes would you implement in the role?

A: If elected I would demand the careers service would provide tailored support and increased guidance to international students regarding their career prospects because of the visa restrictions which make it difficult for international students to find a job. Besides that, I would focus on international students can improve their English skills.

Q: If you could date one of the other candidates, who would it be?

A: Kerensa Phelps because we were on the same committee whilst working for the SU.