Here are questions for all candidates running for the position of Activities Officer:
1. What insight/experience do you have to Students’ Union UCL’s clubs and societies?
2. How would you engage with the full range of clubs and societies at UCL and represent student interests?
3. What would your priority be as Activities Officer?
4. What will you do to support the work of the Disabled Students' Network, who recently released a highly publicised report detailing institutionalised disability discrimination at UCL?
5. Individual questions to Ambreen, Becky, D'Arcy, Ilyas, James, Ria, Simon, Tanya
1. What insight/experience do you have to Students’ Union UCL’s clubs and societies?
Ambreen: I’ve been President of the Fencing Club this year which has been the most rewarding and challenging experience. Before then, I also held another committee position in the club. Both experiences have given a great deal of insight into working with the Union, more specifically how to run events, manage a committee and keep members informed and up to date with club activities. Some of my proudest achievements this year would include introducing new events in the club calendar and increasing the amount of charity and fundraising work we do. This experience has driven my passion to reform Union processes.
Becky: I have been on a committee and also a club president during which our club has reached record number membership, started regular volunteering and the performance of our BUCS teams has reached new levels after organising extra training and better coaches. As a development captain, I completely transformed our beginners team, organising both weekly training session and matches while encouraging them to integrate with the whole club. I ensured that our club was open, inclusive and accessible to every student that wanted to join. Now our development team has tripled in size and 2/3rd’s of our club is complete beginners.
D'Arcy: Having been a two time president, Bloomsbury show producer, Student Activities receptionist as well as your current Activities Officer, my experience is rich and varied. I have first-hand understanding of the issues faced in the daily running of clubs and societies and now can couple that with operational knowledge developed from being an officer. Dealing with all of our clubs and societies, I have gained real insight into how different sections of Activities are affected by the current systems and I want to piece this together with new plans and ideas to create an activities programme to be proud of!
Ilyas: Since my first year here at UCL, I’ve been involved in many societies, including Arabsoc, Banglasoc, Isoc, Red Star FC and the list goes on. I was also this year societies officer where I gained an insight into the union and how to come about change. In my second year I was captain of Red Stars 3rd team and now I’m Vice President of the club, where I learnt so much about what it takes to run a sports club and all of the shortcomings the union has when dealing with sports clubs, something I wish to change!
James: I've been in sports, arts and career-related societies. I've held 4 committee positions throughout my time at university and it's been great. I was also elected sports rep for the union, and attend meetings on how to improve sport at UCL, with my main focus being making TeamUCL more accessible and open to non-competitive members. I think the main area lacking for Clubs & Societies is the way that the union promotes events and taster sessions, which I intend to improve online and in-person.
Ria: I have been First-Year Rep, Vice President, dance choreographer, an active member and student staff member at the C&S Reception. I attended the University of Melbourne (year abroad) and being under both student unions, I have this great advantage of bringing a new perspective to make our union, even more successful in enriching our students’ experiences. So, having been heavily involved, I understand the processes that students have to go through when running a society, as well as the behind-the-scenes to how all the admin is carried out and what can be improved.
Simon: I was a captain, and a welfare officer in my second year, and this year I am both a Sports Club President and a society president alongside being part of the committee on a third society. I have plenty of experience with both the union administrative processes, and the difficulties that many committees face, particularly with effective communication, and delegation of tasks. In my experiences, I have hosted guest-speaker events, attended union workshops to promote inclusivity and accessibility, and even held meetings regarding potential BUCS implementation.
Tanya: Clubs and societies have always been at the centre of my student experience. As the current Film & TV Society President and Student Media Representative, I have been fortunate to work with many Arts and Media societies. I have also worked on multiple Drama Society shows myself, most recently producing this year’s Term 2 Bloomsbury show, ‘A Clockwork Orange’. As a Bloomsbury Fitness employee, I have experienced up close the issues and difficulties facing our sports clubs, and I have a great working relationship with the Students Union stuff, having collaborated with them on multiple projects.
2. How would you engage with the full range of clubs and societies at UCL and represent student interests?
Ambreen: Attending a wide range of events to support and promote is something I would hope to do. Giving all clubs and societies an equal opportunity to showcase their events through social media takeovers would allow all activities to be equally represented on Union platforms. I wish to building personal relationships with clubs and society Presidents to understand their needs and concerns. This can help me respond better in making the necessary arrangements and changes to Union structure which reflect the needs of the full range of clubs and societies.
Becky: I would create an online forum for all presidents and treasurers for easy and regular communication. This would ensure that ideas, plans and problems can be discussed easily and I can listen to the students interests and respond appropriately. Additionally, I would have a weekly drop-in which presidents/ treasurers can come and actually solve any problems they are having face to face.
D'Arcy: An officer should be visible and engaged and this year I have tried to make sure I am actively supporting the work of all of our clubs and societies by attending their shows, training sessions, events, debates etc and I want to do even more of this next year! Using part-time officers and Activities Zone reps is also crucial to engaging and representing across the board as they have an in-depth, experience- led knowledge of their sections and can offer perspective and insight you may not have considered.
Ilyas: First thing I would do when elected is send a message to all clubs and societies presidents and treasurers, asking them for feedback on how the union dealt with them over the past year. By doing this I will understand what the main issues are, working hard to fix them. I would also send all presidents messages periodically throughout the year to ensure that if any new issues arise, that I am there to support them. Furthermore, I will make it my personal responsibility to reply to every single message or email within the same day, even on weekends.
James: Collaborations are a huge benefit for Clubs & Societies. Arts societies in particular do this fantastically, but with more support and further funding/space allocation these can be enhanced and made more available for people to participate in and also attend. I would encourage sports socials where two clubs attend each other's sessions and try each other's sports, linking new people and helping people try new things.
Ria: UCL is a true representation of what a global university should look like – always exposed to different cultures and ideas. The same approach needs to be taken when representing student interests. We need to make sure that all areas of the Union are addressed when decisions are being made. This includes and is not limited to clubs and societies, skills, volunteering. Also, by having two drop-in sessions as an Activities Officer during the busy periods at UCL, I will encourage students to be in regular contact with the SU, which will help resolve any issues at a faster rate.
Simon: As Activities Officer, awareness of what clubs and societies which compose the Union is important. I want to talk to the clubs and societies directly, particularly smaller ones, to provide them the opportunity voice their concerns and opinions. Furthermore, I want to work with Union development staff, and the part-time officers to identify common development goals amongst clubs and societies, and create policies which support and enable clubs and societies to achieve these goals
Tanya: I would prioritise creating more direct channels of communication between the Union Staff, the sabbatical officers, and students, to ensure that all students feel able to voice their opinions and concerns, and feel like their voice is heard and represented in Union decisions. I would also increase the amount of weekly drop-in hours where students can come and chat with the Activities Officer directly, as well as encouraging better communication forums and collaborative opportunities for all society presidents and committees across the Union as a whole.
3. What would your priority be as Activities Officer?
Ambreen: As Activities Officer, I am aiming to put meaning behind the statements which we make and move from namesake actions to real efforts. For example, announcing that clubs and societies should aim to support being a zero-waste UCL should backed with real actions to ensure that clubs and societies are recycling waste. Since lack of funding is a qualm that almost all societies complain about, monetary incentives can be offered to club and societies that demonstrate significant efforts to make sustainable shifts. I would strive to create a platform listing charities and organisations that societies can donate used kit/items to.
Becky: My priority would be to help all clubs/ societies to be inclusive and accessible to everyone regardless of ability, talent and background. I passionately believe that every single student deserves an equal opportunity to get involved in clubs/ societies. I’d offer training sessions for clubs/ societies to set up development teams or beginner/ social workshops as I think that you shouldn’t have to trial/ audition to simply be part of a club or society. I’d also push UCL to refund the membership of one club/ society for students that are eligible for bursaries as everyone deserves the chance to #getinvolved.
D'Arcy: You, Students.
Everything an officer does should be student-led and student-benefitting and should be benefitting as many people as possible. I would work to remove barriers (social, financial, skill-levels) to allow as many UCL students to find their communities and enjoyment in our activities. Improving involvement isn’t just an outward approach – it’s equally about refining what exists and how things happen. Simply, Activities can’t happen without all of the work that goes in behind the scenes; the plan, the forms, the funding etc. and these should all be clear cut and simple – to help, not hinder.
Ilyas: My manifesto is filled with many points that I believe will make all clubs and societies events better, including changing sports grounds for sports clubs to ones that are more convenient and changing the room booking system so that it’s easier for societies to find a room. The main priority for me as activities officer is to ensure the inclusivity of all students at UCL in every club or society. Although in theory anyone can join any society, my tenure as societies officer taught me that many people are excluded from different societies and do not feel welcome.
James: Making sure that everyone that wants to join a Club or Society is able to find the right fit for them easily. A method of comparison comparing each aspect of Societies would hugely help this, without the need to queue for 3 hours to go to freshers fair - specifically for 2nd/3rd years that just want to find out about societies quickly.
Ria: As Activities Officer my aims would be simple and straightforward. Quicker and easier systems for clubs and societies to be able to manoeuvre around throughout the year. I want to ensure that students have a positive and rewarding experience when in contact with the Student Union. It is so important to listen to you, the students, and ask for your feedback on what you want – as mentioned in my manifesto, with an online forum, ideas can be suggested and voted up by other students, which will encourage the Union to take steps into delivering what is needed.
Simon: As activities officer, my priority would be to address the financial systems for clubs and societies. At present, it’s extremely difficult to obtain up-to-date financial information, which makes it difficult for societies to plan socials and provide services to their members. I want to work with the union to create a more functional, user-friendly finance dashboard for clubs and societies to access. I also want grants to be allocated more logically, so that grant assignments more accurately align with historical spending patterns.
Tanya: My priority would be making our activities inclusive and accessible to ALL students. I would do this by working on the following problem areas: removing barriers to participation (in particular with regards to sports), encouraging more postgrad engagement with the Students Union, better mental health support for all club and society members, increased campaigning for zero tolerance to sexual harassment, and creating an open and action-based dialogue around accessibility.
4. What will you do to support the work of the Disabled Students' Network, who recently released a highly publicised report detailing institutionalised disability discrimination at UCL?
Ambreen: Much like the Project Active initiative, I would aim to set up a programme which encourages clubs and societies to host events inclusive to those from the Disabled Students’ Network. By including this in the criteria for Development Awards, it will ensure that clubs and societies are prompted to host them. In order to support this, I will liaise with the elected Disabled Students Officer and create a board which reviews the inclusivity of clubs and societies with regularity.
Becky: Every student deserves to have an enriched university experience and have an equal opportunity to experience clubs/ societies. To support the work of the Disabled Students’ Network I would add a training session on how to make your club/ society more accessible and inclusive to students with disabilities. I would work very closely with the network and listen to what they have to say on what we should include in this training session. I’d also suggest to clubs/ societies to appoint an accessibility rep who could be made responsible to ensure that club/ society activities are open to every student.
D'Arcy: The Disabled Students’ Network report is a very important piece of work. I want to work with the Disabled Student’ Officer on the training for clubs and society leaders, making sure they are educated on what they need to be doing to be accessible and how to offer appropriate provisions for disabled members.
I also want to make the report a part of my work with Estates. Just one example, both our film studio and radio station are currently inaccessible – we cannot be an inclusive community in spaces that restrict our student body.
Ilyas: Leading on from my previous point, I will work to make sure that all students will feel included in all clubs and societies at UCL, including disabled students. One thing which I have identifies as a problem is people with hidden disabilities being misunderstood and excluded in societies. I will work with the welfare officer and the DSN to run a campaign in disability awareness month, to raise awareness of students with hidden disabilities. Also ensuring that hidden disabilities are added to welfare officer training for all societies and constant communication with the disabled students.
James: Highlighting to Societies ways to make events more accessible and further improving training for welfare officers. Non-visible disabilities are often not easy to pick up on, and more specific training would help include people and most importantly introduce people into the societies. Maybe even small support groups who could trial societies together, in a safe space with friends that they know and are comfortable with.
Ria: After researching into the report, it was truly distressing to see the discrimination that is still present at UCL. I would like to focus on community building and make sure that departments respect your rights. By building a stronger community where disabled students feel supported and more importantly, empowered, is definitely on my agenda and to act in solidarity and make a real impact on students’ lives. I will ensure there is adequate training for all societies and committee members on how to address/deal with discrimination of all kinds and especially of those who are disabled.
Simon: Promoting awareness of clubs and societies outside of Welcome Fair. At present the union website does list all available clubs and societies on its website, the page can be overwhelming, so making the website less busy, and providing more filter options can make it easier to find out about events/societies would increase awareness. Also placing greater emphasis on the role of the Welfare Officer, giving them greater autonomy to make events more accessible. In addition, expanding mental health training to include Presidents and Treasurers. Finally, implementing to the Room Bookings, an identifier displaying which rooms are mobility accessible.
Tanya: I will focus on collaborate with the Disabled Students’ Network to create more campaigns to publicise the findings of the report to the student body, and ensure that their concerns are heard. I will make sure to involve them as much as possible in decision making processes that will affect them, and work on creating an open dialogue around discrimination in a university context, through events such as panel discussions. I will also ensure that welfare officers receive action-based, detailed information on this as part of their training at the start of the academic year.
5. Individual specific questions:
Q: In what ways would you streamline union processes for clubs and societies?
A: I’ve spoken to many students/ committee members, and the ideas they have to bring an even further positive change to the union has blown me away. Until I asked them there was no accessible platform for them to voice this. I believe with enough advertising of the platform; everyone will want to use it naturally. With the ideas forum, if you can get a minimum number of students to vote for your idea, the Union officers are then able to consider it – the more votes an idea gets, the more power it gives us to try and action it
Q: How would you encourage societies to collaborate and build relations?
A: During my time as President I noticed that sports clubs did not engage with Arts societies. In order to ensure this changes, I would create a platform that matches societies interested in hosting similar events to encourage them to build inter-society relations. This can be in the form of easily arrangeable socials or charity fundraising football tournaments with particular focus on extracurriculars such as joint-welfare events etc. Events which have already taken place can be advertised on the platform to give clubs ideas on how to organise one and direct them to the necessary processes involved.
Q: How do you plan to push UCL to give students eligible for bursaries refunds on their club/society membership?
A: I would firstly send out a survey to all students to get the relevant data to back up the fact that memberships are too expensive for some students to afford. Using this to back up my argument, I would propose my case of the fact that anyone who is eligible for bursary support for basic living, should also be eligible for one refund. Every single student at UCL should be able to enrich their student experience and have access to the same opportunities that everyone does. Therefore, this would my first priority if I get elected.
Q: How will you work with committees to improve handover, considering that handover comes at a busy time in term 3 for students?
A: That’s the precisely the problem with handover. Leaving the handover until term 3, the busiest period of university, means that its rushed, not detailed and missing information.
By providing a standardised template, which clubs/ societies can edit/ add to, for committee members to fill out throughout the year would make the whole process smoother. This template would include sections such as: a list of things to do before the year begins, challenges they had in their role and how they dealt with them, a calendar where they can schedule in any events and when to start planning.
D'Arcy:
Q: How did you individually contribute to the 44% expansion of bookable Union space (the Lewis Building)?
A: When the staff move out of Lewis was confirmed, there was discussions about what would happen to the space. To me there was only one answer: Activity Space. I sat down with senior management and toured the spaces, noting possible uses. There are longer term plans for the space (very exciting!) but I made sure it would be utilized in the mean-time. I couldn’t see 4 adaptable spaces become storage for old furniture or redundant for months. I pushed for them to be cleared as soon as possible and put to use and within a few months it was sorted!
Q: How will you trial a participation fund? How would this work to reduce the finance barrier?
A: Clubs and Societies are an important part of UCL and no one should have to miss out of this because of money; something that can be tricky as a student. The participation fund will be a pot of money that students apply to, to cover the costs of memberships if they can’t undertake costs themselves. The trial will be at the beginning of the academic year. There will be an application form (we are working hard to ensure is not demining or too invasive to personal circumstances of applicants). These will be anonymised and considered by a panel of officers.
Q: How do you plan to reduce travel for team UCL clubs and find affordable/available sports grounds closer to campus?
A: From my experience playing football at UCL, I have noticed flaws in our system. Booking poor quality pitches that are far away from campus pitches because they are cheaper, yet providing travel refunds for whole teams commuting to and from sports grounds. There are plenty of football pitches nearby, for example Regents Park sports ground. I will rework travel reclaims for specific teams, which doesn’t seem to work anyway and use that saved money to fund the extra cost for closer sports grounds. Also by communicating with sports clubs captains to keep them all in the loop (no pun intended)
Q: How will you improve club and society accessibility for disabled students?
A: Alongside working with the DSN to run a campaign in disability awareness month to raise awareness for students with hidden disabilities, I will make sure that there is disabled access in all activities at UCL. For example, the Bloomsbury gym will be changed to be 100% accessible. I will also ensure that sports clubs are properly briefed into how they can include people with disabilities, hidden or not into their society and make sure they provide extra support.
James:
Q: Can you give more specific examples of how you will listen to students and amend restrictive procedures for clubs and societies? Which processes would you prioritise improving?
A questionnaire sent to all current (19/20) committee members, prompting them to let us know any issues they've experienced as a committee member. This would be optional and would provide key insight into the procedures that need looking into. It would be anonymous by default, but with an option to specify the society or which type (over 300 members/sports/cultural/under 60 members). Knowing exactly which issues affect each kind of society is vital to finding practical and ultimately successful amendments. Most importantly removing online AGMs; they've caused more trouble than they're worth this year.
Q: How would you improve communication with the union and make information about clubs and societies more accessible?
A: Simply, creating more engaging content. Students don't want to read an essay about how something has changed/procedure; we want to know how it will actually affect us directly. This could be done with memes, short videos or even just shorter emails! I love to make stupid videos that make people laugh, and including more students and Societies in the making of informative but crazy videos would not only be a lot of fun, but would make 'communication with the union' a lot less of a chore.
Q: Apps are expensive to produce - would making an app for automated processes (admin) take funding away from club and society activities?
A: Absolutely, apps are pricey to develop but by adding on to the financial system that is already in place, this process will be made easier - short term pain, long term gain! I want to make sure that admin work is streamlined and easy to navigate around. Whether that’s making documents and links accessible by your phone or continuing to refine all paperwork and transfer them all online. The idea is to make the experience quicker, easier and simpler – without taking away funding from societies and illustrating the necessity for this app and all the benefits that will arise.
Q: How would you encourage students to use an ideas forum for new ideas?
A: I’ve spoken to many students/ committee members, and the ideas they have to bring an even further positive change to the union has blown me away. Until I asked them there was no accessible platform for them to voice this. I believe with enough advertising of the platform; everyone will want to use it naturally. With the ideas forum, if you can get a minimum number of students to vote for your idea, the Union officers are then able to consider it – the more votes an idea gets, the more power it gives us to try and action it
Simon:
Q: Who would be tasked with cleaning up and ensuring that the storage facilities clubs and societies are used more effectively?
A: Following an initial cleaning of rubbish inside the storage rooms, I want to implement a bi-annual check-up, where the storage spaces used is inspected, and if the area is messy and unkempt, giving the committee 2 weeks to clean up the area. One check at the end of the academic year, prior to a new committee joining, and the other shortly after the start of term the following year. Having clean storage rooms not only maximises space, but allows clubs to effectively take inventory, to avoid spending unnecessarily on equipment
Q: How do you hope to ease the administrative burden on clubs and societies?
A: Addressing the financial system to provide more clarity of societal finances, including providing a clause for rare events. Additionally, providing more notice to clubs and societies about University-wide events, such as Pride week, and having the union take a more proactive role in distributing information, rather than asking Presidents and Treasurers. Finally, consulting with clubs and societies about matters such as student elections, to avoid repeating this year, where many clubs and societies had to opt out, after being automatically included.
Q: How will you improve student understanding of how clubs and societies can contribute to democratic decisions?
A: I will ensure that students fully understand the decision-making structures and bodies within the Students Union (e.g. the Zones); for example, by making this information public and easily accessible on the Union website, as well as sharing it with club and society presidents through email so they can circulate the information to their members. I myself had never heard of the Activities Zone until I was elected to be on it! I would also push for an easily digestible publicity campaign focusing on student democracy around campus to publicise this information further.
Q: How do you plan to improve storage for clubs and societies?
A: I plan to improve the current state of the costume cupboard and the range, and ensure all societies that require storage are aware of these facilities (I personally did not know the range existed until midway through this year). I would also ensure that this storage space is easily accessible, and shared appropriately between societies, which I do not believe is currently the case. Furthermore, I would look into additional / alternative storage spaces both on and off campus, and push for more funding from the Union to address this matter.