Sabbatical Officer End of November Updates

The Sabbatical Officers write a fortnightly update on the work they've been doing to represent you. Their reports cover updates on current projects and collaborations with different student groups, academic departments, and community organisations. 

Additionally, their work, as outlined in their report, is scrutinised and voted on by other elected student leaders in our Zones. You can read more about them here: Policy Zones & Union Executive. 

Eda, Equity & Inclusion Officer

What I've been up to!

This is how I've been connecting with students.

- I attended Union Exec.
-I was at Darcy's Research Students' Network Lunch Social
-I chaired the Intersectional Forum

Here's more about the meetings I've attended over the past two weeks.

- I chaired the UCL East Student Experience Board. I made sure to add more ExtendED opportunities and to open departmental space to student groups to our goals for the year.
- During the lunch we had with the EDI team, I raised our concerns for the Intersectional groups, talked about what we are doing to support our students, and how we can work together moving forward to provide more support.

Ana, Activities & Engagement Officer

What I've been up to!

The key focuses for me over the last 2 weeks have been the focus on my main priorities - facilities for student activities and breaking down barriers to engagement for different student demographics. Some highlights:

- We have put on some commuter-specific events, like speedfriendings, candle making, a trip to Borough Market, and introvert-specific events, like a cat café and a visit to the National History Museum. These events were all a huge success, so I am currently looking at a potential commuter student Christmas dinner and discussing how, going forward, we can formalise this as a programme of events.
- Raising awareness of Wednesday Afternoon scheduling with UCL.

This is how I've been connecting with students.

I have been attending all the Bloomsbury Season shows:
- Studio: Puss Puss, Hedda Gabler
- Theatre: Jazz Goes to the Movies, Medea
I have also been going to some society events throughout the weeks, such as Consulting Society's Casing MBB Panel, sports nights and speaking to students there. I have also been ensuring to highlight societies and student group events in my newsletters, ensuring I am picking events that are most relevant to students. I have also been part of the University Challenge Final selection round, directly contributing to the selection of a new team. In addition, I have also attended the Research Network Lunch to talk to students there and gather their feedback on timings and events that work for them as many of them are commuter students. The last 2 weeks have been a lot of campaigning and meeting with officers from other universities to have a joint up approach on some of our campaigns. Lastly, throughout the past few weeks I have had a lot of 1-1s with students and officers to listen to their issues and try to solve them as well as having conversations with students over emails or other student media channels.

Here's more about the meetings I've attended over the past two weeks.

- I was part of the panel, where we selected the shortlist of candidates for who will be running the TCS London Marathon on the behalf of the Students' Union and raising money for the participation fund. We had an outstanding 86 candidates and we shortlisted 5 that were open to a public votes, with a diverse range of students who used it and who have amazing stories and are passionate about using the fund.
- I've been in conversation with the comms team about some of our key work for this month, including raising awareness of the participation fund through the marathon, my breaking down barriers framework and events, promoting more society events and the arts season.
- Had a catch up with Head of Arts to talk about the things discussed at zone, awards changes, and most importantly the theatre and how we should start at looking to creating a student programming board and how that may actually look like. We also discussed initial thoughts about how the bidding process can be expanded to different groups going forward as part of the vision of having the Bloomsbury Theatre actually transferred to us.
- Attended the 2nd Union Exec, where I asked for a by-election for the societies officer position as the officer is taking time out of studies. The election was successfully confirmed and is currently in process with the officer going to be elected before the next Activities Zone.
- Attended the artsUCL meeting, where we discussed key projects happening in our areas, such as the Bloomsbury season, and mainly the programme of activities in UCL200. We talked about many events wanting student art group performances and how we will ensure groups are happy and feel well supported with that. We also discussed the Festival of Student Life and the Fringe Festival and how we can ensure they complement each other and groups aren't feeling overwhelmed and that student audiences are going to both rather than just picking one.
- Had a meeting about the UCL200 Illuminate launch, particularly around the student lates sessions, where we shared ideas around how to make those evening showings more student friendly and student targeted. We suggested a DJ in the cloisters after the shows and I suggested student friendly pricing for drinks and food to ensure that students are not feeling out of pocket.
- Attended our Sport and Physical activity team meeting where we discussed key updates within our areas, with a highlight presentation on what widening participation sports programmes we can do throughout UCL200 to ensure we are reaching more students. Some of the suggestions were a tennis competition on campus, in line with Wimbledon, online competition for students to easily engage with and with prizes available throughout summer so students can engage from any location in the world, and competitions for clubs to get involved with and creating some sort of leadercboard for that across the winter period of UCL200.
- As a member of the EMC Academic Strategy committee, I ensured that the student voice was very present around what the student experience would be like at the new proposed project school site, such as what potential new modules and courses it would include, and how this project will benefit students overall. We also discussed the non-regrettable list of projects that may be going to EMC soon and ensuring that 2 of our SU projects are on it - sports facilities and the SU building, as well as understanding the position on them from senior UCL stakeholders.
- I've also filmed some content for UCL200 to promote the Festival of Student Life and that the 200 day countdown has started, getting students and alumni excited.
- In our Leadership Team meeting we discussed key issues we are facing and how we can ensure UCL is supporting us. We talked about the student number bulge and thus the urgent space needed for facilities for activities. We agreed to raise it in all our meeting with senior UCL stakeholders, particularly VPs, Provost, and the Senior Education team as well as having separate conversations to ensure that we have a greater allocation of block bookings reserved for students (such as big rooms in IOE, Foster court rooms, and IOE 944 for Music practice) or potentially ensuring UCL is also spending money on external space for activities as well as lectures.
- I have had discussions about the Fuss App that reached out to me in hopes of a partnership, which could be of value in targeting engagement of shy student barrier as it would allow students to meet others with similar hobbies and interests in a small and comfortable environment to then go to activities together. This is currently being explored by me and the events team.
- Was part of our Sports facilities workstream, as part of the SU estates board to go over our paper that is going to EMC about sports facilities to ensure that we are covering all the key costs and benefits.
- Was in conversations about the Project Active online classes and how can we ensure that the programme is tailored for students and that there is more engagement. I suggested things like reaching out to online student society and also to commuter students as those are the ones most likely to engage. I also suggested talking to courses that are online-only at UCL as those students are not based in London and could potentially engage. We also suggested some more variety in classes other than yoga, such as Pilates as that is currently trending.
- I have also made comments on the commuter student policy that is going to Welfare Zone on the briefing to ensure that all bases are covered,
- As one of my priorities is changing awards and making them recognise the contributions of more individuals we had a meeting with all the relevant teams about changing the colours, centenaries, and commendations to automatic award if the criteria is met. There was some concerns around the fact that we aren't sure which students do actually their committee above and beyond and therefore potentially devaluing the award. Therefore, as an agreement wasn’t reached we will carry on having conversations before taking the award changes to the 3rd Activities Zone.
- Had a meeting with a student who ran for one of the sports reps roles as I wanted to hear their concerns and ensure that we are still able to implement their change, even though they were not elected. The conversation was based around the unfairness of some trial processes and how the SU should standardise them across different sports to ensure everyone is given a chance and thus making UCL more competitive nationally.
- Had our first LVS internal working group to discuss things such as the merch and the Varsity t-shirts, marketing, involving socs, and also the launch. We decided on the t-shirt design to incorporate 200, more marketing across campus, like big purple posters on pillars or Student Centre (if money allows, having the launch party back at the Print room with fun games and giveaways, more fun 'unofficial' competitions before the actual Varsity, joint after party closer to campus (Camden), and cocktails back. We are also looking at the feedback we received from Activities Zone and incorporating a lot of that.
- Met with the UCL200 team to discuss ticket pricing for the Illuminate launch and particularly the student lates. Although I did push for the tickets to be free they were worried about students booking and not showing up. Therefore, we agreed that there will be value for money, like a small gift, as well as the money going towards student scholarships. We also agreed that Widening Participation Access students will have separate targeted comms around how they can access free tickets if they are in financial hardship.
- I have also given feedback around the A&V membership review, especially around including student focus groups early on and completing the process before September so committees are prepared.
- As the chair of the finance committee, I had a catch up with the director of finance and the president to discuss the update on our banking arrangements to understand what the timelines are looking like for banking and what our next steps should be.
- Attended a monthly catch up to follow up on things from the first activities zone, such as having the sessions that I will do around how to apply for grants, making the SU processes easier, creating more of an identity for other societies with a potential student reps for each (which I was told existed before but there wasn’t anyone running, which is why they were changed into non-portfolio). We agreed that I will do some workshops on how to apply for grants and we will in the future look at making some of our explainers more engaging like with videos. We also agreed that we will want to talk to the comms team to get more identity branding for societies (everything apart from arts and sport) to build more of an identity. We will also come back to zone with a clearer breakdown of the reimbursement timelines so everyone is aware of them.
- Had our catch up with the alumni team as part of having a joint approach to working closer with students as careers is a big question many students raise. We discussed some progress that is happening around the career supercharger and how we can have more tailored support from our alumni that will be student-led so creating a working group to gather feedback from students, particularly with reps. I also suggested using alumni to create casing buddies to support students who are going into industries like finance and tech to help with interview prep.
- Met with events team to discuss the update on commuter and introverted student events. We already had a cat café for introverted students, commuter student speed friending, natural history museum trip for introverts, and borough market trip for commuters. All were successful and we have more events planned for the rest of term, such as introverted and commuter student candle making. We are also in the process of organising a potential commuter students Christmas dinner and are also thinking about how to properly launch the campaign in Term 2.
- Had a meeting with the Social Impact team to discuss their award changes that they are wanting to implement, with having a more diverse panel, volunteering officers hosting, new award categories and having a longer review of applications timeline.
- Had a meeting with the Chief of Staff to raise our concerns around the strike action that could potentially include a marking boycott. Therefore, we asked about what mitigations are being put in place to prepare for this so students are not heavily affected, which we were reassured are being looked at.
- The new VP Education and Student Experience visited the SU and I did a tour with her and talked about the key issues we are facing with space as well as our goals for improvement and expansion. This positive meeting was about getting her to know what the SU does so she can support us within her role, particularly around the current issues of facilities.
- Attended the NUS conference and attended the following workshops:
1. Cost of living workshop, particularly centred around free travel.
2. Future of HE workshop, where we discussed standardising AI policies, skills learned from education (especially around co-curriculars), and feedback.
3. TEF workshop, where we focussed on campaigning to remove the link between TEF and rising tuition fees.
- Had a session with the UCL VPEE team to talk about what we can do to work closer together and do more marketing for and about students. Some of my suggestions were doing specific comms about targeting certain student groups, like commuters. And most importantly highlighting the work our students and student leaders do to recognise their hard work.
- Had a very productive meeting with the Provost where I raised a couple of issues: sports facilities, asking him for support on the paper that is going to EMC soon, which he said he is very supportive of some that is hopeful news. I also mentioned the lack of space on campus for student activities and how this is something UCL should help us with as the bulge in student numbers has affected that. This was received positively by Michael, where he suggested us speaking to Estates and figuring out which rooms would work for us, such as the halls in IOE (and the current cost of hire), as well as rooms in IOE and foster court. Room 944 in IOE is now secured for SU use in Term 2 for music practice as it has a piano. I also heavily pushed on Wednesday afternoons, following feedback from zone that it is an issue many students are facing. The Provost seemed to take this issue seriously and recommended taking it from different angles, both from the senior leadership and lower levels to tackle the issue and is now something I have been consistently pushing for with the senior education team.
- As always I have been doing my weekly admin tasks, such as approving purchase requests, grant applications, 28 day exemptions, and signing activities contracts.

Darcy, Postgraduate Officer

This is how I've been connecting with students.

1. Policy Zone Summit 2025
We spent a wonderful Saturday at UCL East where students gathered to exchange ideas, share priorities and explore how our goals align. It was inspiring to see so much enthusiasm, curiosity and commitment from our elected representatives. The energy in the room made me very excited for the year ahead and reminded me why I enjoy this role so much.

2. Eda’s Liberation Art Gallery Opening
I attended the opening of Eda’s Liberation Gallery, where I had the privilege of speaking with artists from marginalised communities. Listening to their stories and learning about the meaning behind their artwork was both moving and eye-opening. It was a special space where creativity, identity and lived experience came together.

3. Doctoral School Panel and Networking Event (Induction)
Together with the Research Students’ Officer, I hosted a stall at the Doctoral School Induction. We introduced the Research Students’ Network and shared everything the Students’ Union offers, from representation and wellbeing support to community-building opportunities. It was a great chance to meet new doctoral students and help them feel welcomed as they begin their research journey.

5. Zone Meetings and Union Executive
I attended the Activity Zone, Education Zone, Welfare and Community Zone, and the Union Executive meetings. These are important spaces where elected student representatives present ideas, discuss issues and ratify policy proposals. I always value the opportunity to listen directly to students and support them in shaping positive change across UCL.

6. Academic Representative Coffee Gathering
I organised a relaxed coffee gathering for academic reps, as well as a meeting with our PGR Faculty Reps. It was wonderful spending time listening to their priorities and concerns, making new connections, and discovering potential areas for future collaboration. Hearing reps speak so thoughtfully about their departments reminded me of how much passion lies within the postgraduate community. Sharing ideas over a cuppa felt both productive and uplifting.

Here's more about the meetings I've attended over the past two weeks.

1. Career Supercharger: Global Alumni Q&A Webinar (China Edition)
I organised and hosted this career webinar, which reminded me once again why this work is so meaningful. With the generous support of Dr Selina Wu, we created a supportive space where UCL students could ask genuine questions and hear honest, experience-based insights from China-based HR alumni. Our mission is to empower students to explore global career pathways both at home and beyond, and this event captured that vision beautifully. One piece of student feedback touched me deeply. A student shared that the speakers’ sincerity and practical advice helped them feel much less anxious. Moments like these make all the preparation feel worthwhile. Our alumni offered thoughtful guidance on preparing for consulting, HR and FMCG roles in China, as well as practical tips on navigating spring and autumn recruitment cycles. Their sharing was insightful, reassuring and genuinely mind-opening. Our alumni offered thoughtful guidance on preparing for consulting, HR and FMCG roles in China, as well as practical tips on navigating spring and autumn recruitment cycles. Their sharing was insightful, reassuring and genuinely mind-opening

2. Chairing the PG (T and R) Engagement Delivery Group: Term 1
I chaired the Term 1 meeting of the Postgraduate (Taught and Research) Engagement Delivery Group. This meeting brought together colleagues from across the Students’ Union to share updates on their postgraduate-focused projects and to reflect on how their work aligns with this year’s Engagement Framework. Each department presented highlights, new initiatives, challenges and early thinking for next year’s priorities. My aim was to create a space where everyone could build a shared understanding of our collective work, learn from one another and identify opportunities for closer collaboration. The discussion was incredibly encouraging and helped us set a clearer direction for postgraduate engagement for the year ahead.

3. Meeting with the Extended Learning Manager
I met with our Extended Learning Manager to discuss the plans for ExtendED this year and how we can make the programme more accessible and relevant for postgraduate students. I suggested introducing digital certificates for attendees and expanding career-focused sessions that respond to students’ needs. We explored opportunities to collaborate more closely on events that combine skills development with practical employability support.

4. Meeting with the Events Coordinator
I also met with the Events Coordinator to plan our upcoming winter activities and PG community events. We brainstormed ideas for seasonal socials and agreed to run a candle-making workshop, as well as two speed-reading sessions for PGR and PGT students. These events are designed to create warm, welcoming spaces where students can meet one another, relax and build meaningful connections.

5. Meeting with colleagues from the Alumni Relations Team
Finally, I met with colleagues from UCL’s Alumni Relations Team to provide input into their early-stage planning for alumni engagement initiatives. We discussed the alumni mentoring scheme, alumni–student career conversations, and potential offerings such as an interview practice programme and workplace visits. I shared insights from the PG community and emphasised the value of practical, industry-focused support delivered in partnership with alumni.

Anam, President

What I've been up to!

Over the past month, I have been actively progressing several key initiatives.

Darcy and I have continued our work on employability, including a productive meeting with Kate Hault from the UCL School of Management, who leads on employability. I am also collaborating with the central team to retrieve updated Graduate Outcomes data. We have positive developments within the Careers and Employability team, as we are expanding capacity to better support international students by providing staff who can assist specific student groups—for example, offering dedicated support for Chinese students. This work is already in motion.

This is how I've been connecting with students.

I have engaged with students through a range of events and meetings. I met with Sustainability Officers and participated in the Sustainability Council, where I took part in a 40–45 minute Q&A session with the task force, which was both productive and enjoyable. I also met with students involved in social entrepreneurship to support them in developing and expanding their initiatives. Alongside Eda, I attended the launch of Disability History Month.
Additionally, I attended several events at UCL East, including activities with society leader Riyaadh Gani and the UCL School of Management Regent’s Park Run, as well as a number of events hosted by the Consulting Society and the Investment Society.

Here's more about the meetings I've attended over the past two weeks.

I have attended several key governance and operational meetings on behalf of the student body. This included the Governance Committee, the Estates Committee, the Sustainability Committee (where we reviewed action planning and ongoing progress)which outlined progress on the Estates Vision work, net-zero planning, updates to the Sustainable Building Standard, and faculty sustainability planning and the Financial Planning Committee. Across these meetings, I contributed student perspectives on decision-making, long-term planning, and the practical implications for the student experience.
I also joined the Sabbatical Officer team in a meeting with Provost Michael Spence, where we collectively raised several priority issues affecting students. These included concerns about increasing student numbers and the resulting pressures on space for extracurricular activity, as well as ongoing timetabling challenges—particularly the incursion of teaching into Wednesday afternoons. We additionally discussed the upcoming YMCA lease ahead of the EMC meeting, updates on Project Period, bursary uplift considerations in line with inflation, and the renewal of the Hardship Fund.
Throughout all meetings, my contribution focused on ensuring that student needs, equity considerations, and the sustainability of the student experience remained central to institutional planning.