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!
October has been extremely busy! While supporting Black History Month, I am also planning a Breast Cancer Awareness campaign with our student officers. I have also been working on the launch if Liberate's second exhibition. I have been going through the Report + Support numbers to provide feedback to the EDI Committee. Additionally, with Hana, we are pushing UCL Estates to accelerate the delivery of Project Period through committee meetings and the working group. As the Union, we have also started planning Disability History Month!
- This is how I've been connecting with students.
I have filmed several social media content for TeamUCL, bars, and the main account. I have already pushed Active Bystander and Liberate-related comms through our weekly newsletters.
- Here's more about the meetings I've attended over the past two weeks.
Race Equality Steering Group: As the SU, we will be working closely with the RESG to address any issues related to international students (CAS numbers, missed lectures, etc.)
Building Naming and Renaming Committee: Confirmed that the Union building is on their radar
Student Partnership Committee: Asked for a Project Period report to be presented by the Estates team. Raised the concerns of neurodivergent students on campus due to overcrowding. Discussed common international student struggles (finances, etc.)
Project Period WG: Raised our concerns about the pace of the delivery of this project. Talked about the potential of providing period pants.
Ana, Activities & Engagement Officer
What I've been up to!
The past two weeks I have been working a lot on comms pieces linked to my priorities: I have written a blog about how commuter students can get involved with the SU and have provided event suggestions that could work for them, I have filmed a video with the Provost talking about some key issues and the UCL-SU partnership, and have been part of the working group on organising the selection process of who will represent the SU at the London Marathon.
Some other updates:
- The applications for the taster grant applications and the first set of funding has been handed out to groups like Karting, and Space Soc.
- As the BUCS London Region Student Chair the past 2 weeks I have been coming up with the agenda for our next regional meeting that is themed 'change' and had our first LUSL management group of the year to improve the overall experience in sport for students.
- I have been also working with the teams on improving awards and ensuring more students are recognised, such as adding a roll of honour in social impact, and automatically awarding colours, centenaries, etc.
- I have also started working on setting up specific commuter student and introverted student events to create a community for those students. With commuter students I have started using the available data to understand where they commute from and what needs they have to ensure that is considered when making events.
- This is how I've been connecting with students.
- I have written a blog post about the experience of commuter students, which was from my personal experience, and how they can get involved with the SU by providing event suggestions and also why they should. This was also attached in my weekly newsletters.
- I have also been promoting my zone in the newsletters.
- I have had a lot of email conversations with students.
- Met with the introverts society.
- Attended 2 sports nights.
- Have been part of the the University Challenge buzzer selection process.
- I have had separate 1-1s with my officers.
- Met with the new reps during the policy summit, where we brainstormed our ideas for the year.- Here's more about the meetings I've attended over the past two weeks.
- I met with the introvert society committee to discuss how we can better support introverted students. We discussed what type of events work for them and how we can alter some of our events to make them introvert-friendly: such as focusing on the activity, doing smaller groups, having breaks, and dimmer lighting. We also discussed what current events we can tailor our comms to promote, like crafternoons and project active sessions. Following the session we came up with some event suggestions, and are in the process of doing events, like cat café for introverted students. I have shared the insights I gathered with the wider teams at the Union so they can consider them when running their own events.
- Had discussions with the arts team about changes of timings to the Bloomsbury Theatre panel and how that will work going forward to consider more socs having the opportunity to bid, such as in term 1 of the same year in line with the strategy post taking over the management of the theatre.
- Attended our Sports SLS meeting where discussed the plans for the year 3 projects, mainly focusing on expanding the Leagues, Varsity, and project active, and supporting disabled students. We also looked through data and insights related to sport specifically from the redbrick report so we can understand what areas we can focus on, particularly around barriers to engagement. Additionally, we also talked about introverted students and how some of our project active events can work for them.
- During our sport and physical activity meeting I raised that the sports officer wanted the charity for the Swimathon to be Movember, which we agreed upon.
- Had a meeting with the director of supply chain, where we spoke about the potential of the Union having more commercial presence on campus to improve the student experience and those spaces. We also spoke about having more sabb representation in the rooms that make the decisions around commercial as there isn't much of that at the moment.
- I have been part of the interview panel for the new Sports Development Manager, asking questions and being part of the decision making.
- Had an introduction with Jennie Shaw the new VP E&SE, where we discussed some of our key priorities especially around more space on campus for students to take part in extra-curricular activities. Jennie was also very keen on introducing a rewards system that is recognised by UCL for students who take part in extra-curricular activities and do a lot of volunteering, which she previously introduced in her university. I will be taking this forward with her to see how we can make that happen so students have recognition for the work that they do.
- There has been some positive movement on YMCA as UCL has confirmed a feasibility study and added it to their potential priorities list. Therefore, we have had a meeting internally to discuss what are the key facilities that we want to focus on and push for in influencing.
- We had our first department socs steering group to discuss our initial thoughts around how to improve the department provision, ensure everyone has a community and link that up with other extra-curricular activities. We also discussed potential models of engaging more students in department socs, such as more career-related events, more promotions through departments themselves, and the potential of having different membership levels for students (a proposal that is coming to zone). I have also mentioned the importance of using department socs as hubs to meet others and join other activities, especially for those students who are shy.
- Ben, the arts officer, in our catch-up meeting mentioned some issues groups were having with the understaffed activities reception, which I passed on to get resolved, such as keeping the reception open until 9:30pm to allow groups to put away equipment and having a sign that says when the activities reception will open up.
- This week has also included a lot of prepping for the zone and the policy summit to ensure that all the information is relevant and engaging for student representatives, and they feel like they can actually have an impact.
- Within the Leadership Team I have been very engaged in conversations about our response to the white paper and the new way universities' quality will be regulated. I provided suggestions for our response, such as increasing the maintenance grants thresholds, getting rid of the international student levy, and potentially not having the policy of better universities being able to charge larger fees.
- I have been in many conversations with UCL to ensure I am always mentioning the lack of space s for extra-curricular activities due to enrolling more students than expected and what they should do to mitigate this.
- Darcy and I have been working on 2 new ExtendEd events. 1 was Darcy's suggestion of creating a careers conference, which will now be a 2 day conference to kick off ExtendEd this year so students learn about the fundamental skills. The 2nd event, which was my suggestion, is having a hackathon where students learn about how to plan and run large scale events, particularly targeted at student leaders, with successful ones being able to run their events in the new year. These are both linked as the first one will teach the theory behind the skills that the students will later be able to put into practice.
- Had the LUSL management group, where we talked about how to improve LUSL and what problems we have been having so far. We have discussed that LUSL Fest will move back to RHUL, how to ensure we are getting as much feedback as possible, how the new categorisation works, and how we are ensuring we are compliant and inclusive in line with the trans supreme court ruling.
Hana, Welfare & Community Officer
What I've been up to!
Recently, I joined UCL Accommodation Team to visit a number of UCL accommodation halls and gain a better sense of what the spaces are like so I can better understand the ideas and concerns students may raise ahead of meetings with Arhham, the Housing and Housing Officer, and newly elected Hall Community Officers.
I also provided a supporting statement for an exciting Changemakers project that aims to seek more frequent and meaningful student and staff engagement with Personal Tutoring. As I am a keen member of the Personal Academic Tutor Review Steering Group, I fully support this project’s intent to communicate to students and staff the ever-improving benefits of personal tutoring, whilst providing a guide as to what they can expect from this relationship- enhancing focus and support.
This fortnight in particular, the Sabbs have had meetings with Jennie Shaw- Vice-Provost (Education & Student Experience), Kathryn Woods- Pro-Vice-Provost (Education - Student Academic Engagement) and Sarah Cowls- Executive Director and Registrar. In these meetings we have shared several of our priorities. I raised the need for a more sustainable approach to funding the SU Hardship Funds, which was met positively with agreement. This support is essential given the record number of students this year and the ongoing cost-of-living pressures as these funds plug the gaps in UCL’s financial support. In one of our meetings with Sarah Cowls, we also discussed setting aside funding for the SU’s Student Participation Fund to properly welcome students who were affected by the CAS overshoot.
- This is how I've been connecting with students.
This week, I had the privilege of attending the first Impartial Chairs session, Debate Mate. I sat with students who were successful applicants of the programme (congrats!!!!) and we learnt from the Debate Mate team how to chair and partake in debates. I felt genuinely inspired and proud of all the students and their critical outlooks on what may seem like trivial statements. We discussed and shared what it is like to be good debate facilitator and enacted our newfound knowledge in a roleplay scenario. I followed up with the students to ask what they thought of the session and what they would like to be improved about it. I am so grateful to have the chance to be a part of a cohort of amazing individuals and I can’t wait for more sessions with them!!!
On a lighter yet super exciting note, I took part in a Sabb video to communicate to all students that applications are now open for the unique opportunity of being the one representative of the Student Union in the London Marathon! My favourite part about it? Our successful runner would be raising money for the SU’s Student Participation Fund- which makes it possible for more students to access events and opportunities across UCL!!! Sign up here: https://studentsunionucl.org/forms/run-tcs-london-marathon-to-raise-money-for-student-participation-fund-at-students-union-ucl- Here's more about the meetings I've attended over the past two weeks.
One meeting I attended with Eda and Sarah was a follow-up discussion from the University of Sanctuary Working Group, focused on developing student perspectives further. We met with Prof. Elena Fiddian-Qasmiyeh and Prof. Mette L. Berg (Academic Co-Chairs of the University of Sanctuary Working Group), Eleftheria Ktenas (Specialist Caseworker for Forced Migrants, Asylum Seekers and Refugees), and two students who have been key supporters of the team’s work.
We discussed several important areas, including the need for trauma-sensitive training for both staff and student leaders, the inaccessibility and inappropriate nature of askUCL for refugees and forced migrants and the importance of developing an in-person support system instead. We also explored collaboration with STAR Society and other advocacy-focused student groups, as well as the possibility of establishing a Refugee, Asylum Seeker, and Forced Migrant Network - a space where both affected students and advocates can work together and to shape policy and representation. I believe this is essential for amplifying the voices of a marginalised community that currently lacks formal representation within the Union’s democratic structures, and for creating a more open and positive culture around their experiences.
Sarah and I also attended the first Student Partnership Committee meeting of the year where we relayed some of the Sabb team’s key priorities. One of the main action points that arose from that, was creating a structured way to measure, maintain and track progress on these priorities- ensuring we can get them done together.
I also attended a meeting on Hall Community Officers (HCOs), where we discussed the introduction of an HCO Forum. This forum would provide a consistent platform for HCOs to share feedback and ideas around accommodation, bridging directly with the Welfare & Community Zones to keep engagement strong throughout the year.