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Students at UCL have been making change happen since 1893, improving the education and lives of students who study here.
There are lots of ways to have your voice heard through Students’ Union UCL. You can speak to your representatives about issues that matter to you, share an idea for a change you want to see, or run to become an elected student leader.
The Union has different types of student representatives.
The Union is led by Sabbatical Officers who represent you at UCL and beyond. Your Officers have been voted into office by you, in the UK's largest student election, to drive improvements in your education and in student life.
Sabbatical Officers are supported by thousands of student leaders who represent you on your course, in your research area, in your accommodation, through your activities and in student communities.
Student leaders are dedicated to representing you and creating change at the Union and UCL.
Student ideas make change happen! Whatever matters to you, we’ll help you take the next step.
How would you like to make a change at UCL?
Choose an area you care about to find the people, discussions and opportunities that can help you make a difference.
- Academic Experience
- Would you like to improve your educational experience?
This could include assessment and feedback, lecture recordings, timetabling, teaching quality, study spaces, learning resources or support on your course.
Speak to your Academic Rep if an issue is affecting students on your Course, Research area, Department or Faculty.
Find your Academic Rep
Contact the Education Officer about a wider issue affecting teaching, learning or the academic experience across UCL.
Contact the Education Officer
Share an idea for something you would like the Union or UCL to change.
Suggest a change - Support, Wellbeing & Access
- Would you like to improve students’ wellbeing or day-to-day experience at UCL?
This could include mental health and wellbeing, financial pressures, housing, safety, accessibility, the cost of studying, access to support or barriers to taking part.
Find a student representative if you want to raise a wider issue affecting students or a community you belong to.
Find your student representative
Attend our democratic meetings to share your experience and help shape what the Union works on.
Join the discussion
Share your ideas for improving student life.
Suggest a change
Do you need help with an issue specific to you? Our Advice & Support service may be able to help.
Find advice and support - Community & Belonging
- Would you like to improve the experience of the community you belong to and help ensure that all student voices are heard?
This could include belonging, representation, equality at UCL, community spaces, shared experiences or decisions affecting particular groups of students.
Connect with a Student Network to meet students with shared experiences and help shape the Network’s priorities.
Explore Student Networks
Speak to your student representatives about an issue affecting your community.
Find your student representative
Share an idea for a change that could help make UCL or the Union more inclusive.
Suggest a change
- Student Life
- Would you like to improve the activities, spaces or experiences that shape life at UCL and the Union?
This could include clubs and societies, sport, Union spaces, events and opportunities, inclusion in student activities, facilities, hall communities or shared spaces in accommodation.
Contact the Activities & Engagement Officer about a wider issue affecting activities or campus life.
Contact the Activities & Engagement Officer
Speak to an Activities Rep about an issue affecting clubs, societies, sport or student activities.
Find an Activities Rep
Speak to your Hall Community Officer about a shared issue affecting students in your hall or the experience of your hall community.
Find your Hall Community Officer
Share your ideas for something you would like the Union to change.
Suggest a change - Sustainability & Social Change
- Would you like to improve sustainability or support wider social change at UCL, in the local community or nationally?
Join the Sustainability Council (SusCo) to help create and support environmental action across our student community.
Read more about SusCo.
Work with the Sustainability Officers who chair SusCo and work with the Sabbatical Officers to ensure the Union is environmentally and ethically sustainable.
Contact the Sustainability Officers
Attend our democratic meetings to share your experience and help shape what the Union works on.
Join the discussion
Share an idea about something you think the Union should support, oppose or work to change.
Suggest a change
Explore our wider work to see how the Union works with other organisations, local government, and national decision-makers on issues affecting students.
See how we influence change beyond UCL - Your Voice & Representation
- Have your say and help shape the decisions that affect students.
You might want to find out who represents you, ask a question, contribute to a discussion, or understand what the Union is currently working on.
Find the student representatives for your course, community or area of student life.
Find your student representative
Join the conversation by taking part in an upcoming discussion or democratic meeting.
Join the discussion
Explore student-led change to see what students and their student leaders are working on.
See what the Union believes in
Share an idea if there is something you would like the Union or UCL to change.
Suggest a change
How our students have made change at UCL and beyond
From small daily improvements to larger campaigns, students really help shape life here at UCL. Discover the amazing changes students have created and the important issues they're working on.
Join the conversation
We want you to share your experience and help guide what the Union works on to make the most of your student experience!
Our elected students meet throughout the year to discuss issues that matter to you. You don’t have to be an elected student leader to get involved. Just pick a discussion that’s meaningful to you and see how you can contribute; your voice matters!
Can’t attend a democratic meeting? Check the event page to see whether you can submit a question or share your views in another way.
What would you change?
Have a thought, suggestion or idea for improving student life? Tell us what you’d like to change at UCL or the Union.
Share your suggestion and briefly tell us what could be improved. It doesn’t have to be perfect or detailed; sometimes, a quick, simple suggestion is all you need! Whatever matters to you, we’ll help you take the next step.
What happens next?
Once you send your suggestion, our Democracy team will read what you’ve shared and email you within five working days to discuss possible next steps.
Depending on your suggestion, we can help connect you with a student representative, a Union or UCL team, or a democratic meeting. We’ll explain the options, and you can choose how involved you’d like to be.
Sharing a suggestion doesn’t commit you to leading a campaign or attending a democratic meeting.
- What if I’m not sure where to start?
- That’s okay! You don’t need to know which student representative, Union or UCL team, or democratic meeting could help.
Tell us what you’d like to change, and our Democracy team will help you find the right place to start. We’ll explain the options, and you can decide how involved you’d like to be. - What is a democratic meeting?
- We use the term democratic meeting for any space where elected students come together to discuss issues and make decisions. This includes forums, committee meetings, Policy Zones and the Union Executive.
Each democratic meeting has a different purpose and offers different ways for students to take part. If one could help with your suggestion, we’ll explain what it does, who is involved and how you can contribute. - What are Policy Zones and the Union Executive?
- The Policy Zones and the Union Executive are two of the Union’s main democratic meetings. They are places where elected students make decisions about what the Union should do.
Any UCL student can attend and contribute to these meetings. Elected representatives make the formal decisions.
Your suggestion won’t automatically go to one of these meetings. If a democratic meeting could help take it forward, our Democracy team will explain why and what would happen next.
Policy Zones
Policy Zones focus on three areas of student life: Activities, Education and Welfare & Community.
In each Zone, student representatives elected by students like you discuss issues, agree priorities, work on projects and campaigns, and propose Union policy. Each Zone is chaired by the relevant Sabbatical Officer, an elected student representative who works full-time to lead the Union.
Union Executive
Union Executive brings together elected student leaders from across the Union.
It discusses issues affecting the Union as a whole, holds Sabbatical Officers to account for their work and votes on whether policies passed by Policy Zones should become Union policy. - Do I need to write a policy proposal?
- No. Start by telling us what you’d like to change; you don’t need to write a formal proposal.
A policy proposal is a formal request for the Union to agree to a position or take action. Not every suggestion needs one, and your suggestion won’t automatically become one or go to a democratic meeting.
If a policy proposal could help take your suggestion forward, our Democracy team will explain the process and support you in developing it.
Do you need help with an issue specific to you? If you need support with your individual circumstances, our advice or another specialist service may be a better place to start. Find advice and support.
Research shaped by students
Students’ experiences help us understand what needs to change. We use surveys, focus groups, feedback and other research to identify the issues affecting students and build a stronger case for action.
Explore some of our latest research and see how students’ views are helping to shape the Union’s priorities and influence change at UCL and beyond.
Want to help shape future research? Take part in our surveys, focus groups and other opportunities to share your experience.
Influencing and making change beyond UCL
Some changes need action from the government, local authorities or organisations beyond UCL. We use what students tell us to raise these issues with decision-makers and work with other students’ unions where our students share the same concerns.
We are committed to ensuring that students' experiences are recognised beyond UCL. We collaborate with Russell Group Students' Unions and other partners in the sector to amplify students' voices. This collaboration helps us effectively represent your interests on a national level.