Get to know Hamza
What made you decide to stand for election this year?
I’ve had a great time at UCL over the past three years, studying an interesting interdisciplinary degree and making many friends through different clubs and societies. However, my overall educational experience was unfortunately hindered by multiple strikes and the pandemic. I therefore stood for election to do my best to ensure the quality of education for other UCL students remains the best it can possibly be, with disruptions kept to a minimum.
What are your top three priorities from your manifesto?
1. Maintain a strong Extenuating Circumstances policy for the next academic year and ensure next year’s attendance policy will not overburden students.
2. Work to close the BAME awarding gap.
3. Extend the transition mentor system to include the mentorship of second year students, if requested.
What do you hope to achieve in the coming year?
I hope to ensure that the quality of education at UCL is of an excellent standard, and that disruptions to learning are kept to a minimum. Considering UCL was rated 2nd in the UK for research power, our education quality should also be as good! I am interested in reducing educational inequalities and hope to achieve real progress in closing the BAME awarding gap and creating an inclusive educational experience for all students.
What has been the best part of your UCL experience so far?
Making life-long friends through different clubs and societies has been the best part of my UCL experience. An event which is a highlight of my time at UCL was fundraising during Charity Week by climbing Mount Snowdon last year, where over £70,000 was collectively raised by the climbers.
Your advice to new students?
Get involved! Don’t be afraid to go to club or society events by yourself, as everyone is incredibly welcoming. Your student years are some of the freest years you’ll have, so make the most of them!
Priorities and Projects
- 1. Online/In-person Learning Blend
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Work with UCL to review the attendance policy.
Work with UCL to ensure online and in-person learning is supported and maintained.
Work with UCL to improve live broadcasting and lecture capture.IN PROGRESS
- 22/11/2022: Working with the Education Change Portfolio Leadership
- 17/01/2023: Have begun working with the relevant stakeholders on the new timetabling process
- 2. Transition Mentors and Programme Information
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Lobby UCL to extend Transition Mentors to Year 2 undergraduate students.
Work with UCL to improve module information and the module catalogue to include more student evaluations.
Work with UCL to improve programme information to include more student demographic data and cohort sizes.IN PROGRESS
- 22/11/2022: Meeting set up with Candice Mooney and Amy York
- 17/01/2023: Meeting with relevant stakeholders pushed to Term 2. Have begun working on improved programme information.
- 3. Academic Rep Network
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Lobby UCL for greater investment in the Academic Reps Network.
Secure funding to roll out the faculty business partnering support.
Review and develop the range of workshops on offer for Academic Reps.
Establish and encourage more faculty and departmental events for academic reps.
Establish a mutually supportive network of Faculty Reps with regular communications and dialogue.IN PROGRESS
- 22/11/2022: Recruited a new Representation and Democracy Coordinator
- 22/11/2022: Participated in Faculty and LDR Training
- 22/11/2022: Sending fortnightly messages to Academic Reps; looking at new methods of communication and support
- 17/01/2023: Maintaining relationships with my reps through formal and informal means.
- 4. BAME Awarding/Outcomes Gap
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Work with UCL to eliminate the BAME Awarding Gap.
Work with UCL to eliminate the BAME Graduate Outcomes Gap.
Work with UCL to track the progress of those coming through AccessUCL.IN PROGRESS
- 22/11/2022: Have begun building relationships with the relevant stakeholders
- 22/11/2022: Working with the Access and Participation Steering Group and the BAME Awarding Gap Steering Group
- 17/01/2023: Preparing to work with the newly-formed Student Access and Success Committee.
- 5. Assessments (Feedback/Method)
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Research services standards on assessment feedback.
Work with UCL to review the service standards for feedback on assessed work.
Lobby UCL to reform assessment methods and approaches.IN PROGRESS
- 22/11/2022: Have begun building relationships with the relevant stakeholders in faculties and in the centre
- 17/01/2023: Worked on the TEF Student Submission to highlight and address low assessment standards at UCL.
- 6. Russell Group Coordination
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Build relationships with fellow Russell Group Student Unions nationally
IN PROGRESS
- 22/11/2022: Meeting was arranged to discuss further collaboration with London RGSUs
- 17/01/2023: Working with London RG universities to lobby TfL. Meeting RGSU representatives at the Sheffield residential.