Christian Chambers

I have continued pushing for students’ financial wellbeing to be prioritised in UCL’s financial decision-making.

Through the Financial Planning and Performance Committee (FPPC), particularly its deep dive into Student and Registry Services, I have been challenging how budget decisions are made and ensuring that essential student-facing services are protected.

I have been particularly focused on protecting mental health and wellbeing provision, safeguarding hardship funding and advocating for increased resources for the Financial Assistance Fund.

With growing financial pressures across the higher education sector, I have been clear that students should not be the ones paying the price for institutional cost-cutting.

I have continued advocating for better student spaces and progressing conversations around the proposed Students’ Union building.

I met with the SU Estates Board to review progress on smaller works projects, discuss priorities and receive updates on the building plans.

I also raised student spaces and the SU building in conversations with UCL Council leadership and through my involvement in university estates discussions.

I met with colleagues leading UCL’s employability work to discuss how we can improve careers provision and ensure it responds to what students actually need.

Employability is one of the biggest priorities for our students, and I want UCL to be ambitious in ensuring graduates are prepared not just to find jobs, but to thrive in their careers and become leaders in their fields.

We explored opportunities for greater collaboration between the university and Students’ Union, and how we can ensure student feedback shapes the development of careers support.

Tackling sexual violence and improving support for survivors has been my biggest priority over the past two weeks.

I spent a considerable amount of time writing, rewriting and refining a deeply personal statement on sexual violence, which was published by the Students’ Union and shared with all UCL students. It was incredibly important to me to get this right: to give survivors a voice, challenge the institutional failures that too many have experienced and make clear that we must do better.

But this work goes far beyond the statement itself. I have been pushing to put sexual violence on everyone’s agenda, from senior university leadership to UCL Council, and to ensure that conversations translate into meaningful institutional change.

My ambition is for UCL to develop a genuinely sector-leading approach to sexual violence, one that is innovative, ambitious and centred on survivors. I want us to look beyond simply meeting regulatory requirements and instead rethink how we prevent sexual violence, respond when it happens and support students in continuing their education and university lives.

Over the last fortnight, I have:

Met with senior colleagues in Student and Registry Services to discuss UCL’s approach to sexual misconduct, including reporting, disciplinary procedures and the support available to survivors.

Raised sexual violence at the UCL Council Away Day, ensuring it was recognised as an institutional priority and that Council members understood the importance of taking meaningful action.

Advocated for survivor-led approaches, including exploring focus groups to ensure survivors’ experiences directly inform changes to university policy and practice.

Pushed for a stronger emphasis on prevention alongside improving the support available after sexual violence occurs.

Worked closely with our communications team to ensure my statement was communicated sensitively and responsibly, while retaining the strength and urgency of its message.

I am determined that this does not become another conversation that fades away. I want UCL to be a university that others look towards as an example of how to prevent sexual violence and support survivors. Most importantly, I want our students to feel safer, better supported and confident that their university will take their experiences seriously.

I am pushing to make the Union better value for students while strengthening the income we can reinvest back into student priorities.  

I am working with our commercial team to review and explore how we can improve our shops, food offering, venues, and commercial spaces.  

My time with Southampton, Cardiff and Liverpool, in particular, looked at different commercial models, meal deals, retail operations, venues, and how commercial income can support the wider Students’ Union activities.  

The Union is in a good financial position. The question is how we build on our success; we want to make sure students feel the benefit of their university and union doing well. 

I am developing further proposals to expand and improve our commercial offer, student value, and increase the number of opportunities for student employment, while ensuring that commercial income continues to fund even more student priorities. 

I am continuing to work with the commercial team to review our shops, food offer, venues and commercial spaces. I am drawing on what I have seen at other universities to identify ways to improve the offer for students and generate more income to reinvest in student priorities.