Yasmeen Daoud

Get to know Yasmeen

I stood for election because I had experienced some things during my time at UCL which I didn’t think were fair or just, so naturally, I thought the best way to tackle those issues was to stand for election and hopefully be given the opportunity to make changes which positively impact our students.

This year my main priority is to ensure that students feel safe and welcome in the Union by fighting for inclusivity and representation of all groups and identities and by building a solid support system for student concerns across campus.

Read my manifesto

Priorities

Marginalised students will have confidence that we are looking out for their specific needs and what matters to them.

ONGOING

30/11: In meetings at UCL, I'm constantly bringing up the fact that students are not one homogenous group and we need to get to a point where we recognise and address these different needs. UCL's Support to Study Review Group is back up and running and I am part of task groups looking at EC's, SoRAs and fitness to study and will be again advocating for margianlised groups.

18/02: UCL's Support to Study Review Group is back up and running and I am part of task groups looking at EC's, SoRAs and fitness to study. Fitness to study has now been reframed to 'Support to Study'. Learning agreements have been scrapped and the policy is really and truly there to support students, not punish them. This policy is going to UCL's Academic Regulations and Quality Assurance Sub-Committee for approval in March. EC group is almost done with the policy too - self-certified ECs are being kept. SoRA group is still doing work.

23/05: New regulations have been to Academic Regulations and Quality Assurance Subcommittee and will go to UCL Education Committee for approval. I believe these new regulations are much more welfare centred than previously and the next challenge is to ensure that students' first points of contact are aware of the regulations and support available so that they can help support students.

Students have more inclusive social environments on campus where they feel happy and enjoy desserts.

ONGOING

30/11: Print Room Café now has a dessert offer. The short term plan is to designate Wednesday evenings as a dessert night to coincide with sports night to give those students who don’t want to go to the bars a chance to also do something social.

23/05: Print Room Café now has a successful dessert offer. We've also got a frozen yoghurt and affogato offer which further adds to the dessert offer we have on campus. Students can enjoy these during opening hours including in the evening at the Print Room.

Through more accessible prayer facilities, students of faith feel like UCL is a place where they belong and will no longer have to compromise their studies when trying to balance it with their faith.

ONGOING

30/11: I'm part of the QCR Steering Group which is looking at improving and expanding the prayer facilities on campus. New code of conduct for QCRs has been updated. Currently working closely with the Registrar to find an appropriate permanent place for Friday prayers. 
 

18/02: The South Quad pop up has been booked out for the rest of the year for Friday Prayers. A paper went to UCL's Central Estates Strategy Board on Feb 9th and was approved. The recommendations of the paper included: finding rooms in the IOE, Cruciform and Queen's Square for prayers; a permanent space timetabled in for Friday prayers; spaces to have adequate A/V equipment; provision of new prayer space to be considered in the master planning work for a new Union building; and £48,000 was awarded for a consultation on the use and requirements of faith spaces for all UCL Staff and Students.

Student Officers and Reps are empowered to protect the welfare of all students and their diverse needs: in their studies, where they live, activities they participate in.

ONGOING

30/11: I'm currently looking at how we structure and use Welfare and Community Zone. An item was raised at Union Executive around the accessibility and effectiveness of the zones and I'm leading on those conversations with staff and officers.

18/02: Still looking at how we structure and use Welfare and Community Zone, proposing more changes to the membership and the election timeline. An item was raised at a previous Union Executive around the accessibility and effectiveness of the zones and a few conversations have come out of this. I'm currently working on an AGD for Union Exec which should make it function better when a policy hasn't come to a zone and is first seen at Exec. Jo from our Activities Team has been working on Tackling Sexual Violence training which is currently provided to Club and Soc committee but I hope to have that rolled out too all welfare officers, hall and academic reps and our student officers.

BME students have mental health support that does not conflict with their identity, beliefs, and culture.

NOT STARTED

Students have more information, advice and funding when looking for and living in private rented accommodation, supporting their wellbeing.

ONGOING

12/04: SU website has been updated with clearer directions to support and more external advice videos e.g. ULHS. The Advice Service will also continue to put out housing content, directing to this advice and existing events, at key times.

Projects

The University Mental Health Charter, working with UCL to assess how well the university is doing in 18 themes relating to mental health.

24/11: I am the Student Lead on the Student Minds University Mental Health Charter that UCL are looking to submit for. My input includes reviewing the draft reports produced by UCL leads as well as submitting the SU’s own report of Student Voice and Participation and a Student-Led report.

21/02: Continuing to work on the University Mental Health Charter. Currently writing the Student-led report and I’m organising the student panel for the Student Minds on-site visit.

12/04: Still working on the University Mental Health Charter which has just been submitted. I’m currently working to organise the student involvement in the onsite visit from Student Minds at the end of May.

23/05: Organising focus groups for the Student Minds visit in June for the Mental Health Charter. Trying to ensure we have a range of student voices on the panels and also a diverse and representative group.

Campaign to raise awareness of gender-based and sexual-violence

24/11: I’m involved in helping plan a student-led campaign to raise awareness of gender-based and sexual violence. I’ve also been involved in the union’s overall response to drink-spiking and sexual violence at bars: closing the bars in solidarity, purchasing drinks covers to offer students, and working to tackle this inappropriate behaviour through training and educating our students. The training is being offered to club and society committee members at the moment and I’d like it to be rolled out to student officers and representatives next, with the hopes of it being rolled out to all students by February.

Finance Committee

21/02: As Chair of the Union’s Finance Committee, I’ve been leading the work on reviewing our banking arrangements as per the policy that came to Union Exec in October. We’re currently doing some research into banks which are more ethical than Barclays but can also provide us with the financial services we need. Hoping to make a recommendation to the April Finance Committee.

12/04: Continue to work with our Director of Finance to review alternative banks to Barclays. Ethical and functional criteria have been set and a recommendation is set to go to the Union’s next Finance Committee.

23/05: Continuing to work on the banking arrangements with Director of Finance. The recommendation is coming to this next Finance Committee (end of May) and if that is approved, it will be recommended to the Board of Trustees at the beginning of June.

Leadership Race

12/04: This year’s leadership race highlighted a lot of gaps and issues we have in the running of our elections and I’ll be working with the Representation and Democracy Manager to ensure we tighten the rules to avoid loopholes and review the election complaints procedure as well as the consequences of breaking election rules.