Get to know Umair
What made you decide to stand for election this year?
The desire to contribute something back to the place and the community that gave me so much exposure and memories to become the person that I am today.
What are your top three priorities from your manifesto?
1. Make guaranteed accommodation scheme more clear to freshers, structuring it by budget and location.
2. Expand the horizons of the disabilities support network by introducing more sports initiatives and getting more students and staff involved in decision-making.
3. Quarterly feedback from students on the performance of Sabbs and Union itself.
What do you hope to achieve in the coming year?
Apart from the aforementioned objectives, I would also want to get sleeping pods installed at the campus so that students that live far away can take rest and do not have to travel back which will definitely increase their efficiency. During my tenure here I’ve seen some people struggle with using toilet paper as back home they’ve been using water. So I would like to get jet sprays installed within the toilets.
What has been the best part of your UCL experience so far?
Although I have made so many great memories during my time here but the time during my election campaign truly stands out as one of the best.
Your advice to new students?
Nothing is impossible here if you set your heart to it.
Priorities and Projects
- 1. Mental Health and Wellbeing support
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Look into what apps are available to improve Mental Health and Wellbeing.
Work with UCL to diversify student support services.
Scope and develop a student check-in service to combat loneliness and isolation.
Improve communications and social media presence so students know about the student support services available.
Establish Welfare Wednesdays for students to talk through any issues they may be facing.
Look into how war-affected students are supported, especially through the Extenuating Circumstances Process.IN PROGRESS
- 14/11/22: Promoting Welfare Wednesdays with SSW during Wobble Week
- 16/11/22: Held first ever Welfare Wednesday on 16th November
- 21/11/22: Due to a lack of interest, paused student check-in service for a week to promote the initiative more. Will be continuing them from week starting 28th November
- 22/02/23: Have conducted two very successful Welfare Wednesdays in the Student Centre. Collected valuable feedback from the students. Generally they feel supported by us.
- 01/03/23: Have increased the refreshments to include crisps and soft drinks in light of the Cost of Living crises so that students don't neccesarily have to buy lunch that afternoon.
- 2. STS - Sleep and Toilet Strategy
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Revive the Sleep Strategy work.
Secure funding to pilot sleeping pods.
Improve toilet facilities on campus and in residences.
Improve toilet facilities in the Union spaces with bidet sprays.IN PROGRESS
- 21/11/22: Meeting with Professor Vincent, a known academic for his research in naps, in the week starting 28th November to discuss the Sleep Strategy.
- 23/11/22: Will be meeting Rohan and Faris in the week starting 28th November to come up with a business case for the toilet strategy.
- 05/12/22: Talked to Ian Dancy and got him to agree to have bidet showers on the B2 level of SC and in all the Union Buildings (25 Gordon street, Bloomsbury Theatre and Lewis Building). He also agreed to a pilot project for the Sleep Strategy in term 3 managed by the Union.
- 18/01/23: Went around the campus with Simon and Vincent. Shortlisted a few sites for the napping zone.
- 24/01/23: Had a meeting with Adrien Cooper who agreed to have wet rooms in the building that Ian agreed to. He will be getting back to us with a plan in a month's time
- 30/01/23: Updating the Sleep Strategy Report and finalising which chairs to buy for the napping zone.
- 07/03/23: Met with a couple of people from UCL to discuss the toilet strategy. They are having concerns over student safety. Faris and Rohan are chasing them and trying to get these installed over the Easter break.
- 07/03/23:Will be meeting with Ian Dancy along with Simon on 23rd March to finalise everything for the napping zone.
- 3. Cultural Ball & Eid Celebrations
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Scope and develop a proposal for a Cultural Ball.
Establish and improve Eid celebrations.IN PROGRESS
- 26/10/22: Organised Diwali on 26th October.
- 14/11/22: Will be working with Carl on plans for the Cultural Ball till the end of the year.
- 30/01/23:Will be working with Carl on organising the Cultural Ball by the end of this term.
- 07/03/23: Will be meeting with Carl on 10th of March to discuss Eid celebration and the cultural ball.
- 4. Improving Accommodation
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Work with UCL to ensure all students are aware of the accommodation guarantee.
Work with UCL to partner up with more student accommodation providers to provide a broader range of accommodations.
Work with UCL to establish an accommodation helpline for prospective students.IN PROGRESS
- 21/11/22: Attended monthly meetings with the Accommodations team. Raised the issue of communication about guarantee.
- 07/12/22: Attended monthly meetings with the Accommodations team. They informed us they'll be removing the word guarantee as they cannot fulfil it because they don't have enough beds. And they also told us to talk to the Communications team because they are the ones who inform the prospective students about accommodation. Will get in touch with them very soo
- 15/02/23: Attended monthly catch-up meeting with the Accommodation team. Trying to solve the issues for the students living in the halls.
- 5. HFS- Hardship Funds & Scholarships
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Improve and extend our provision of hardship funds for students in need.
Promote the range of student financial assistance and hardship funds available.
Lobby UCL to provide more scholarships for international students.IN PROGRESS
- 18/08/22: Working with the Advice Service on SDHF since the start of the term.
- 31/08/22: Attending regular Cost of Living Campaign meetings.
- 11/09/22: Worked with the Alumni relations department and created a video with Hamza for promoting 1 UCL Fund.
- 30/01/23: Working with Danielle, Simon and Guy on promoting the Hardship Fund.
- 30/01/23: Will be reaching out to the Alumni Relations team through Deb to discuss some ideas about raising funds especially for international students.
- 14/02/23: Raised my idea around Scholarships with the Provost in our monthly catch-up. He was very interested so will be working on this with him and the relevant UCL personnel in the coming months.
- 07/03/23: Advertising the hardships funds whenever I get the chance to help as many students as possible.