Welfare and Community Officer - Spring 2021

Madina Khusnullina

What do you hope to achieve in the role if you are elected?
My goal is to improve student experience & academic outcomes. I WILL:

• Increase funding for WELLBEING SUPPORT services, make them more accessible for everyone and promote them on a different level
• Make UCL physical and virtual space SAFE, FRIENDLY and INCLUSIVE. Zero tolerance to bullying, harassment and discrimination on campus & internet. Improve reporting system
• Support INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS through lobbying UCL to provide more financial aid in form of bursaries and scholarships
• Encourage students to engage with SU, provide more workplaces and provide prayer space on campus

What will you bring to this role (e.g. experience, skills or qualities)?
Being an International Students’ Officer this year, I got familiar with SU structure & staff, Welfare Zone, and I know the issues that students face and I have a potential and passion to resolve them. As international student in my final year I know the feeling of injustice and helplessness when you have no one to talk to, especially during stressful times and I will ensure no one feels it next year, as it affects academic results. Applying skills I got from being an Academic Rep and IQR reviewer I will create a supportive and welcoming environment, in which ALL students are well represented

Anything else?
I worked with SUs across the UK, building networks and gaining experiences which I'll apply to make UCL a better place to study and socialise at. I acquired campaigning skills by fighting for tuition fees refunds. I'll lobby UCL for full-time International Officer to ensure Intl Students are heard!

Ahsana Parammal Vatteri

What do you hope to achieve in the role if you are elected?
•Support and wellbeing of all students in the transition to in-person learning environment
•Policy to reduce disproportionate impact of the Pandemic on vulnerable student groups
•Dedicated support and guidance for international students
•Heightened exposure to career opportunities and advice
•Updated training for welfare officers of clubs& societies to tackle current issues
•Make our services and spaces more accessible and inclusive
•Introduce child-friendly study spaces, continue the effort for a student-oriented crèche in the campus
•Revise accommodation policies and Guarantor Scheme

What will you bring to this role (e.g. experience, skills or qualities)?
•Learnings as the part-time officer for students with caring responsibilities at SU: Getting familiar with SU system, working with officers and liaising with UCL administration, facilitating mental, physical and social wellbeing, organizing events, creating policies, arranging funds..
•Lessons learned as the founding President of UCL SU SPAC Society: Connecting with students, nurturing a community spirit, connecting support to students in need
•Being a student parent on a PhD programme, I get to 'practice' multi-tasking and time management!
•I believe I am helpful, friendly and determined

Anything else?
I truly believe there is a brighter side to everything, and we will thrive and overcome anything by supporting and nurturing each other. You can count me as a friend and facilitator. If you are with me to enhance an all-inclusive and welcoming student community, please consider voting for me.

Yasmeen Daoud

What do you hope to achieve in the role if you are elected?
My top 4 priorities would be:
-Improve BME student mental health experience: reviewing the cultural competence of the wellbeing and support services.
-Put welfare at the core of all decision-making: continue to push UCL to review its policies and ensure that student wellbeing is at the forefront.
-Support all student demographics: continue to recognise and address the specific welfare needs of all student groups and lobby UCL to do the same.
-Create all-inclusive social spaces: review the use of SU cafes in the evening and repurpose them as alcohol-free social spaces (e.g. dessert shop?)

What will you bring to this role (e.g. experience, skills or qualities)?
Having been a sabbatical officer this year, I have the experience and knowledge to be able to give the role 100% right from the start and hit the ground running. I’ve learnt a lot about being a leader, influencing decision-making at UCL, as well as navigating student concerns and university policy. I believe I’m great advocate for all student communities, and I take a very pragmatic approach to my work, carefully considering all aspects and impacts. I’m not afraid to criticise existing policies and practice, and I am able to work with others to find alternative and more appropriate solutions.

Anything else?
This past year’s been difficult for students and officers too. I believe a second term will guarantee continuity in the work and progress I’ve made this year. With the addition of the Equalities Unit I’ll be in a position to offer additional insight to ensure liberation officers are fully supported.

Nowsha Farha

What do you hope to achieve in the role if you are elected?
Mental health & Wellbeing: Nap rooms; awareness workshops; buddy schemes; support groups; adequate counselling & training facilities; stress-relief programs; EC adjustments
Housing (high standard, cheap rent): Rent reduction package; flexible contracts; refund policy; proper safety nets & measures preventing landlords, agents & accommodation providers from exploiting students
International Students: Assistance with immigration process, sponsored job hunting; anti-discrimination policy ensuring greater sense of inclusivity; more int. festivals & social networking; help for estranged students

What will you bring to this role (e.g. experience, skills or qualities)?
As someone taking trip to hospital A&E & being attended by paramedics at other times due to recurrent episodes of severe panic attacks, mental illness almost killed me last year so YOUR WELLBEING IS MY TOP PRIORITY! I handled stressful situations living at flat, uni & private dorm & successfully dealt with tenancy contract termination, accommodation fee refund. I UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH FINDING A GOOD HOME MATTERS; I’M HERE TO HELP! I come from a lower-middle income nation & ethnic minority background. I relate to all sorts of hurdles faced by international students which TOGETHER WE CAN OVERCOME!

Anything else?
I’m a formerly elected part-time SU Officer (2019), NUS Delegate (2020), Committee Member, Outreach Officer & Project Leader of Amnesty Int. Society, Women’s, Access & Equality Officer of Fencing Club & President of MLIS Community Service Club. I also served as a UCL GCP Ambassador. I love to lead!

Joey Cleary

What do you hope to achieve in the role if you are elected?
First, I will create a decentralised peer support network. The systems UCL already have can be better. Through the formulation of more informal avenues of support, more people will have easy access to support they may not even know they need.
Second, I will aim to ensure the mental health lessons learned in this pandemic are not forgotten when things return to normal.
Third, I will expand the means by which students can voice their concerns about wellbeing.
And fourth, I will ensure that the mental health services UCL already has available are more properly advertised to all students.

What will you bring to this role (e.g. experience, skills or qualities)?
The most important qualities I bring to this role are my positive and focussed attitude as well as my love of talking to people. These qualities of mine will allow me to liaise well with UCL officials and continually fight for the change we should see.
I also have experience in the realm of welfare. I have been UCL American Football’s Pride in Sport representative and Welfare officer as well as UCL Barbell’s Welfare and Community outreach officer. These roles allowed me to develop my skills in being formally attentive to the specific issues university life can manifest.

Anything else?
Looking after the welfare of the whole UCL community is an important job. However, it is certainly not the job for just one person. In this role, my aim will be that any student looking for someone to turn to will have options aplenty around them, both formal and informal.

Mansi Baguant

What do you hope to achieve in the role if you are elected?
• Speeding up the UCL Support and Wellbeing services process by restructuring the system.
• Launching UCL Cares, a la UCLove, whereby you submit your concerns anonymously, and get a response from UCL and interact with your peers.
• Launching a UCL podcast with weekly themes where you get self-care, accommodation and international-related support by interacting with the union and the UCL community.
• Working proactively towards a better integration of mature, part-time and disabled students and students with caring responsibilities within the UCL committee for a seamless experience.

What will you bring to this role (e.g. experience, skills or qualities)?
I bring:
o my background as Lead UCAS Open Day Ambassador, Lead Academic Representative, Transition Mentor, Hey Team Volunteer and Student Quality Reviewer. Using my experience in making voices heard on smaller scales, I would be honoured to do so at an institutional level.
o my love and commitment to the UCL which I believe has been felt as I’ve been awarded the Elena Bossy Award and Sports Commendation Award, for my contribution to the spirit of the department and society respectively.
o my empathy and effective communication skills that have driven change in MAPS this past year.

Anything else?
Whether you're a first year who hasn’t seen any of his/her/their coursemates or you’ve been at UCL for the past decade and know your lecturers' life history, I want you to know that you have someone to count on - an inbox you can always slide into for any sort of advice, help or conversation.

Çagri (Chaa) Ustaoglu

What do you hope to achieve in the role if you are elected?
INCREASED CONNECTEDNESS
- Finance an actually fun online alternative for socialising
- Universal faculty family system for more personal & informal mentoring
- Use UCL’s diverse demographic to our advantage; engage with all our students’ cultures to foster a truly global community
- greater support for social justice activism

STUDENT WELLBEING PRIORITISATION
- mental health proactivity
- more workshops by experts on topics from mindfulness to reading techniques

FINANCIAL SUPPORT
- More bursaries for postgrads & undergrads, especially for students from disadvantaged backgrounds

What will you bring to this role (e.g. experience, skills or qualities)?
As a history undergrad, I know how important and beneficial cultural interaction and studies of all peoples’ histories can be. I will utilise my background when lobbying the university and networking with experts to foster more discussions around this issue.

Whilst Transition Mentor, I had great exposure to some of the many difficulties that freshers, who were particularly hard hit by online teaching, faced this year. With my mentor training, experience and network, I can tailor my work to address the most urgent student welfare issues.

Find my Facebook page for more details about me!

Anything else?
I came to UCL from a school that I loved for its ability to give its students a sense of belonging within a community. Even before covid, this was a major lack at UCL. Bringing all students from all backgrounds together is something I especially feel strongly about and will give my all to improve.