Having reached an unusual end to an unusual term, capping off an unusual year – I have been given the very usual task of reflecting on how things have gone, and what I am looking forward to next term.
This past term has yielded a series of great successes for the Union. We have continued to grow and develop as an organisation, recruiting new staff, and fixing our processes, so that we have been able to start to deliver on the core expectations that students have of their Union. We have been guided by our 2021-2023 Back To Basics strategy, which has set us back on the right track to delivering a positive impact on the experiences and outcomes of all Imperial College students from all backgrounds. I have been immensely proud of the outstanding efforts and achievements of our permanent staff team, and the other Officer Trustees (some of which is highlighted in their blogs).
For my part, there are two key projects that I was involved in and am particularly proud of:
- Postgraduate Engagement Review: throughout my time at the College there has been an understanding that the Union does not effectively provide for Postgraduate students, but no concerted effort to figure out how to do this better. I’m thrilled that over the last 6 months, our PG engagement working group has undertaken this weighty task, and following an extensive process of research, has come to consensus on recommendations for future. These recommendations, yet to be approved by Council, represent a step change in our approach to representing and supporting PG students, and would have a significant impact when implemented.
- UCU strike referendum: the decision to call a referendum on the Union’s position regarding staff strikes was not an obvious one to make. The Union had not had a referendum in over a decade, and it would require significant time and energy to deliver. But, it was absolutely the correct decision. We gave students the opportunity to make their voice heard on this important issue, and our democracy is all the stronger for it.
Next term promises to be no less eventful than this one. I expect that the start of term will be kept busy with inputting into the College’s decision-making around how to handle whatever the Covid situation might be at the time. Once things have calmed down on that front, I hope to have some time to progress other objectives for the year, including:
- Democratic Structures Review: not a particularly sexy task, but a significant and important one. Our democratic structures, including Council and the subcommittees of Council, are how we ensure that students are able to shape everything we do as a Union. Every so often we need to put these through a democratic ‘MOT test’ to ensure that these are working and fit for purpose. This we entail a fairly significant consultation and deliberation process.
- Constituent Union Support: I have been trying throughout the year to do better at supporting our Constituent Unions, which are integral parts of the Union run by volunteers. This has not always been easy to prioritise alongside ‘firefighting’ but next term I hope to begin in earnest looking at how we can better train and resource these essential functions.
If you’ve read all the way to the end – thank you! If you have further questions for me, I can be reached at union.president@ic.ac.uk. I sincerely hope that you have a lovely Christmas, and a happy New Year!