What experiences make me the best candidate?
Hello everyone!
I’m Khadiza Hossain and your current VP Education. Having completed both my LLB and LLM at UWE Bristol, I deeply understand the challenges faced by undergraduate and postgraduate students, making me the best candidate to advocate for your needs.
Over the past year, I’ve worked tirelessly to improve your academic experience by enhancing student rep training, tackling assessment feedback delays, securing better career opportunities, and ensuring student well-being during assessment periods.
One of my proudest achievements has been the transformation of the Student Rep System, leading to a 26% increase in student rep sign-ups (from 817 to 1,104 reps this year) and a 30% increase in trained student reps. We’ve built a well-structured and highly effective Student Rep system that ensures your voices are heard and acted upon. Additionally, I have been actively working on integrating PGR representation into the student rep system, collaborating with the Doctoral Academy to ensure postgraduate researchers have a voice in decision-making.
Beyond UWE, I have successfully lobbied MPs for the Renter’s Right Bill amendment with NUS and other presidents, which prevents landlords from demanding multiple months of rent upfront. The bill is currently in the House of Lords, and I will continue advocating for fair housing policies for students.
I have also been a strong advocate for reasonable adjustments to deadlines, ensuring policies remain fair and inclusive for all students. Through my work with the Task and Finish Group on Reasonable Adjustments, I have challenged restrictive policies, demanded transparency in data analysis, and ensured that student voices are central to decision-making. My efforts have led to the university committing to reviewing their deadline adjustment policies with student input.
Beyond my role, I’m a certified Mediator, professional photographer, and passionate advocate for student rights. My journey so far has been about turning your concerns into actions, and I’m ready to take it even further. With your support, I will continue making positive changes that truly matter to you. Let’s build on our success and push for an even better educational experience at UWE Bristol!
What my key priorities and targets are if I'm were successful in being elected?
I will be lobbying for:
1. Efficient Timetabling & Exam Scheduling
- I will continue to work towards eliminating exam bunching and ensuring that students don't face the burden of major assignments and exams within short timeframes. This ensures better academic performance and well-being.
2. Tackling Delayed Feedback and Ensuring Timely Marking
While the university has a 20-day policy for releasing marks and feedback after assessments, many students continue to experience delays. This lack of timely feedback not only affects academic progress but also undermines students' ability to improve and perform better in future assessments.
- Push for better monitoring to ensure feedback is consistently provided within the 20-day policy.
- Advocate for the university to notify students of any delays and provide clear timelines for when feedback will be available.
- Work on enhancing feedback delivery systems, using digital tools and additional support to improve timeliness.
3. Strengthening Career Development
- More career seminars for undergrad, postgrad, and vocational students, helping them explore career paths and align with their goals. I’ll also bring in more alumni to share their experiences, creating valuable networking opportunities for students.
- Push for more paid internships and embed entrepreneurial skills in courses
4. Championing Disabled, Neurodiverse, and Carer Students
- Advocate for better accessibility and supports across lectures, exams, and resources for students with disabilities and neurodiverse conditions.
- Ensure carers and students with complex needs receive tailored support to balance academics and personal responsibilities.
- Push for universally accessible campus spaces, teaching methods, and digital tools to support all students.
5. Enhancing Support for International Students
- Advocate for a comprehensive onboarding process to help international students navigate university life and platforms like Blackboard.
- Address exam result delays that impact visa timelines by pushing for timely exam board decisions to reduce unnecessary stress.
6. Increase Engagement with Student Representatives
- Ensuring more engagement from student reps
- Strengthen connections between lead school reps and student reps for better collaboration and support.
- Develop a better feedback loop to keep reps informed and help them engage more effectively with students.
7. No Idea Left Behind – A Commitment to Collaboration
- I believe that every student’s voice matters. As VP Education, I will actively collaborate with other elected candidates, student groups, and university staff to ensure that all ideas, no matter how small, are turned into actionable plans.
- I will create clear pathways to bring forward suggestions and address student concerns, ensuring that all proposals are considered and acted upon.