I have been studying at UAL for the past two years on two courses at different campuses and, I have seen the good, the bad, and the ugly of our university! Whilst there was much room for improvement within UAL before Covid-19, the pandemic has truly shone a bright light on the 'brand' that is UAL.  As students, we deserve an experience that develops us in our chosen area of study and prepares us for life after university – and won't bankrupt us whilst we try to complete it.

Due to this past year being mostly online, we students have been even more disconnected from UAL and are finding it even tougher to get our voices heard. If elected to represent you, I want to use the Welfare Officer’s platform to push our thoughts and experiences to the forefront of those at the top of UAL (as they should be) and create the change we want to see. 

My aims include:

• Reductions in tuition fees and rent for UAL halls due to the pandemic
• Better accessibility to online counselling and mental health support to tackle the rapidly growing mental health crisis within UAL
• Increasing financial support for international and home students during the pandemic
• More support for international students in navigating the NHS and the UK visa system due to Covid
• Financial support for at-home working as we can’t use our studios effectively
• Better training for staff at halls on handling mental health, pronouns and privacy issues

As a queer, disabled student at UAL I want to make sure that everyone’s voice is heard and respected and we receive the best possible education despite the state of the world. 

#Online Art School Is Not Art School