Alice Smart is a third year History and Social Policy student. She is currently campaigning in this year’s leadership race to help you guys with all things education. Alice is currently a student rep, and wants to share with Her Campus the ins and outs of her campaign. Voting for who you want to lead your Union begins on the 4th March.
Hi Alice! Firstly, tell us a bit about you. What stage of education are you at? What do you study etc?
I’m a third year History and Social Policy student in my final year of study at Leeds Uni. I’ve loved being an active member of the union and a student representative, and I’m now running for Education in the Leadership Race which will give me an opportunity to represent the students at the highest level.
What made you decide to run for Education officer? When did you decide to run?
I started thinking seriously about running for Education over Christmas as I’d really enjoyed working as a student rep, and felt that I had the right ideas and relevant experience to run for the role. Education is something I’m extremely passionate about; both here at Leeds and on a national level, so there really wasn’t any other position I could see myself running for.
What has lead up to your decision?
A big moment leading up to my decision was Demo 2012 in November. The Demo brought the issue of higher education funding to the forefront, and it dominated a lot of discussion on campus. It opened my eyes to how passionate I am about the future of education in this country as I found myself researching the topic and debating with people.
What experience do you have that makes you think you could do a good job?
In terms of my own experience, I’ve already represented hundreds of Leeds students as the LUU Political and Campaigning Rep and the Library Rep for the School of History. I helped organise LUU’s involvement in Demo 2012, I’ve written for Leeds Student all year on issues such as the future of the student movement and the implications of the marketisation of higher education. I’ve already successfully passed a policy for the Union to lobby to make all essay submissions online too.
Give us a run down of the main things you are proposing to change.
The main changes I’m proposing are:
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Introducing lecture podcasts.
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Permanently extending library opening hours to 24 hours during exams.
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Giving students a breakdown of costs so they know where their tuition fees are going.
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Improving feedback by introducing department scorecards.
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Bringing in a Contact Time Guarantee so that if a lecture of seminar gets cancelled, you still get those hours.
What sort of things will you be doing during the leadership race? Where can we find you?
For the next couple of weeks I’ll be all over campus speaking to as many students as possible; I’ll also be in the Terrace and then Fruity speaking to as many people as I can. If any student wants to ask me any questions or has any ideas then I’d love for them to get in contact with me via Twitter or Facebook. You might also see me taking photos with students who’ve decided to support me holding a ‘Get Smart’ placard.
What has been your favourite moment at University?
I’ve had so many great moments since starting Uni. You realise why so many people told you before you came that Uni is some of the best years of your life. Last year’s Summer Ball was fantastic, I can’t wait to go again.
What would you like to do after you leave Leeds University (if you do or don’t get elected)?
Like a lot of people I’m still not totally sure. I’m really passionate about formal education and also social care, so I’d love a career that focuses on one of those. I’m still exploring options but who knows, I may even go on to be a teacher.
Has it been hard managing the leadership race alongside University?
It’s been a huge challenge, I’m sure the other candidates feel the same. I knew when I decided to run that I would have to prioritise the race over my university work for a little while so it hasn’t come as a shock to me, though maybe it has to my tutors.
Why do you think people should vote for you?
I’ve got a lot of relevant experience but more importantly I have a lot of passion for the role. I’ve watched several people do the job over the last few years and I know what it takes to get things done, and also where we might struggle. I know that I will be able to do the things on my manifesto and I know that, as a result, they will make people’s lives easier too. Education is the most important reason for coming to University and this would be a superb chance to play my part in making it better for people here.
Any last words/ words of advice to anybody wanting to take on a leading role within the University?
I think anyone with a passion to change things should consider running. Experience helps, but it’s nowhere near as important as having a clear vision for what needs to be change, whether in the Uni or the Union. I’d also say that if you’re serious about winning, be prepared to put time and effort in. Again, passion is so important here as it will drive you to do the things necessary to stand the best possible chance of winning. Even if you have doubts, it’s better to try and fail than to spend years wondering ‘what if?’ The campaign can be incredibly fun too, and you’ll learn an awful lot no matter what happens. In short, go for it.
Image Sources:
All Alice’s own.