Jack O’Leary-VP Education

My name is Jack O’Leary, and I’m running for this position because I feel as though the student voice is being under-represented in issues of Education at the university. Programme Reps often feel stonewalled by their lecturers; guest speakers who offer career advice often have relatives who worked in the industry who could get them jobs to kickstart their careers; Powerpoint presentations, if they’re uploaded at all, often lack detail that would be of use to students with auditory processing issues.

If elected, I pledge to:

• Meet with Programme Reps at least once a term and bring their concerns to the trustee board.

We have all amassed an extraordinary amount of debt, and the fact that lecturers often outright ignore the concerns of Programme Reps is a problem that needs to be addressed. By having an elected official meet with students at least once a term it adds more legitimacy to the role of being a Programme Rep, and by having those concerns brought to the trustee board would add another layer of legitimacy.

• Bring a core texts area to Whitelands College

Students who live on Whitelands college often feel ostracised from the other 3 colleges, and it seems unreasonable that to obtain a copy of a core text they have to waste at least half an hour of their day walking to and from main campus. This issue is amplified for disabled students, as it could take even longer to reach main campus from Whitelands for them.

• Ensure that students are given an accurate idea of how to go about obtaining a career in their chosen field.

Despite having a module entirely based around the Business of Writing I have no idea how I would go about obtaining an agent, approaching a press, or even being hired as a copywriter or screenwriter. In my talks with other students from courses like Psychology, Biomedical Science and Dance they seem just as confused as to how to proceed with their career with just an undergraduate degree.

• Push for practical degrees to have mandatory placements or are able to replicate an accurate working environment that rewards an accreditation.

Ensuring that you gain experience with a practical degree will help prepare you for a career in your chosen field. Having that experience would elevate you above your competitors and would allow for connections in your chosen industry to be established.

• Ensure that the needs of disabled students are met and/or improved on.

Having a disability at university often doubles the stress of attending university, which can be compounded by other external factors. If elected I pledge to review the services the university provides and meet with disabled students once a term to see if their needs are being met.

Let’s work together to make it an Ed-You-Cation, not just an education.