Vice President Education

Steph Lomas

I started at UCLan in 2014 on the Foundation Law Course and graduated last year with a 1st in MLaw. Being a disabled, mature, queer student - I saw the Students' Union as a home away from my real home and my academic home, where I could try new things and meet new people.

Last year was a real education in representing the academic needs of so many students, but together we won the reform on Mitigating Circumstances, an academic calendar that fits with the local school calendars and over the COVID-19 period, the No Detriment Policy alongside so much more! Look at us thriving not just surviving! I'm back and this year I aim to go where no VP has gone before with a HUGE manifesto plan.

Contact

www.facebook.com/sueducation1

@uclansu_edu

uclansu_officers

What I'm working on

Fight for students’ rights to better resources and reasonable adjustments

Fri 08 Jan 2021

Fight for students’ rights to better resources and reasonable adjustments

March 2021

Reasonable adjustments

Working with the University on how we can better ensure reasonable adjustments are adhered to by teaching staff. Alongside moving a number of reasonable adjustments (including lecture capture) to inclusive teaching practice meaning that every teaching event must follow suit. This is currently in consultation with staff.

Lanyards

After feedback from Disabled Students around mask exemption, we have worked with the university to move away from utilising the hidden disabilities lanyard for mask exemption.

Working with Disabled Students Rep

Worked with the Disabled Students Rep on an International Day of People with Disabilities Social Media Campaign that raised awareness of different celebrities with hidden disabilities and how to be allies with the disabled community. Again, worked with the Disabled Students Rep to formulate a big idea regarding Quickscan and SPLDsupport for students prior to freshers.

Lobby for high quality study support

Fri 08 Jan 2021

Lobby for high quality study support

March 2021

Wiser

With the amazing support of the SU team, I compiled the ‘Why Wiser?’ response to the consultation around the closure of the Wiser Service, I continue to push and will ensure that moving forward the SU is in the rooms around the discussion of academic support. Please click here for the report

Study Opportunties

Study with Steph–I provided a ‘Study with Steph’ session for the Study Good campaign alongside a number of ‘Steph-made’ resources. These are not yet available on the new website but I am happy to send links to those who wish to utilise them. I have also created a ‘Virtual Study Room’ to recreate the library environment which I will host on a Tuesday night 5-7pm.

Academic Integrity

UCLan Level -As you will know I am consistently discussing academic integrity on social media as to alert students to issues, in particular around essay mills. If you receive emails to your UCLan Account re essay mills, please report to liscustomersupport@uclan.ac.uk. If on social media, please report to sueducation@uclan.ac.uk.

National Level–Myself and the Vice President Education at Worcester SU started the academic integrity collective, which is a group of Academic Reps wanting to make change at institutional and national level. We are working on a campaign called #BetterByU to inform students about the dangers surrounding essay mills, to call upon universities to provide fit for purpose academic support services and education on academic integrity alongside speaking with MPs and Internet Providers on the criminalisation of essay mills and ethical advertising. Two weeks ago, we spoke with Chris Skidmore who presented a ten-minute bill on this on March 10^th 2021 and we hope this will move forward in law alongside the bill presently in the Lords by Lord Storey. I have also spoken at a global conference on Academic Integrity with the Quality Assurance Agency. I can also confirm that I have now accepted a voluntary role on their Academic Integrity Advisory Group and will also be speaking with Policymakers at an upcoming Westminster Forum on academic integrity.

Ensure all voices are heard by the University

Fri 08 Jan 2021

Ensure all voices are heard by the University

March 2021

Student Voice

Leading the Workstream on Course Rep Roles and Responsibilities supported by Sarah and a cross section of staff and students to look at ensuring student voice are heard and represented in the right way.

Attending the SSLC workstream meetings to use my experience as a rep to help shape the future of the meetings

Meeting with Post Grad Research Faculty monthly on issues around PGR –We have created PGR rep roles (2 per School) and highlighted the need for better wellbeing comms.

Academic WINdow –Due to move online has become Academic WInstagram, I hope with a course rep group online, we can further celebrate the wins of reps.

Spoken about Student Success at a WonkHE webinar with my top of the pops for student success becoming a successful article.

Working with Course Reps to escalate issues alongside work on raising awareness of Complaints Process, alongside publishing the Complaints Process Article.

I have also responded on behalf of the Union to the Office for Students Consultation on Quality in which myself and Sarah (Advice and Representation Manager) pushed back on behalf of widening participation students to ensure their voice was amplified.

Continued discussions regarding No Detriment, then on the comms and process with Academic Registry. If any students are concerned, please speak with course leads or if they feel it has not been used appropriately APMQuery@uclan.ac.uk.

Spill The T

Working with the University to ensure all staff are fully trained in terms of NSS Undue Influence. Secured a question around wellbeing on the NSS Survey (not usually asked). Working on our Spill the T campaign, we will be asking students of all years and modes of studies to give us their ‘t’ on their experience at UCLan. This was launched at the Course Rep Conference –Voices 2021.

Communications Policy

Fedback issues around student outlook emails being in the ‘Other’ inbox meaning crucial information not seen by students after being alerted to the issue by UCLan Take Action –this will now come directly to students ‘focused’ inbox

Decolonise the education system at UCLan

Fri 08 Jan 2021

Decolonise the education system at UCLan

March 2021

Inclusive Curriculum Working Group

Working with the University on their strategy in terms of a curriculum that supports the intersectional community of marginalised people.

Decolonise UCLan

Working with the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Students’ Representative on a campaign to educate students and staff about the need to decolonise the education system which had a soft launch at Course Rep Conference–Voices 2021.

We plan to do this by;

1.Information on issues such as the Awarding Gap and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Students’Experience at UCLan Report

2.Launching our DecolonisationResources Library on the SU Website which seeks to inform students and staff on the basics of Decolonisation and Racial Issues with resources to further expand their knowledge.

3.An open letter to Graham and VCG alongside a template which students can use to engage staff as it is important to give students agency.

From this we hope to create a foundation of resources that can be expanded upon to open the discussion to all marginalised communities and utilise the intersectional benefits of decolonisation for all.