SU21 - Laurie Reavy for Equality and Diversity Officer

My name is Laurie, and I am running to be Equality and Diversity Officer in the upcoming Student Union elections. The role itself covers 10 different groups within the student body. Those groups are:

Disabled students, Mature students, LGBTQA+ students, International students, Women students, Students of all faith, Part-time students, Student Carers, Care leavers and Student parents.

Obviously, I will be representing each and every one of those categories, so it is incredibly difficult to cover all of my intentions with my manifesto. That doesn’t mean that some are more important than others it just means that some need immediate action.

I belong to a number of the groups within this category under the Equality and Diversity Officer role so when I say that I am fighting on behalf of them, I am truly fighting through the barricades.

I am an LGBTQA+ student in my final year of my BA in English with Creative Writing. I have been elected Course Representative for the past two years and have been heavily involved in past election campaigns and movements alongside some of the current and past student officers.

Having a hidden disability has not stopped me from joining the Queen’s Ladies Rugby team and it certainly won't stop me campaigning for rights on behalf of all marginalised groups at QUB!

It is important to highlight that I am also a student parent and have been a part-time student previously. So, I am fully aware of the struggles that students have when it comes to juggling their time alongside working and looking after their children.

But that’s enough about me. Time to talk about what I want to do in my role as Equality and Diversity Officer. One of my first intentions if elected into the role is to raise the issues and concerns, and not to mention the complaints, of the international student body here at Queen’s.

Queen’s prides itself on its international student intake each and every year and last year was no different amid the pandemic but now those very students have fallen clearly by the wayside. They have been sent back home to study online with no additional support or funding provided. After speaking with some international students, it was brought to my attention that the standard of education they have been receiving whilst studying at home has been hugely inadequate.

Alongside this many, if not all, international students are still paying for their accommodation fees in the halls of residence here in Belfast. For example, most international students paid around £21,000 in tuition fees for their studies last year.

Obviously, the pandemic was unavoidable and unforeseeable but the standard of education which many of these international students have been receiving whilst online learning wouldn't warrant £21,000 worth of anybody's money. And to cap that off, many of those students still had to pay up to £4000 for their accommodation fees for empty rooms in student halls of residence here in Belfast.

It is my intention to bring these issues to light on behalf of those international students and demand a refund on all of those accommodation fees paid.

Another action point in my manifesto is to create a tailored action plan to assist international students from each school within the university in the event of further online learning.

In partnership with these plans - upon the return of a somewhat normal life - I feel it is important to create safe spaces for international students within accommodations and on campus.

This also extends to all student safety and well-being. Northern Ireland is in the grasp of a mental health crisis and unfortunately students are a part of those figures.

Lastly, alongside the SU stance I will be pushing for cancellation of tuition fees for all students. The extortionate tuition fees act as a barrier to education, especially because of online learning. For many students the ability to effectively study at home is hindered by barriers such as internet poverty, childcare, caring responsibilities ,and disabilities, hidden and visible.

Of course, I have many mountains to move and will be advocating for each underrepresented group within Queen’s, but the only way I can do that is if you vote for me in the SU elections on March 1 to 4.

Thank you.

To see all the candidates running for this position, visit the QUB SU Website.