SU24 - Adam Wilson for Undergraduate Education Officer

By Adam Wilson

Hi! I’m Adam Wilson, running for Undergraduate Education Officer in the SU elections this year! I’m currently a final year History and International Relations student. I’ve been a student at QUB for a couple years now and I’ve fallen in love with the student community and see so much potential to make it even more welcoming and inclusive of all students! I love the social life at Queen’s, being part of a couple societies, most often with the Literary and Scientific Society (Literific – Debating Society) and attending a number of great events run by so many other societies – I love a good society karaoke or pub quiz.

So, what about my experience? What can I bring to the Undergraduate Education Officer role?

In my second year I was elected as the School Rep for the School of HAPP (History, Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics), and later the Faculty Rep for the Faculty of AHSS (Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences). This role allowed me to see how the academic system works, talking to a number of academic staff and dealing with some pressing issues present in the School and Faculty. I also had plenty of opportunities to chat to students and gather feedback about what some of the real issues with their education were. I was able to take this up with staff and make the necessary compromises to make successful changes throughout the year.

This experience gave me some ideas of what students actually want to see change when it comes to their education. Lecture Capture is always something that pops up. A lot of students want lectures recorded to use as study tools and to look back on to better understand their course. I’ve also seen a lot of students struggle with mental health, so I wanted to include that in my campaign. I want to host mental health awareness and training workshops to ensure students can recognise if they or their friends struggling and know that they are supported every step of the way. I also want to build upon the excellent student community that we have at QUB, providing more opportunities for students to get involved with the academic process, by hosting ‘town halls’ and similar events to give students more opportunities to talk to staff and give feedback about pressing issues on their course!

I also recognise the importance of supporting the efforts to lower tuition fees, decolonise the curriculum as well as supporting students who work or have families – responsibilities they have to balance along with their studies. I want students to feel totally supported at all times during their time at QUB.

Most importantly, if I were to win I’m here to represent all undergraduate students, so I want to chat to students on the ground level and figure out what they want to see changed and adapt my campaign to what students actually want instead of just what I think they want! Remember to vote ADAM #1 from March 4th to 7th and come and say hi to me!