Hi, I’m Jaffrina ‘Jaffa Cakes’ Jahan and I am running to be your next Education Officer.
My four years as both an undergraduate and now a postgraduate student at the University of Birmingham have been an incredible journey, but throughout my time here I have also come to identify and understand the many barriers that can prevent students from reaching their full potential and experiencing the best of university.
If elected Education Officer I would work to make the Guild a body that tackles issues on both local and national levels and supports students in getting all they can out of their time at UoB.
Access to education
I want to help break down barriers affecting students both coming into university-level studies, as well as those impacting them whilst here at UoB.
I believe that education is fundamentally a social good and that university should be made accessible to all those who seek to pursue it, not just those who can afford it.
Refugees and asylum seekers face among the steepest barriers in society as well as in education, being almost entirely priced out of university.
I intend to lobby the university to develop full scholarships for refugees and asylum seeker students to study at the university.
I also aim to continue the existing work undertaken at the university towards ensuring that the systematic gap in degree outcomes for BME (Black & Minority Ethnic) students compared to their white counterparts is closed at UoB, so that BME students are able to attend and graduate from the University on an equal footing.
Fair Pay and Development Opportunities
Trying to balance studies alongside working to sustain themselves can often negatively affect students’ ability to perform to their full potential, and I believe the university and Guild can do more to support students.
I will campaign to abolish library fines and create a new system of balancing material withdrawal and returns that doesn’t unfairly charge students, while increasing digital resources and online submissions.
I intend to work with departments to provide more paid internships and research opportunities so that students can pursue and develop their academic portfolios whilst getting the pay they earn for their work.
I will also develop the alumni network to provide more direct support for current students through alumni in providing workshops, internships and career development opportunities.
I will campaign for a Living Wage to be paid through the University to student employees, and to work alongside the Postgraduate students’ officer to secure better pay conditions for Postgraduate teaching assistants.
Student Led Change
As Education officer I will enable students to have a greater say in their education, and more control in shaping the content of their curriculum to make for a more diverse education. I will ensure students are getting the quality of education that they were promised, while working with course and departmental reps to challenge any cuts to courses proposed by the university.
Vote Jaffrina ‘Jaffa Cakes’ Jahan #1 for Education officer!