I'm Tom and I'm a final year politics student.
For the past two years I've been the Union's LGBTQ Officer. In this role, I've helped students with welfare issues and seen the gaps in the support SOAS currently provides.
Last year I conducted research on harassment for the union and identified key ways for soas to tackle discrimination and abuse on campus.
I've run successful campaigns at soas, for example winning more gender neutral toilets. I've also been actively involved in campaigns like democratise SOAS, Justice for Cleaners and fighting for free education.
Demanding free education, ending austerity
I'll continue to campaign for free education and oppose cuts which are
destroying our education and hitting the most vulnerable hardest.
I'll campaign to protect our public services from austerity and
marketisation.
Campaigning for living grants & affordable rents
Calling for free education is not enough, I'll link up with other unions to
campaign for all students to have enough financial support to complete their
studies.
Dinwiddy is a disgrace, charging high rents for poor quality accommodation.
I'll campaign for SOAS to provide decent halls with affordable rents.
Putting equality in the classroom
I'll audit our reading lists and campaign for an end to pale, male and stale
curricula.
I'll make sure all soas staff have equality & diversity training and
guidelines on making teaching resources and the classroom environment
accessible for all.
I'll demand action on attainment gaps, campaigning for coursework marking
to be anonymised to remove unconscious biases and for more diverse and
flexible assessment methods to suit different students' needs.
Improving welfare support
I'll work to improve soas' welfare support system, fighting for more
resources for student advice and well being, turning the personal advisor
system into a more useful pastoral network and improving the mitigating
circumstances policy.
Introducing an interfaith officer
Students have reported facing harassment on campus based on their religion,
the Union needs to do much more to provide support for students of faith.
I'll introduce an interfaith officer to promote dialogue between students of
faith and none.
Democratising SOAS
Fighting for a democratic university is key to opposing marketisation and
winning a fossil free SOAS, bringing our cleaners back in-house and creating
a SOAS that embodies our values.
I'll fight for a democratic SOAS which works in the interests of all students
and staff.
Improving the year abroad experience
I'll make sure all year abroad students are fully informed before they set
off and campaign for SOAS to improve welfare support and pastoral contact
while students are abroad.
I'll make the Union more accessible for year abroad students, making sure
they still feel part of our community.
Standing up for international students
I'll oppose the government's racist immigration policies, fight to restore the
post-study visa, end charges for accessing the NHS and campaign for SOAS to
become a UK rent guarantor.
Liberating SOAS
I'll support the part-time liberation officers in their work with LGBTQ,
Women, black, disabled and carer, and working class students, and continue
to work to tackle harassment on campus.
Opening up campaigns
I'll work to make soas campaigns more accessible and diverse, help students
to start their own campaigns and organise regular campaigns assemblies to
share ideas between campaigning groups.
Reaching out to the community
I'll team up with local schools and colleges to create opportunities for
students to share knowledge and skills including