PDF VERSION OF MY MANIFESTO: /asset/Manifesto/743/Krish-Aurora-Campaign-Manifesto.pdf
Hi, I’m Krish. I’m a final year undergraduate from India studying IR and World Philosophy. I do stand up comedy, write for TV and Radio, and all ‘round I’m a solid 6/10 person. I’ve been the SOAS Anti-Racism officer from 2018-2019. I worked to completely revamp the school’s mass emailing system. Students now have a new avenue to organise independently when they are being blockaded by people in power.
A union is inherently political and I will: Be loud and annoying with management in the face of cuts, neoliberal restructuring and the marketisation of education. Thoroughly challenge SOAS’ progressive image. Make sure that that leads to material changes for precarious staff and students. Partner with national campaigns to make sure the UK doesn’t turn into a degree factory
For me decolonising the institution means: Closing the BME attainment gap by anonymising marking across the board to tackle racial bias; lowering entry tariffs to accept more students (so the school doesn’t close); increasing academic support to ensure students who come in with lower tariffs are given necessary resources; removing barriers in accessing mental health support for BME students. Increasing the number of BME academics Supporting existing campaigns like BDS, Fractionals For Fair Play, J4W; building new links between students and workers; creating new channels to discuss how community resources may be distributed better (for example, into bursaries)
Improving student health and wellbeing by: Dealing with faculty, student reps, and various bureaucrats to accomodate for students with alternative needs (like myself - shoutout folx with OCD and ADHD) through screenings, assistive tech, and shifting the burden away from the student to perform their disability. Encouraging alternative assessment techniques with a focus away from exams. Preventing Prevent to reduce the psychological impact of surveillance on students
Maintaining transparency and accountability through recording and publishing all meetings (even the secret ones); ensuring that students are aware of the SU’s expenditures; welcoming strong, open and public criticism; setting up liberation caucuses to amplify margianalised voices
Also, in my role in the SU I’ve had to learn a lot of strange SU jargon and I’ve read our constitution. That’s one point for me.