My name is Katie Saunders, I’m a second year history undergrad from Newcastle upon Tyne. As a working class student, I want to make sure more university isn’t the preserve of the privately educated, middle and upper classes. I hope to achieve this by offering support for working class students throughout their entire academic life, from application and beyond.
If I was elected I would aim to:
- Institute a PARTNERS programme similar to that of Newcastle University, which will offer a summer school programme to year 13 students from disadvantaged backgrounds; such as those who have been in local authority care, those from areas of low attainment etc., allowing them to experience university life and then be given lower grade requirements to enter SOAS, increasing accessibility and diversity in the university
- Hold workshops and offer information on employment and renting rights
- Increase access and ease of application to scholarships, awards, bursaries and other funding
- Improve access to free and reduced price long term pastoral/mental health care
- Work with and support campaigns such as Justice For Workers
- Offer help and information on budgeting in London
- Work closely with other officers in recognition of the intersections of being working class with other systems of oppression to provide representation, signposting and awareness to all those affected by classism