Tam Page

Hello everyone!

My name is Tam and I am currently a third year English Literature student.

I would love to be considered for the position of GSU officer so I can make positive change for YOU!

There are issues at this university which simply must be addressed, and I have a proven track record for being involved in making change. During my time at this university over the last three years, I have:

• Been the LGBTQIA+ Network chair, fighting for better for our LGBTQIA+ community, organising events and running an anti deadnaming campaign.
• Been a Liberation Consultant over the summer, looking at the ways in which Liberation works at GSU and creating reports and suggestions as to how we can improve student life for students from all student groups.
• Attended an NUS conference whereby I participated in debates and conversations, voted on key issues surrounding Liberation and brought back ideas and suggestions for how to improve student life.
• Been a programme representative for my course, bringing student feedback to tutors and my school on how to improve the student experience.
• Worked as a student ambassador in various roles, gaining an understanding of what it’s like to be a student employee at this university.

So, what can I do for you?

As a GSU Officer, my main focuses would be:

1. Holding the university to account

As a Student Ambassador, I have witnessed practices that desperately need to be improved, from students not being provided with timetables until weeks into term, to entire departments not being contactable for students to resolve issues. I have seen registration issues lead to student finance payments being delayed by weeks or even months, certificates being delivered to graduate students so late that it affects job prospects, students being deadnamed by academic staff and a complete lack of accountability from departments who have a genuine impact on the lives of both home and international students. The university MUST be held to account and must change, so as a GSU officer I will listen to issues students are facing, raise awareness of the problems within these departments and fight to make change – if we make all students aware of these issues, the power of the student voice can create change!

2. Accommodation issues

I have lived in student accommodation provided by the university for my entire university life, and there are a lot of issues that need to be addressed. The issues I have seen and would like to work with the accommodation team to solve include:

• Security teams not being present when they’re supposed to be.
• Laundry rooms being out of order often, with constant break downs and no real rush to have them fixed, not enough machines and dryers for the amount of students and a clear lack of maintenance to keep them working.
• Internet issues not being taken seriously, with the longest running internet issues lasting around five weeks.

These are just three examples of issues which I would like to see solved, but there are many more. As a GSU officer I would like to listen to any other concerns students living in halls have and work with the accommodation team to improve on and solve these issues.

3. Cost of living

Students are finding the cost-of-living crisis difficult to live through. According to the GSU Cost of Living report, GSU members are worse off than the national average when it comes to expendable income, with “almost double the percentage of students with less than £50 expendable income per month.” With soaring rent, energy and food prices, it is vital that students are given the support they need to live comfortably. Even students working part time alongside their studies are struggling financially; I believe the university has a duty of care to its students, so I would like to do the following as a GSU officer:

• Reinstate the student food bank, providing much needed food and supplies to students who cannot afford to feed themselves.
• Campaign to raise the amount of maintenance loans students have access too – maintenance loans should be in line with raising inflation.
• Campaign to make the prices in our student cafes more reasonable - it should not be cheaper to get a meal deal from a supermarket than it is to get one from a student union cafe!
• Look at increasing the 20-hour work limit which forces many students to work less hours than they actually need to in order to be financially stable.
• Fight for pay rises for GSU student staff members, who get paid less than Student Ambassadors.

4. Support for mature students

As a mature student, I understand how lonely and difficult university life can be. From trying to adjust to a student budget to finding it hard to connect with other students of a similar age, mature students face a set of unique challenges which can often be overlooked. As GSU officer, I would like to work with the mature student’s network to help improve the support available for mature students and create more spaces for mature students to meet and socialise with each other, helping to end loneliness in our mature student population.

5. Election reform

In recent years, the GSU elections have been shrouded in controversy. I believe the outcry from the student population makes one thing clear; our elections must be reformed. As a GSU officer, I would fight to make the following changes:

• Debates should take place – other universities do this, so why not us?
• Ensure that student concerns which are publicly voiced are not removed – silencing the student population only leads to less trust and disengagement.

6. Approachability

As a GSU officer, I would be approachable and reachable. I want to work with students as well as for them; if you’re facing issues, passionate about a cause or looking to get more involved in university life, I want to hear about it. Officers are here to represent and work for you, and to do that effectively I would like to ensure that I put aside time each and every week to meet with students, in order to listen and engage with the issues that students live with every day.

7. Support for LGBTQIA+ students

After spending time as the LGBTQIA+ Network Chair, I would like to provide more support and spaces for LGBTQIA+ students to talk and socialise. LGBTQIA+ students deserve support all year round, not just during LGBT History Week. I would like to work with the LGBTQIA+ Network and society to make improvements and provide support to all students.

These pledges are just a few of the changes I would like to achieve if I become a GSU officer. I believe that the student experience at Greenwich could be massively improved, and I believe I have the passion, drive and experience to do this – however, I can’t do it without you. I don't make empty promises, but I can promise that with your vote, I will work as hard as possible to acheive all of my pledges and more.