The Student Exec are elected every year to represent your views and improve your student experience
Jack Palmer – Union Affairs
What is your role?
My role is to chair our Board of Trustees and ensure that our money is being well spent in our building and services. I also work to ensure students’ ideas of how to improve university life are debated and voted on.
What are your priorities this year?
I want to ensure our members get the most from LUU; by making our representative structures like the Forums, Leadership Race and the Student Exec more engaging and inclusive, by having a building which is good value and suited to all our members’ needs & activities, and by campaigning on issues students care about like the cost of living and the refugee crisis.
What do you love most about LUU?
Ever since I came to Leeds, LUU has been a big part of my experience. From studying in Hidden Cafe to celebrating in Old Bar, it’s where I felt both welcomed and inspired. Also, it’s the home of Fruity…need I say more?
George Bissett – Community
What is your role?
I am here to make sure living in Leeds is lit. I keep landlords in check, work with public services to ensure all students are kept in mind, and act as a bridge between you and your community.
What do you want to change about student housing?
I want to get rid of sign-on fees, equip everyone with the skills to manage their utility bills, and bust housing myths so keep an eye out for the housing fair in January. You don’t need to worry about house-hunting until after Christmas!
What is the Fruity Bus and when do you hope to introduce it?
The Fruity Bus is one man’s dream of being able to catch the Night Bus after the lights come up at Fruity. The way the bus operates is to be updated this term, so watch this space!
Chloe Sparks – Welfare
What is your role?
I am here to make sure all students have access to any help and support they need at University. I represent students on welfare issues so they get their say when it comes to their health and wellbeing.
What are your priorities this year?
This year I’m working on creating a more inclusive and accessible support system both in LUU and at the University. I will also be running campaigns on healthy relationships, consent, hate crime prevention and mental health awareness.
What are your top tips for Freshers?
Freshers is super busy and can be so much fun, but don’t worry if you don’t think you’re having the best time. Sometimes making friends can take more than a week or two, but you’ll soon settle in and remember LUU and our Advice Centre are always here to help.
Zaki Al-Ghazal – Education
What is your role?
I am in charge of lobbying the university to improve the academic experience for students. I work with school reps, course reps, and postgraduate research reps to ensure all students have their voices heard.
What is your favourite thing about studying at Leeds?
I love the vibrancy and the culture of Leeds. The city and university are such cosmopolitan places and it’s fascinating getting to know people from such a variety of cultures and backgrounds.
How do you seek to improve the educational experience?
I want to change the culture and understanding around education at the university. I want university to be about more than just the grade you seek to achieve and more of a holistic experience in terms of learning transferrable skills which don’t necessarily correlate to grades.
Natasha Mutch-Vidal – Equality & Diversity
What is your role?
My overarching goal is to make sure that all of our diverse students feel supported and valued.
What are your priorities this year?
To support students from liberation backgrounds (BME, LGBTQ, Women and disabled) who undergo compulsory study abroad, to support students from Widening Participation (low socio-economic) backgrounds by making sure the unions services are accessible, to empower BME students on campus, and to maximise the impact of the liberation coordinators.
Accessibility has been an issue with the Union upgrade. How are you going to ensure it works for all?
As the major building work comes to a close there will be less disruption this year. The union learnt a lot from the various accessibility issues last year that were detrimental to many students’ experiences . This year I will personally make sure that any issues from students are rectified as quickly as possible and will make myself accessible through physical drop in hours and a presence online for all students.
Jess Bassett – Activities
What is your role?
My job is to support our 328 clubs and societies. I want to represent the interests of every student, take student activities to the next level and create more reward and recognition for our students.
You aim to bring a Union loyalty card. What is it and when do you aim to introduce it?
We currently use YoYo, an app that gives you points when buying things at LUU-run outlets. My vision is to reward students when they engage in all sorts of ways – for example, by attending a Give It A Go, or even Fruity. This won’t be achieved overnight, but I have had some exciting conversations about its development and I am personally consulting with students through every step of this process.
What would you tell Freshers who are unsure about what societies to join?
This is the time to try new things and meet some great friends. I would advise going to as many GIAGs as you can. GIAGs are a great way to try a new activity without committing to join. Check out all the GIAG events on the LUU website or pop into the building and pick up a booklet. I promise you won’t regret it!
Jonny Chard