Devika, VP Graduates: Impact 2021-22
It has been an absolute privilege and my pleasure serving as your Vice President over the past one year. I have tried to be transparent and engaged about my work and responsibilities as a sabbatical officer, to promote accountability and trust in the Oxford Student Union’s relationship with the student body and the University. This sign off is intended in the same spirit – accountability and transparency.
Throughout my tenure I have made the efforts to live up to your expectations and the core principles of the manifesto I was elected on, which were: streamlining to enhance the postgraduate experience, improving postgraduate engagement, and focus on access and community building. I hope the detailed review of the work I have undertaken over the past year reflects my dedication to transparent accountable representation and the core principles of the manifesto I was elected on, well.
The detailed report below, summarises the initiatives I undertook as an individual and with a team, to give you an accurate and honest overview of my time as your elected representative.
I represented postgraduates on 30+ committees across 125+ formal meetings this year, where I continued to push for postgraduate student experience and streamlining. I wrote and contributed to papers, policies, reviews, and initiatives while spearheading my own projects and organising events. My three key achievements for the year are:
- Setting up the Pilot Graduates Consultation Group and securing funding for it: To allow the University direct access to a diversity of engaged postgraduate student voice and making sure the students are paid. Read more here: https://www.oxfordsu.org/news/article/6013/Introducing-Postgraduates-Consultation-Group-PGCG/
- First postgraduate student member of the Vice Chancellor’s Nomination committee, with President: For student voice and representation in different University spheres. Read more here: https://www.ox.ac.uk/students/news/2022-05-30-students-help-nominate-oxfords-new-vice-chancellor
- Initiating the Student Fee Breakdown Analysis: This may not have been published in my tenure, but I believe it a crucial accountable part of student-University relationship and have pushed to have this information released soon. You can read the statement on the work being undertaken in the detailed breakdown document.
I am grateful to many in the Students Union and the University for their support which enabled me to do all of this. I leave this role hopeful because there are so many in the University and the Students Union dedicated to making the postgraduate experience better. Change will only happen when we openly engage with each other as stakeholders in making the University better for its student body and staff.
Thank you to the postgraduate student body, for your support and faith in me. It has been an honour representing you.
Signing off,
Devika
Vice President Graduates
2021-2022
You can find the detailed breakdown here.