Tuesday 23-07-2019 - 11:00

As your Student Officers prepare to say goodbye, we asked them to reflect on the past year. Here's Saul on his year as Undergraduate Academic Officer.

I remember a friend asking me in the first term of my fresher year if I was going to get involved in student politics at University. My response was a firm “Oh god no, definitely not.” Coming up on four years later, I’ve just finished my year as Undergraduate Academic Officer at Durham SU. That went well.

But I’m glad I have been involved and had the chance to experience the type of change that SUs can make.

I remember, when I decided to make liberating the curriculum one of my priorities for the year having conversations about the University’s Curriculum Reform process which were like talking to a brick wall. It seemed their only interest was in making it easier to timetable lectures, rather than focussing on what teaching was actually going on. But after a year of seemingly nonstop lobbying, there seems to be a genuine recognition of this being a unique opportunity to change Durham’s education for the better, with the main priority of the first phase of Curriculum Reform being ensuring that teaching and assessment is inclusive.

We’ve also had real success in getting the University to commit to more rigorous activity to recruit local students as part of their Access and Participation Plan; carried out the legwork that will lead to really exciting work with our Academic Societies in the coming year; had productive conversations with the library around expanding opening times; and reformed our course rep system for the better, opening up the opportunity to assess how the University listens and responds to student voice. It’s also been really exciting to watch lecture capture get rolled out and it’s great to have been involved in shaping how the system continues to improve – all joined with a bit of jealousy that I didn’t have it while I was a student.

That’s not to say it’s always been pleasant. Sitting on University committees with senior academics, it’s often difficult as an Officer to feel truly listened to, rather than being spoken over or dismissed outright. And there have been far too many meetings where we’ve challenged senior staff and they’ve responded with long-winded explanations of things we already know and understand. Cheers lads.

But it’s all worth it for those moments where you sit down for a chat with someone from the University and realise that there is a shared understanding of what education can offer and the role students should have in actively shaping their experience at University. I wish I’d realised earlier that often these conversations can be more effective in encouraging change within the University than turning up to committees armed with reams of paperwork (not that this isn’t also necessary).

But, as someone who hadn’t had much experience with the SU before I started my role, I wouldn’t have been able to be effective in these meetings and beyond without the training and support offered by the staff team at the SU. A particular thanks goes to Richard for not only the research and committee support, but also for putting up with me rambling as I try and work my way through developing my thoughts. And a big thank you to David, my postgraduate counterpart, who I’ve worked closely with on committees and projects like Revise Wise. It’s been really helpful to have someone like him who I can bounce ideas off.