Alastair Logan
Logan, too, has racked up an impressive record of experience. Chemistry Course Rep, Faculty Rep, chair of ChemSoc, a seat on Chemistry’s Staff-Student Consultative Committee, and one on the Student Services Consultative Sub-committee would stand him in good stead as next year’s Academic Affairs Officer.
His manifesto is a modern one, focused on dragging the University of York (kicking and screaming, if necessary) into the 21st century. “We are a Top Ten institution,” he told Vision, “and as such we should meet the same standards of technology that other universities do. We seem to lag behind, and there’s no reason for us to do so.” As part of this modernisation he intends to lobby the university to accept online submissions, and will attempt to make online teaching content more accessable from mobile devices.
Logan believes that “Course Reps have an important role in the student experience, though academics within departments could take them more seriously.” He is enthusiastic about furthering the ‘Course Rep clinics’ currently being trialled in some departments, but is confident that Course Reps already have a strong presence in university life.
Is it possible that this candidate’s experience in the Chemistry department, known for excellent student-staff relations, has lent Logan some rose-tinted glasses that may be shattered if he comes into contact with some of the more apathetic departments?
ODDS ON TO WIN: 7/3 This year’s candidates are so evenly matched, it may come down to the Arts vote versus the Science vote…
Academic Officer: Alastair Logan produced by York Student Television, released under a CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 license
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Graeme Osborn
Osborn has held the positions of Politics Course Rep, Faculty Rep, and Senate Rep over his time at York, and his ambitious manifesto reflects the breadth of his experience. He is keen to be involved with the changes taking place over the tuition fee hike, and says that the university will have to provide “both quality and quantity of teaching, as well as resources that justify its decision to charge top fees.”
He believes the university fails to meet the industry standard of feedback time, and intends to lobby all departments to return work in Week 4, before students undertake their next assignment.
Contact time also appears in Osborn’s manifesto, and he tells Vision that the plan to increase contact hours is not as unacheivable as it sounds; “I oversaw, as Politics Course Rep, a significant increase in first year contact time, so this is seriously something that could be rolled out across departments.”
Many of his policies are long-term, but when asked how he feels about having the thankless job of implementing changes he may never see come to fruition, he explained “because I’ve been lucky enough to have so much experience, on the Senate for example, I’ve already begun to implement changes at a lower level that I can continue to work on if I am elected.”
Big promises from a candidate with impressive experience. Vision hopes Osborn isn’t being over-ambitious in the changes he can implement if elected…
ODDS ON TO WIN: 3/7 His experience and his ambition is impressive, let’s see if his campaign matches it all.
Academic Officer: Graeme Osborn produced by York Student Television, released under a CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 license