Manifesto Points:

1. Update the outdated AI acceptable use guidelines.
2. Strengthen the assessment feedback requirments for more useful and consistent marking.
3. Improve digital accessebility by reforming the laptop loan scheme.
4. Support students during exam periods by providing expanded catering options on weekends.

---

Feedback

Many students have felt feedback often falls short after summative and formative assessments. Although this differs by department, I wish to mandate markers to provide feedback that meets a set of explicit requirements – because your effort deserves real feedback.

 

50 word minimum for written feedback on coursework: No more ‘good’ or ‘satisfactory’, on pieces that have taken sometimes days to write!

 

If on the cusp of a grade boundary, explicit feedback referencing a part of your work which falls short of receiving the higher grade, not just *ticking ***boxes for an assessment rubric.

AI

In a modern world being transformed by artificial intelligence, with new changes seemingly every month, the University of York needs to update there approach to AI policy which has remained unchanged for 2 years:

 

Update the permissible use guideline to allow for formatting to be assisted with AI.

 

Introducing workshops on AI literacy ****that highlights many of its useful advantages when studying and researching whilst making people aware of where it falls short – especially environmentally.

 

Create a section within Assist on VLE to include effective methods at using AI, such as prompt engineering, and resources for those wishing to be more productive!

Food!

Ever studied on campus on weekends during assessments period and feel like you don’t have time to make food? Only to discover there is no where on west campus to get food during weekends… you’re not you when you’re hungry, so…

 

I propose we expand the catering opportunities on campus during weekends, by expanding opening times to include hours on weekends.

VLE

Most students appreciate how all there work is in one place on VLE, however, it often falls short of our expectations. Content not appearing, network failures, constant Duo Push notifications all add frustration to the learning experience.

 

Mandate that module leaders are required to upload learning material at least one week before teaching to allow student to be fully prepared in their learning. With accommodations made to assessments if content is not fully prepared.

 

Loosen the extremely strict restrictions on DUO push for VLE by only requiring it on new devices.

Digital Accessibility

Did you know that over 1.7 million households still do not have access to internet in the UK? And with the cost of living crisis still ongoing digital accessibility is becoming a more prevalent issue, I propose improving university initiatives to ensure everyone has equal access to technology…

 

Improve the laptop-loan policy to allow students to loan out devices over holiday periods to study.

 

Mandate that portable mobile hotspot devices be provided to those facing severe internet poverty.

Advocate Your Positions!

As academic officer being the leading student voice in all things study, I commit to do the most that I possibly can to solve the issues you bring forth, and fight to enact change that we deserve.

 

I will maintain an open door policy to any student with any concern over my term to ensure that everyone’s voices can be equally heard.

 

I will continue to host weekly drop in sessions in campus venues to improve rep visibility

The manifestos appear here exactly as they were submitted to us. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of York Vision.

---

Don’t get us wrong, the York SU elections are very important. But so much of the election process is formal and serious…which means it can also (at times) be a little bit dull. 

But we don’t think it has to be like this. So alongside their manifesto, Vision asked each candidate a series of light-hearted, get-to-know-you type questions. This should give you a little dive into the individual personalities of the candidates:

What would be the theme song for your campaign?

The Difference by Flume

If your campaign had a mascot, what would it be?

Goose – duh

Hypothetically *  If you could create a new degree at York what would it be and why?

Computer Science and Philosophy. Not only was it what I originally wanted to read (only to find no where offered it except Oxford and St Andrews) but with the increase prevalence of AI, I think this could we be an interesting intersection between ethics and technology.

We gave the candidate a random word, and asked them to think of what the question would be:

Answer: Chat GPT

Candidate Question: Who will be your biggest advocate, yet never reach out first?