Hey everyone! My name is Janvi Jagasia. I am a 2nd-year Biomedical Science student and the Founder and Co-President of the Formula 1 society. I am running for the VP Health role.
If I am elected as your VP, I will advocate for the following initiatives:
-Transparency and accountability:
To ensure there is complete transparency, I will make sure that students are made aware and included in all academic decisions (such as exam format) at King’s. Surveys will be sent to gather the opinions of students about any academic changes that may occur, which will then be voiced to the different faculties. This would ensure that students' voices are heard and action has been taken regarding their issues.
-Decolonise the curriculum:
The existing education system disregards the distinct perspectives of individuals from ethnic minority backgrounds. To address this issue, it is imperative to revise the curriculum and incorporate diverse perspectives and voices, particularly those that have been historically excluded or marginalised. This involves working towards the representation and recognition of diverse cultures, languages and knowledge systems. I will push for greater representation of People of Colour and individuals who identify themselves as a part of the LGBTQ+ community in teaching to create a more equitable and inclusive learning environment for all students.
-Ensure exam continuity takes place:
Many students are currently experiencing a discrepancy in exam format having taken online exams in the past but now being required to sit in-person exams. This may be challenging for some students who have not given in-person exams for the past 3 years and can possibly affect their academic performance as well. If elected, I will advocate for maintaining exam format consistency for all students, regardless of the year they are in. I will ensure that students have the same exam format they had in their first year.
-Exam timetables released from the beginning of semester 2:
One of the main problems students in health faculties experience is the late release of timetables. Students aren’t given their personalised timetables within the minimum 2-month notice before exams. Additionally, the irregular split between examination periods leads to international students (like myself and many others) paying high flight fares to come and attend 1 or 2 exams in January. If I am elected as your VP, I will advocate for the early release of timetables, no later than the end of January, to ensure that students have sufficient time to prepare and manage their studies based on their exam schedule. In addition, my plan involves addressing the issue of unevenly distributed examination periods by ensuring that there is a balance in the number of exams held during both the January and June examination periods.
-Reduce MCF backlogs:
King’s aims to give all MCF decisions within 7 days of submission. However, in some cases, MCFs decisions take more than a week to be finalized. If elected, I will make sure that MCF decisions are processed quicker to ensure that students receive the help and support they require without any delay.
-Re-introduce the ‘scrap the cap’ campaign:
The ‘scrap the cap’ campaign has been pushed around a lot at King’s with various Presidents, VPs of Education and other campaigners trying to implement the system. However, it is still not implemented around 4 years later. Assessments submitted even 1 minute after the deadline are still capped at 40%. If elected, I will try to build on the work of previous officers and advocate to make sure that this 40% cap on assessments is removed.
-Reduce tuition fees:
Tuition fees increase year after year for international students and so does the cost of living. Tuition fees for international students are high as it is. If I am elected, as a start I will try to curb the rising increase in tuition fees for international students.
-Introduce midnight submissions:
Currently, it makes no sense why submissions are set at 4 pm. I will implement midnight submissions to allow students more time to work on their coursework.
-Introduce more study spaces:
During exam periods it can be very hard for students to find places to study. This can be stressful, especially for students who commute to university. I will push the KCLSU to try and create more study spaces where students find a place to study and don’t need to stress about whether they will find a place to study or not.
-Mandatory feedback personalized on the student's performance:
I will try to reduce the discrepancy between different modules within health faculties when it comes to giving personalized feedback. I will advocate for more in-depth, personalised feedback for all assessments across all health faculties so that students know how to improve.
-Year-round access to past papers supplemented with sample answers for each marking category:
As students, it is essential to have the support and help needed to achieve the best possible marks. However, sample answers for coursework and exam essays are not provided. I will advocate for early access to past papers before exams. Additionally, I will also advocate for sample answers to be provided for each mark band so that students know what to aim for.
-Introduce module fairs across all health faculties:
Some health faculties have module fairs where students can speak to professors and students to gain their personal opinions however, not all. I will advocate for module fairs across all health faculties to allow students to speak to individuals who teach or have taken the module. This will allow students to pick the modules that they think will interest them more and have an opportunity to learn more than what’s been written in the module handbooks.
My experience-
- I am the Founder and Co-President of the Formula 1 society here at King’s which is London’s biggest F1 society. Being the co-president of the society has allowed me to engage and hear issues that students from different backgrounds experience across different faculties. This gives me experience in collecting feedback from students and listening to their issues. Additionally, it also gives me valuable insights into how KCLSU works internally.
The core purpose of both our university and our union is to provide outstanding services to our students in terms of academics and student life. If elected, I will voice any issues students are facing across different health faculties and will ensure change takes place.
If you support my ideas and my manifesto, vote for Janvi as your #1 choice for VP Health!
Follow me on Instagram: @janviforvphealth
Your vision, my mission, vote Janvi for VP Health!