By Yousuf Khursheed
With voting for the Strath Student Union Elections set to close at 12pm tomorrow (March 5), the race for all positions is reaching its final stages.
This year, two candidates are running for election for the role of Vice President of Education – whose function is to ensure that the student learning experience is the best it can be: Muhammad Shahrukh Khan and Savvina Kritharidou.
To gain an insight into each candidate’s hopes for the future if they were to get elected.
Khan is a postgraduate student completing his MSc in Advanced Computer Science. He describes himself as “a people-person, an excellent communicator and an ambitious personality,” while Kritharidou – who is also a postgraduate, completing her MSc in Tourism Marketing Management – detais her attributes to be “friendly, approachable and ambitious.”
During their responses to our questions both candidates disclosed the three educational issues at the top of their agendas.
Kritharidou stressed the importance of recording lectures for students unable to attend classes. Alongside this she emphasized the need for a review of assessment feedback policies and proposed the creation of Career Days for students.
At the top of Khan’s agenda is the lack of fixed policies for remote learning. As well as this, he flagged the inability to replicate an on-campus teaching environment for students and inconsistencies with the curriculum.
Regarding experience, Khan stated that his strong technical background, excellent communication skills and on-going position as a Programme Representative for Advanced Computer Science makes him well suited. Faced with the same question Kritharidou remarked that she was last year’s Business Faculty Representative as well as the current Events Manager for the Bright Futures Society. She also specified that during her undergraduate degree – which she also completed at Strathclyde – she was a class representative for numerous modules.
Both Khan Kritharidou want to reform the system for Class Representatives and assessment feedback. Kritharidou aims to continue to make StrathReps more accessible through the Strathclyde App. Khan’s focus is to reform and improve training for reps. On assessment feedback Khan emphasizes the importance of punctual, concise tailor-made advice. Kritharidou is calling for a review of the pre-existing policy and is keen to ensure all students are given access to marking criteria.
Both candidates hope to upscale careers events and fairs and both have plans to deal with the potential aspects of remote learning continuing in the 2021/22 academic year.
Voting for all the Strath Union roles is ongoing, and you can vote by visiting the Strath Union page. Get voting!
