Welcome to your January Student Exec update!
It’s been a while since our last update, and behind the scenes at LUU, a huge amount has been happening.
Join us as we unpack not only your Student Exec’s Winter achievements, but an entire term worth of wins!
Over the past term, our Student Exec ,Amara, Eden, Safi, Katrina, Lydia, and Shivani, have been working non-stop to improve student life at Leeds, strengthen student voices, and make a real impact locally and beyond.
Here’s what we’ve been up to!
Shivani Gug- Education Officer
This term, Shivani delivered a major win for accessibility by introducing 7-day self-certified extensions, allowing students to access short extensions without providing evidence. In turn, making the process faster, fairer, and more inclusive for all students.
She also took student voices directly to Parliament, lobbying for a fairer student loan repayment system, an increased PGR stipend, and expanded maintenance grants across more subjects.
Beyond this, Shivani presented The Diversity Blog at an international conference in Vermont. This was a pivotal moment for the project, highlighting shared conversations around identity among students globally, not just in Leeds.
Amara Relf- Union Affairs and Communications Officer
Amara reignited the Leeds Student Union Network, strengthening collaboration across the city and leading partnership meetings with city leaders such as Simon Lightwood and Ed Whiting to feed student perspectives directly into local decision-making.
She played a central role in advancing democratic engagement at LUU, supporting the Union’s largest student insights survey, creating the Your Union, Your Say democracy event, and contributing to the Strategic Review.
Amara also maintained momentum on SASHA Accreditation, with Men’s Rugby becoming the first SASHA-accredited society, while continuing to push forward the Misogyny As A Hate Crime campaign in partnership with NUS, RGSU, and local councils- including an ITV interview.
Eden Morris – Wellbeing Officer
Eden launched the Student Bereavement Network, creating a supportive community space for students navigating loss. The network has already met multiple times and taken part in cultural visits across Leeds.
She is actively campaigning for mandatory DBS checks for landlords as part of her work on housing and tenants’ rights, alongside leading a new meal kit project with Essentials- introducing international recipes for Freshers in halls.
Alongside this, Eden is working with mental health and cancer charities across Leeds to better reach students, and collaborating with the University to redesign Personal Tutor systems to ensure disabled students are better supported.
Safiyah Farid- Equality and Liberation Officer
Safi opened the Liberation Hub, working closely with the Liberation Student Committee to focus on intersectional liberation at LUU. She also curated an engaging and interactive Black History Exhibition within the space.
She collaborated with over 40 societies to raise £2,000+ for the University of Leeds Gaza Scholarship Fund during Palestinian Culture Day, contributing to efforts to evacuate over 90 Gazan students. Safi now sits on the University of Sanctuary Board, continuing this vital work.
Alongside the Student Exec team, Safi released a statement condemning the far right, attended the Student Transformed Conference in Manchester, and introduced a new humanitarian fundraising campaign through LUU cashpoints.
Katrina Liu- International and Postgraduate Officer
Katrina has been a strong advocate for international and postgraduate students, campaigning against the International Student Levy in Parliament, with local MPs, and at a national NUS level.
She has supported the running of PGR Café, acted as a spokesperson for PGR students at Graduate Board, and led internal discussions around improved tuition fee payment plans.
Katrina also launched the new Culture Corner in Common Ground, an exciting creative space where students can showcase their identities through art and expression, encouraging everyone to get involved.
Lydia Shale- Activities and Opportunities Officer
Lydia secured funding to appoint five student activators supporting women’s+ sports clubs and societies, while driving further inclusion for trans and non-binary students within sport.
She successfully advocated for more society studio space across the LUU building, resulting in proposals for two new university rooms to be renovated into dedicated studios for the next academic year.
Continuing her work with Clubs and Societies, Lydia also ringfenced £10,000 in accessibility funding, ensuring societies can better support students with additional access needs.
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