Affordable. Connected. Heard.

I will advocate for a student cost-of-study test in major University decisions. It would examine how policy, timetabling, course requirements, campus services, and fees affect students' actual costs.

Council cannot solve the national cost-of-living crisis. It can stop the University adding avoidable costs through poor planning or decisions made without students' financial reality in view.

Hardship grants, emergency help, financial advice, and other support should be easy to find, clearly explained, and simple to access.

I will press for clearer, repeated communication about financial support, especially at the points in the year when students are most likely to need it. Getting help should not depend on insider knowledge.

In the 2025 survey, half of respondents scored below the WHO-5 threshold for poor wellbeing, and 41% regularly felt nervous, anxious, or on edge. Those figures should drive action, not disappear into a report.

I will push for Council to treat wellbeing as a core measure of student success and scrutinise whether the University's strategy and resourcing are improving it.

The route to wellbeing care, academic help, disability services, financial advice, and student-success support should be clear from the start.

I will press for simpler access, better coordination, and clear ownership when a student needs help. A service that exists but cannot be reached in time is not doing its job.

I will call for regular reporting to Council on demand, wait times, student awareness, access, and satisfaction across major student-support services.

Council should know where students are waiting too long, where demand is rising, and where services need more capacity or a redesign. Oversight requires more than being told that a service exists.

VUW's survey results show a gap between being enrolled here and feeling part of the student community. Fewer than half of students felt connected, and fewer than half found it easy to fit into the social scene.

Belonging affects wellbeing, confidence, retention, and whether students want to spend time on campus. I will push for community to be treated as part of student success, not an optional extra.

I helped lead Save Our Clubs because clubs and student-led communities are central to campus life. They create friendships, leadership opportunities, professional networks, cultural connection, and practical support.

I will push for an independent review of the University's clubs function, including University Recreation's staffing, grant administration, facilities, advice, and accountability. The people building student community deserve a system that backs them.

In 2025, 83% of students were satisfied or very satisfied with their academic experience. That is a strength worth protecting.

Council should also pay attention to recurring problems in student feedback, including unclear assessment information, inconsistent systems, and feedback that arrives too late to help. Good governance protects progress and acts on persistent gaps.

Students should be able to find assessment requirements, deadlines, course materials, feedback expectations, and help in predictable places.

I will advocate for a clear University-wide baseline for course communication and Nuku organisation, while preserving the academic judgement of teaching staff. Consistency in basic administration gives students more time to learn.

AI rules should be written in plain language, available at course level, and consistent enough that students are not forced to guess what is permitted.

I will advocate for discipline-relevant guidance on acceptable use, verification, attribution, academic integrity, and the skills students will need in an AI-shaped workplace.

VUW's core digital platforms are widely used and generally rated well, but students still lose time when information is duplicated, scattered, or organised differently across courses and services.

I will press for clearer ownership, consistent navigation, accessible design, and a reliable source of truth for important student information.

The 2025 Getting Started survey found that email and the University website were the most useful communication channels for new students, while timeliness remained a priority for improvement.

I will push for communication that is shorter, better timed, and built around the decisions students need to make, especially for enrolment, deadlines, fees, support, events, and elections.

Students are too often passed between webpages, forms, inboxes, and offices because it is unclear who owns an issue.

I will advocate for simpler service pathways, named responsibility, and a clear escalation route when a problem is not resolved. Students should not have to understand the University's organisational chart to get an answer.

In 2025, 86% of surveyed students said sustainability was important to them, while 60% agreed the University was environmentally responsible. That measure has improved, but students should be able to see what is changing.

I will push for clear, student-facing reporting on targets and progress across energy, waste, transport, food, procurement, buildings, and campus operations.

The 2025 survey found that buses were the main form of transport for 39% of onshore students studying in person, while 35% mainly walked or ran.

I will push for commuter needs to be considered in timetabling, study space, shelter, lockers, food options, campus opening hours, and transport advocacy. Campus planning should reflect the full student day.

If elected, I will publish a clear update after each Council meeting covering the public business discussed, the issues I raised, and where student input is needed next.

I will be honest about what was achieved, what remains unresolved, and what cannot be disclosed. The student member should be visible, reachable, and accountable throughout the term.

VUW already collects detailed evidence through Have Your Say, Getting Started, service data, and other student feedback. Too much of it risks remaining descriptive rather than driving decisions.

I will combine that evidence with direct student experiences, identify recurring patterns, and use both to press for action and measurable follow-up.

The current Council meetings page lists weekday meeting times and venues and publishes agendas, papers, and minutes, but provides no public livestream. Students who cannot attend in person should still be able to follow the University's governing body.

I will advocate for the open part of every Council meeting to be livestreamed and archived, while confidential business remains protected. Students should be able to see how decisions are debated and how their representatives contribute.