UOY’S NEW UKRAINIAN SOCIETY CAMPUS...

This is a small step in the reconciliation between student life and wider levels of healthcare, but hopefully larger ones will be taken for future cohorts of York students. Of course, the most dramatic battle of this year’s Sabb timetable thus far, the odyssey of the team’s time in office - self-certification.

When the University of York pulled back on self-verification options at the start of the year, the team jumped into action to protect the vulnerable students most reliant on such flexible assessment options. The University attempted to reduce the amount of self-certs a student could apply for in one year to three, claiming a purpose of academic morality and simplification of the process.

However, the Sabbs felt this move lacked student consultation and was eliminating the voices of those most affected. After multiple attempts to meet and make their concerns heard, the Sabbs launched a campus-wide email campaign. Students signed the petition online, which sent emails to a range of committees members responsible for the self-certification changes, including President Tracey Lightfoot. Ultimatums were given, such as a resignation from the committee to avoid the emails or a meeting to stop the email blockade altogether. In the end, over 21,000 emails were sent over the course of the week-long clash, and a renewed agreement was secured, with Pierrick and Deb recently proclaiming victory in the rollback of changes and the security of self-certifcations going forward.

Whilst this seems to assure freedom for educational assessment and disability rights for all students as we transition into a post-COVID-19 academic world, the wartimes of YUSU show no sign of drawing to a close. With impending elections and potential change-overs in the air, the battles of the Sabbs remain valuable in representing the voices of students and the effective function of campus life.

The next fight is likely already brewing… although whether it chooses to cross the picket lines of our striking staff remains to be seen.