Carol Paige on the Union, student politics and community at UCL
Photography by Sophie Mitchell for Students’ Union UCL
While torrential rain drums against the windows, Carol Paige - Democracy, Operations and Community Sabbatical Officer - explains the Union, her role and the bright vision for the future of the Students’ Union.
Initially, the Students’ Union move to 25 Gordon Street, where Gordon’s Café and Phineas are located was only temporary. Several decades and a recent refurbishment later, they are still here, although much else has changed. Carol has determined key issues of sustainability at university, student engagement, and developing a better student and local community as central to her plans for the coming year as a full-time student representative.
Carol has been at UCL for a long time, studying six years for undergraduate and part-time postgraduate masters before becoming a full-time Sabbatical Officer. She has seen the university under the leadership of two Provosts - Malcolm Grant and Michael Arthur - and is now a trustee involved in discussions about the latter’s replacement. Working in student bars, leading Active Bystander workshops and training academic representatives, she is in a perfect position to observe change over time at the Union: “Back when I moved into student accommodation, there was not as much of a focus on helping students integrate into the UCL community”. Nowadays, she points to student helpers during Freshers’ Week as an example of how the Students’ Union is more active in student life.
This year, as one of her manifesto promises, Carol has pledged to create a greater sense of community, and “address student concerns that many don’t feel like a part of UCL”. She argues that this is broader than just belonging at UCL, defining her role with a responsibility for improving “how students interact with the union and the university, but also the local community”. Carol stresses the numerous ways to get involved with the Union, by becoming an elected representative like an academic or halls rep, and through societies or volunteering. Events throughout the year, like the Leadership Fair on the 1st October, provide opportunities to get involved. For those interested in providing specific proposals, ‘policy zones’ of education, student activities and welfare have regular meetings which anyone can attend as an observer. However, all sabbatical officers at the Union are elected for and by students to work in their interests. Events like Carol’s Question Time (every Thursday) provide opportunities to hold representatives to account.
Creating a campus microwaves map was part of Carol’s manifesto - this is her microwave costume from the campaign and voting week in March.
With low levels of engagement from students in Union politics - only 5,909 students cast votes in the February 2019 elections - boosting students’ involvement with the Union should undoubtedly be a key priority. Required referendum quoracy levels are regularly not reached, and 1,518 students voted in last year’s referendums – with a quoracy level of 1,908. This low turnout means it is harder to make informed decisions based on student preferences and interests. Indeed, Carol accepts that while the Union is representative of those students who want to be engaged, “we could and want to do better at engaging all students”.
One of Carol’s main jobs is working with the Students’ Union bars, cafes and gym to ensure they remain competitive. Additionally, this year, she has also set key targets on sustainability. A Union Council meeting in May 2019 proposed removing single-use plastic at UCL by the end of the year, but bigger reforms may also be on the menu. Cambridge and Goldsmiths University have started to remove beef, and in some cases, lamb, from their food menus in efforts to become more environmentally friendly. Carol wants to make “informed decisions about sustainability”, in relating to the comparative effect of exotic produce to locally sourced meat, but would also like to hear from students on this issue. Nevertheless, a student-union declared climate emergency seems likely, once the actual consequences of what change this statement would mean are clarified.
For the future, Carol hopes that more people will understand what and how important the Students’ Union is, and that it will play a bigger part in student politics as a whole. The Students’ Union played a key role in leading LGBT liberation politics during the 1960s and 1970s in the NUS, and she hopes this kind of power can be emulated again soon. While UCL has increased student numbers, the size of its’ Union has stagnated, particularly in comparison to other universities like Sheffield and Leeds. For Carol, she sees a future away from UCL, helping people and making a difference using her Masters in Risk, Disaster and Resilience.
Importantly, Carol has made fond and amusing memories during her journey at UCL. “One night, two of my friends crept upstairs onto the roof of Phineas, only to be escorted down a while later; red-faced and sheepish while they were caught doing something they shouldn’t have been there”. Is that why you wanted to be in charge of Phineas and the other student bars, Carol?!