We can and we will.
The pandemic has shown how international students have been somewhat neglected. We are yet to see plans for the future that also include the welfare of international students. Vote for Srriya if you are sick of waiting. We can be heard and together we will!
1. RACISM.
Although the university is doing its utmost to eradicate racism and discrimination on campus, it is an inevitable occurrence that every international student faces one way or another, be it on campus or not. The pandemic has further contributed to this major issue with many labelling international students as 'virus carriers'.
I will champion international students and encourage the university to also engage with the wider community in tackling discrimination and micro-aggressions targeted towards international students.
2. HOUSING.
Unless you are part of the minority that is fortunate to have someone in the UK that can act as their guarantor when renting privately, you have no choice but to pay double the deposit to get your housing sorted. International students should not be forced to choose university halls or private halls like Student Roost simply because they want to avoid paying exorbitant amounts as deposits. I believe we should be given the choice when choosing our housing.
I aim to persuade the university to act as a guarantor for students who are looking to rent privately.
3. FEES.
International students pay nearly four times the amount in fees for their courses when compared to domestic students. Although this may be justified in normal times, it is absolutely unreasonable to expect these students to be paying such high amounts for online lessons. Moreover, many of us had flown over under the impression that the university would adopt a blended approach as announced prior to the commencing of the first semester and believed that we physically had to be in Belfast to attend these physical classes. However, this changed when Queen's announced a fully online approach, weeks into the semester. The majority of us were disappointed to have been left stranded in foreign lands when we could have stayed at home and still had access to learning materials and lectures. There is also the issue of the uncertainty surrounding the annually fluctuating tuition fees. It is understandable that we might want to know the full cost of our degree before commencing it rather than paying different amounts each year and be unable to budget. It is further absurd seeing that the fees for the next academic year has increased even after cries for compassion regarding this year's fees.
I will therefore, lobby for the university to sanction at least partial refunds for international students and provide a clear calculation of the total cost for the entirety of their course.
4. MENTAL HEALTH
Caring for international students' mental health has never been more important than now. The increasing uncertainty is bound to heighten students' anxiety and home-sickness. Many of us might even choose to not return home during long breaks to avoid the risk of passing on something to our loved ones. First years especially are experiencing feeling isolated and lonely, not knowing anyone in a new place. A person to talk to and a pet that reminds you of yours back home can definitely help.
Hence, I will try to make the union a safe space for international students to confide in and seek help to cope. I will also try to persuade the union/university to adopt a puppy that students (not limited to international) can interact with and take on unsupervised walks in the nearby Botanic Gardens.