Hello! I’m Aisha Qadi, a PhD student researching governance in Higher Education. I’m running for Council Chair as I want to make Council governance easier to understand, easier to take part in, and stronger in accepting accountability.
As a Representation & Democracy Assistant at Imperial College Union, I currently minute Union Council. This gives me first-hand experience of how it works in practice. Council should be easy to follow and contribute to, not only for those who already “know the system”.
I’m an MSc Management graduate from Imperial Business School, where I served as the VP Education Quality on the Dean’s Student Advisory Council. At my former university, I held multiple elected roles in Students’ Union governance: I was a Full-Time SU officer (equivalent to Deputy President Education), Deputy Chair of Council, Part-Time Faculty Officer, and more.
My manifesto focuses on four areas:
1) Make Council Accessible & Understandable
- Publish short, jargon-free, student-friendly governance documents
- Introduce a Council “starter pack” to simplify induction for new members
- Review procedures to make meetings clearer and more accessible
2) Accountability & Oversight
- Clearer officer reporting on progress against Council policy
- Stronger transparency between Council and the Trustee Board
3) Engagement & Participation
- Create pre-Council briefings, drop-ins, and open discussion spaces
- Identify clearer routes for non-reps to contribute to Council discussions
4) Training & Confidence in Council
- Run induction and training workshops for newly elected reps
- Create bite-sized offline training on policy writing, debate, and ethical governance
If this resonates, I'd appreciate your vote!