10 Reasons Why You Should Vote Julius #1 For Welfare

Julius is a final year journalism student at LCC. He is currently the Arts SU LGBTQ Officer (part time) and is running to be Welfare Officer. Here are 10 reasons you vote for him...

1. Julius has the experience

Via makeagif.com

He is the current LGBTQ Officer (part time), he was the Trans Rep 2015/16 for the LGBTQ Society and is on the National Committee for the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts (NCAFC) which campaigns for free, liberated, and accessible education.

2. Julius' priority is mental health

Rosie Simsek / Via creativereview.co.uk

78% of students at UAL say they have mental health issue(s).

Outgoing Welfare Officer, Scarlett, has been able to secure £250,000 of funding for mental health, which is amazing.

Julius wants to extend this: mental health isn't an issue isolated by itself, the cost of living in London is extortionate and pressure around final degree shows cause large amounts of financial stress and pressure which can create mental health issues or exacerbate them where they already exist.

Julius will continue to challenge the university management to do better by students on mental health issues as well as tackling some of the material causes of mental health problems.

3. Julius knows the rent is too damn high!

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Right now, some of the most exciting and successful campaigns have been around cutting the price of housing, especially through rent strikes. In UCL for example, campaigners using a mixture of strikes and a co-ordinated use of the complaints process won a freeze in rent for 2016/17, a price reduction for a number of rooms and compensation to students badly treated in 2015/16 academic year.

The rent in London is too damn high - time we did something about it!

4. Julius will campaign for hardship funds for all students (including EU and Non-EU international students)

If UAL can spend £50,000 promoting a survey (yes, this is true) then they can afford hardship funds for students who fall on hard times.

5. Julius will work with disabled students to improve accessibility across the colleges

Via disabilitynewsservice.com

If elected Julius will work with disabled students to increase accessibility to UAL: from making sure classes are in physically accessible rooms to working with staff, to producing material in formats best for various learning disabilities such as dyslexia, and for physical disabilities such as for partial blindness.

There should be a general expectation of a minimum good standard plus reasonable adjustments for disabled students’ and staff’s specific needs.

6. Julius will support liberation campaigns

The Association of Members of Hornsey College of Art / Via collections.vam.ac.uk

As LGBTQ Officer and a member of the LGBTQ Society, Julius knows the importance in having autonomous, member-led liberation campaigns for LGBTQ, Women, Disabled and Black students: but institutional support can make things a lot easier. Julius respects liberation campaigns and wishes wants to be accountable to them. In With voting for Julius as Welfare Officer, liberation campaigns will find support - without conditions or impositions.

7. Julius will fight for free education and living grants

Getty Images / Via theguardian.com

Welfare is as political as Campaigns or Education; most of the problems we have are caused by political decisions - including the choice to force students into more than £40,000 of debt. The end goal needs to be free, liberated, accessible education with living grants (i.e. grants that are actually enough to live on!) for all students through a system where the rich pay. Julius is already linking up with students around the country to help build this campaign.

8. In the meantime, Julius will fight to lower the cost of studying

Natalie Gil / Via theguardian.com

The fight for free education is a long-term one, and while Julius will take it forward in one year in office if elected, it will probably take longer than that! In the meantime, as Welfare Officer Julius will campaign to win meaningful changes including preventing the university from raising fees next year, getting the university to cover the cost of materials, negotiating cheaper rent, and more!

9. This cat thinks you should vote for Julius

Via goo.gl

Voting opens 10am Monday at arts-su.com/elections

10. Basically, Julius is the best candidate for Welfare Officer

Summer Oxley

If you want to find out more about Julius and/or read his full manifesto head over to facebook.com/juliusforwelfare