On the 27th June, four days before the end of term, Gayatri Shewani has resigned from her post with immediate effect.
Gayatri Shewani, 2nd year Entrepreneurship and Management student, has served as the VP Education for the last academic year.
Shewani’s manifesto pledged to improve interdepartmental communication, reform the academic rep system, lobby for financial support for international students through scholarships, provide BAME students with access to tutors of their ethnic background and support staff mental health.
However, despite this ambitious manifesto Shewani hasn’t been able to achieve these pledges.
SCAN spoke with one of the academic reps for LICA about their experiences with this year’s VP Education. They claimed that there has been “little to any communication from her” and that they had “only seen her at one of the faculty wide meetings in the past academic year.”
“I’ve had more communication with the student staff who helped organise the faculty meetings.”
LICA ACADEMIC REP
SCAN also spoke with the BAME Forum who confirmed that they had not been approached by the current VP Education regarding any mentoring or tutor accessibility for BAME students despite Shewani’s pledges to educate university academics on the history of colonialism and provide BAME students with access to tutors of their ethnic background.
Lancaster University Students’ Union has said: “The VP Education has submitted a resignation effective immediately today to the President and Vice-Chair of Trustees which was accepted this morning.”
“The Students’ Union would like to place on record their thanks to Gayatri for her service this year.”
LANCASTER UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ UNION
SU President Oliver Robinson has said: “I am deeply frustrated that this resignation comes so late in the term after such a very troubled year in education. I can only apologise to our members for the Union’s deficit. Nevertheless, I understand her reasons for doing so and I only wish Gaya the very best for her future.”
The SU Advice Team are available to provide independent and confidential support for students. They can be contacted at: advice@lancastersu.co.uk
For further information, please contact Misbah Ashraf (CEO) at: misbha.ashraf@lancaster.ac.uk
