TB: What is it about how LSE and LSESU are being run that convinced you to run again?
ZE: I believe both institutions certainly have students’ best interests at heart, but the biggest issue is communication. Communication between what’s happening between the university, between the Union, among students themselves. A lot of that is because of a fragmented communications landscape. That’s what convinced me to run again. I had a fantastic time in my undergraduate degree; I ran last year to try and instill confidence in the Union as an institution which has their best interests at heart. It’s not for profit. Everything we do is for our membership. But people don’t feel that. I want to communicate those moods in an effective and targeted manner.
So my main priorities for next year are improving the Student Hub app, updating the website and working more closely with the outlets so students can be more informed – the distribution bins for The Beaver are an example of that.
TB: Something I heard on the campaign trail was that, after a year in the job, you’ve become an insider. How do you keep the interests of students at the forefront of your agenda even as you amass experience?
ZE: So firstly I reject that. In fact, I think the opposite. I’m not saddled with a long reading list, summatives and exams. I’ve had more opportunities to engage with students in a social manner, engaging with PhD students all the way down to first years at many events. I think I’m in the sweet spot actually, as an insider and an outsider. Having been through it for four years and knowing how to get things done makes me a better candidate, not a worse one.
TB: What’s the biggest single obstacle to a happier student experience?
ZE: LSE and LSESU being unresponsive institutions. This is something I’ve initiated in my split of LSESU and the University of Arts London, which ensures that there’ll be adequate resources to deal with the needs of LSE students on issues like housing, childcare and everything else.
As chairman of the Trustee Board I formally triggered that disaffiliation process. We got consultants in over the summer and their findings were straightforward: that this would be in the interest of both institutions. There’ll be some uncertainty now but it’s important to the needs of students.
TB: Does the SU have a problem of bureaucratic overreach?
ZE: To an extent. For example, something people often talk about is the independence of clubs and societies. But as part of charity law, you can’t give them their own bank accounts. So I feel like a lot of the problem is communications, and our challenge is to shift perceptions on issues like that, for the SU to be an enabler and facilitator rather than a clamp. Being responsive to the Union’s members is absolutely vital. The will is there but we need to tweak the infrastructure.
TB: How much of the Gen Sec job should be events planning and how much should be institutional reform?
ZE: They should spend very little time planning events. The Gen Sec is chair of a £7 million organisation, in charge of many different delegated issues. We just hired a full-time events coordinator. Of course the Gen Sec should help guide which kind of events we put on, but we pay people to plan them.
Reform is fundamental. The General Secretary sits of the decision-making board both for the Union but the University, too. As General Secretary I just signed off on the 2030 Strategy, which will reach way beyond my one or two years of influence.
TB: How are you going to win?
My track record is bulletproof. I’ve done a lot in seven months and I love this job. There’s no pretense. I think people will see that. The vision is still the same.
