On the 23rd of November, the Cardiff University student body voted to replace the current position of Vice President Undergraduate Students with a new role —the Vice President International Students. The amendment to the Students’ Union’s Sabbatical Officer structure was passed at the Annual General Meeting (AGM).
Driven by a recognition of the diversity of the student body, this amendment aims to address the unique challenges faced by the growing international student community.
1 in 4 students are classified as international students at Cardiff University, according to Student Union data.
“What a lot of people fail to recognize is that there are issues that affect every student—the housing crisis, the cost of living crisis—and it’s not to minimize what everyday students go through,” said International Students’ Officer Nathan Mintz. “But those issues tend to affect international students the hardest.”
Mintz has tried to help international students with a range of issues in his role of International Students’ Officer this year, including students being sent back to their home countries due to visa issues and students not being able to secure housing.
The International Students’ Officer was only a part-time Campaign Officer, rather than a full-time Sabbatical Officer prior to the amendment passing at the AGM. Mintz said the international community suffers due to the part-time nature of the International Students’ Officer position.
“When it comes down to it, because of the nature of my role, the university doesn't take me as seriously. The union doesn't take me as seriously,” Mintz said.
The amendment passed with the closest margin of any motion at the AGM. Vice President Postgraduate Students Micaela Panes shared her concerns about replacing the Vice President Undergraduate Students with a Vice President International Students.
“The VP Undergraduate has a holistic voice of undergraduate students on issues of education and welfare and beyond within the university,” Panes said. “While this role (VP International Students) may be needed, it can’t be at the expense of the undergraduate position.”
Former Cardiff University employee and current postgraduate student Tom Spade proposed the amendment with Mintz. Spade said he saw the challenges faced by international students as an employee of the university. “As a staff member, I couldn’t have opinions about it. But, as a student, I can.” Spade said.
Sumani Alhassan, a postgraduate student from Ghana, said he faced challenges adapting to a new culture and academic expectations, as well as making friends in a new country. Alhassan said the amendment is a positive step toward better representation and inclusivity for international students at Cardiff University. “It shows that the Students’ Union recognizes the importance of supporting international students and their contributions to the university community,” Alhassan said.
The proposed change is not only about representation, but also about acknowledging the financial contribution of international students to the university. International students were referred to as “cash cows for the university” during the AGM. Mintz said his own tuition increased by £4,000 this year.
Spade said he hopes the amendment will move the dial to help international students across the university. “It’s about, in the future, having a relationship, a working, critical friend relationship, with the university,” Spade said. “So, the university can support the visa side, and then the Students’ Union can support the representation on the events side.”