by Kirsten Koss and Amelia Boag McGlynn
This November, University of Aberdeen students are preparing to vote for their new Rector to the student voice on the University Court.
Representing students since 1860, the Rector serves as a voice for the learners, independent from the Students’ Union (SU) on the University Court.
The position has great historical value and is steeped in tradition. Some notable past Rectors include Winston Churchill, Henry Herbet Asquith and local MSP Maggie Chapman, who filled the role before our most recent Rector, Martina Chukwuma-Ezike. Installed as Rector in 2021, Martina was the first black person to hold the position.
Martina will be succeeded by one of two candidates – folk singer and Aberdeenshire local Iona Fyfe or activist and UoA graduate Camilo Torres Barragán.
Candidates
We spoke to both candidates and asked them why they think you should vote for them.
Like the incumbent rector, Camilo, the former SU VP for Communities is used to making history, becoming the first latino to be elected by students in 2021. He tells us the role of rectors wasn’t initially in his sights:
“I didn’t really have it in my plans […] but when I was approached by students to do it, I immediately got excited about it. I really enjoyed my time at the university and I’m very proud of what we achieved at the Students’ Union. It also motivates me to be the first Latino to hold the position and to enrich a list of very notable names where working class, migrant or racialised people are not very common.”
Huntly local Iona is also no stranger to rewriting history, successfully campaigning to have the Scots language added to Spotify. Sharing her motivations, Iona told /The Gaudie/ she keenly enjoys her work:
“I have found a great deal of reward and fulfillment from serving in voluntary positions on various charities, trade unions and international organisations […] I believe I’d gain a similar sense of fulfillment in having the privilege of representing the students of Aberdeen as their rector. “
Just 4% of students ruined out in the recent student council vote. Given the current trend in low engagement, we asked the candidates why students should turn out to vote for their next rector.
Camilo: “It depends how far you go in history. It used to be a huge event […] but I do want students to get excited about the idea of electing someone who is going to be on their side. During my time at the SU, we made several changes to sabbatical and council elections and participation grew every year, from 5 or so percent to over 12, which is over the UK average. Hopefully, that also happens this time.”
Iona: “I don’t want to use this question to try to convince students to choose me but empower them to use their right to choose. Through reliability, positive contribution, and effective campaigning, I have been privileged to have retained my position on the Scotland and NI Regional Committee of the Musicians’ Union since 2019.
I deeply appreciate the importance of a fair, democratic election and would hope to empower students to become more actively involved in both the rectoral and Student Officer Elections.”
We talked to Camilo about his opposition, asking him what set him apart from the internationally known Iona:
“I think what Iona has done, using her online reach to support what students care about, is amazing! I don’t want to try and compete with her, but I do think we would bring different backgrounds and skills to the role.”
Camilo continued, discussing their differences as potential rectors:
“I think she’d be able to bring a lot of attention to students’ concerns and raise the University’s profile in many ways. I think I have more experience with the internal workings of the University as I sat on Court for 2 years and in my role as rector I’d be involved in similar spaces and meetings.”
We asked Iona about Camilo’s experience as VP for Committees, and how she would set herself apart:
“Simply put, I will not be afraid to be outspoken, to ruffle feathers and to challenge those in power, in pursuit of outcomes which are in the best interests of the students I will represent. Throughout the SaveUoA Languages campaign, I have a proven track record that I am not afraid to use my platform to stand up for students when the University Court acts unfairly.”
We asked Camilo how he will work as a liaison between UoA and AUSA, rather than as an extension of the SU:
“I had an amazing relationship with my team at the SU, but I was also always very critical, and I think that’s one of the reasons I can say I played a part in the SU transformation in the past years. Likewise, we were able to build a very good working relationship with the University after many years of it being a bit cold.
However, that never stopped me from challenging decisions I thought were detrimental for students when it was needed. I was always clear about putting students first and I’m planning to continue doing the same if I get elected.”
Iona has committed to advocating for the expansion of accommodation schemes such as the University’s current offering of free accommodation for students in their first year coming from SIMD10 and 20 postcodes. Reflecting on how would recommend expanding this offering she shared:
“I deeply admire the work carried out by the Access & Articulation Team and believe that offering free accommodation to students from SIMD10 and 20 postcodes in their first year is a welcomed step towards addressing inequality [but] there is more to be done.
Deprivation doesn’t end at the end of your first year of higher education. I would make recommendations that free or subsidised accommodation be made available for students for more than one year on a means tested basis.”
We asked Camilo about his statement of “continuing the great work our current Rector has done” after she was heavily criticised for her refusal to publicly condemn the University during the fight to save modern languages:
“I’m not aware of the position of any individual members of Court regarding Modern Languages at the time so I can’t really comment on that.
“However, during my two years at Court I worked very closely with Martina and I’m not aware of any previous Rector devoting so much time to listen and support students or building such close relationships with them, and that’s what I mean when I say I want to continue her work”
We asked Iona what skills she learnt whilst being a public voice for the Modern Languages campaign:
“My key observation from the Save UoA Languages Campaign was that the student body is extremely capable in quickly mobilising to create a powerful campaign.
The campaign allowed me to hone my skills as a highly effective, articulate communicator, which are transferable to and would serve me well in speaking up on Court.”
Awareness
But how aware is the University’s student body of these upcoming elections? A poll carried out by The Gaudie suggests that they are not, with 60% of voters saying that they were not aware that voting for the new Rector is open next week. Even more significantly, 74% of voters said that they don’t know what the Rector does.
For whoever emerges victorious, there will be plenty to keep them busy.
Voting will be open from 9:00 AM on Thursday, 19 November, until 5:00 PM on Saturday, 21 November.
