As the Postgraduate Access, Education, and Participation officer, every day is interesting and can come with challenges.
A large part of the AEP’s time is sitting on committees, boards, and working groups. As the AEP you take part in some really important committees such as the General Board of Faculties (GB), and the General Board Education Committee, which you sit on with the Vice-Chancellor of the University and all the pro-vice chancellors. It is a great opportunity to get the student voice heard and a forum to discuss and pass your own motions. There are so many committees however, you generally sit on one or two per day. This is great to hear discussion and be privy to key decisions being made in the university, but you have to be prepared and have read the papers, otherwise you may feel out of the loop. Most days therefore start with reading the committee papers for the week.
You also work very closely with the undergraduate AEP and so you talk to them daily and they are generally the best help and support you could need as they may have a very similar schedule to you.
But do not worry, your life as an AEP is not only committees. During your time you will work on various campaigns that are pertinent to the postgraduate community, such as application fees, funding, supervision and more. On top of this you also work with academic reps, access officers, and help run the Student Led Teaching Awards. Working on these projects is probably the most enjoyable part of being an AEP as you are directly connected to reps and the student community and you get to meet loads of lovely and passionate people.
The most surprising thing about being a PG AEP is how much you can get done. Initially the large number of committees can be intimidating, but this in fact puts you in contact very quickly with a lot of decision makers within the university. So if you have something you are passionate about and want to change within Cambridge, be an AEP!
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