Who Are the Sabbatical Officers at Students' Union UCL?

Updated

Students' Union UCL's Sabbatical Officers are six elected student representatives who take a year out to work full-time on behalf of UCL students. The current team, as listed on the union's website, is: Christian (President), Sarah (Education Officer), Audrey (Activities & Engagement Officer), Rawleka (Equity & Inclusion Officer), Anam (Postgraduate Officer), and Vivian (Welfare & Community Officer). They are the students whose job is to represent your academic, welfare, and community interests to the university.

What the role involves

A sabbatical officer is a student who pauses or defers their studies (or takes the role after graduating) to serve a full-time term in the union. Because they are elected by the student body rather than appointed by UCL, they sit on the student side of the table — raising issues with university decision-makers rather than administering university policy.

The union describes itself as "the representative body for University College London (UCL) students," and the officers are the most visible face of that representation. Their work typically includes:

  • Campaigning and lobbying UCL on issues that affect students
  • Sitting on university committees where student views need a voice
  • Running union priorities in their portfolio area (for example, education policy or welfare support)
  • Being a first point of contact for students who want a problem escalated

The current officers and their portfolios

Officer Portfolio What it covers
Christian President Leads the officer team and represents students at the highest level
Sarah Education Academic experience, teaching quality, and assessment
Audrey Activities & Engagement Clubs, societies, and campus events
Rawleka Equity & Inclusion Fair treatment and belonging for all students
Anam Postgraduate The specific needs of master's and research students
Vivian Welfare & Community Wellbeing, support services, and community life

The portfolios map onto the main areas of student life, which means there is usually a named officer for whatever issue you bring forward. The union's own site frames the team this way: "We'll help you make the most of UCL."

How they are elected

Sabbatical officers are elected by UCL students in union elections. The union's site reports that its 2026 Rep Elections drew "a record-breaking" 7,016 voters — a sign of how much weight the union places on turnout as a measure of legitimacy. If you want to influence who holds these roles, voting in the next election is the direct route; if you want to hold the current team to account, the union's news and events pages are where their work is reported.

When to contact a sabbatical officer

Reach out to the relevant officer when:

  • An academic issue hasn't been resolved through your department or personal tutor — the Education Officer is the escalation path.
  • You're a postgraduate student facing a problem specific to master's or research study — the Postgraduate Officer covers this.
  • You've experienced discrimination or barriers to belonging — the Equity & Inclusion Officer's remit.
  • You need wellbeing or community support and aren't sure where to start — the Welfare & Community Officer.
  • You want to start or grow a society or event — the Activities & Engagement Officer.

For general questions about the union itself, the site's advice and support section is the entry point; the officers are best used for issues that need representation rather than routine information.

A practical note

Because sabbatical officers serve fixed terms, the names above reflect the team listed on the union's website at the time of writing. Before relying on a specific name, check the current Sabbatical Officers page on studentsunionucl.org — the portfolios stay stable, but the people change with each election cycle.