AMOSSHE Executive elections 2026: nominees

Find out all about the candidates for the AMOSSHE Executive elections 2026.

AMOSSHE members can now vote to elect who will join the AMOSSHE Executive Committee for the 2026 to 2028 term of office.

Here are the numbers of candidates for the roles open for election this year:

One member has nominated for the role of Vice Chair.

One member has nominated for the role of Vice Chair (Operations).

Fifteen members have nominated for the four available Executive Member roles.

You can find detailed descriptions of each role here:

AMOSSHE Executive responsibilities, values and roles

The roles of the AMOSSHE Executive Committee are defined by these values and responsibilities.

Below are the statements from the nominees. Please read these statements carefully to help you decide who will best represent AMOSSHE members on the Executive Committee.

Nominees for Vice Chair

Andy Shanks

Andy Shanks is Director of Student Wellbeing at The University of Edinburgh. Andy is also standing for the role of Executive Member. You can vote to elect him for any of the roles. Here's Andy's nomination statement for the role of Vice Chair.

I believe passionately in higher education’s power to transform people’s lives, and I would be hugely honoured if you voted for me to continue on the AMOSSHE Executive. This is a challenging period for HE, and I am excited about the opportunity to represent you as members in shaping and influencing the future of our profession. I remain deeply committed to ‘putting something back' into (a) the organisation that’s been so supportive during my nine years working in my current role; and (b) the sector that supports students to flourish. I have enjoyed my three years on the Executive immensely, focusing on strengthening student services, engaging members through CPD events and representing AMOSSHE across many initiatives.

Before moving to my current role as Director of Student Wellbeing at the University of Edinburgh in 2017, I worked for over twenty years as a mental health social worker and then a senior manager within statutory mental health and social care services in London and Edinburgh. I learned a great deal, and I have brought with me into HE an awareness of (a) the value of taking a strategic approach to deliver positive outcomes; (b) the benefits the person-centred model brings at every level within our work in student services; and (c) the significant, positive impact that working effectively in collaboration and partnership across organisational boundaries brings to people’s lives.

If re-elected to the Executive, I will bring energy, enthusiasm, passion and commitment to the role. I have a keen interest in all student services areas and am pro-active in taking a leadership role to improve student experience. The UK (through OFS) and devolved governments’ interest in student services brings current opportunities for positive change within the sector, and I am deeply committed to ensuring AMOSSHE continues to shape and influence this work.

I have been in the Vice Chair role for three months and will be extremely grateful for your vote. My priorities align with AMOSSHE’s mission to drive excellence and inclusivity in student services:

Ensuring we continue to implement our AMOSSHE strategy to bring real value to members and student services, with AMOSSHE playing a key role in shaping and influencing HE policy both nationally and internationally.
Enhancing connections among student services leaders at member institutions to collectively innovate and improve the student experience. I am keen to create an environment for wide knowledge sharing amongst student services leaders, with mentoring playing a key role in this.
Prioritising diversity and inclusion by promoting initiatives for equitable support services, advocating for policies that address the diverse needs of students.
Embracing innovation and technology through AMOSSHE's new online platform, aligning this with strategic goals to drive meaningful change in the rapidly changing educational landscape.
Strengthening professional development by collaborating with AMOSSHE Executive colleagues to create pathways for knowledge and skill enhancement, equipping members to meet evolving challenges in student services.

I am eager to continue as Vice Chair to support AMOSSHE’s future and its community in impactful ways.

Nominees for Vice Chair (Operations)

Emma Bales

Emma Bales is Director of Student Services at the University of Cumbria. Emma is also standing for the role of Executive Member. You can vote to elect her for any of the roles. Here's Emma's nomination statement for the role of Vice Chair (Operations).

Having worked in HE student support services for over 20 years, I am currently the Director of Student Services at the University of Cumbria (UoC). I have been a member of the AMOSSHE Executive team since July 2021 and, following a year’s term serving as Vice Chair in 2023/4, I was honoured to be elected as Vice Chair (Operations) in July 2024.

As a Director in a University with a strong widening participation mission, AMOSSHE’s vision and values align strongly with my own, particularly my belief in the transformative effect of Higher Education and the crucial role Student Services plays in enabling students to thrive.

I am a committed, engaged and active member of the Executive team and during my time on the Executive I have contributed to a wide range of AMOSSHE priorities including:

Working with the Executive and National Office colleagues to develop and implement the new AMOSSHE strategy for the next 5-year period, ensuring it reflects the evolving needs of our community.
Co-leading the 2022 and 2025 Winter Conferences and the 2023 National Conference
Co-designing and leading online CPD events with a particular focus on supporting members’ career development
Co-leading the development and implementation of the online professional development hub which is designed to ensure our members have access to impactful professional development pathways.
Representing AMOSSHE in the sector including on the TASO Mental Health Tool Kit Project, the HEMHIT Learning & Development workstream, the ANUK/UNIPOL Committee of Management and the UUK Accredited Code of Practice for the management of residential accommodation.

As the HE sector continues to face challenges and uncertainty I believe that through AMOSSHE’s mission to support, inform and empower our community we can play a pivotal role in assisting members to navigate the complex regulatory and policy landscape.

I am standing for election as Vice Chair (Operations) because I would welcome the opportunity to continue contributing my higher education, leadership and governance experience to support the National Office team, the wider Executive, and the AMOSSHE membership.

I have established strong, constructive working relationships with the National Office, the Chair and Executive colleagues. As Vice Chair (Operations), my priorities would be to support delivery of the Strategic Plan by ensuring the National Office has the capacity, resources and operational enablers needed to meet AMOSSHE’s goals. I would also work closely with the Executive Director to ensure our governance systems are robust, transparent and fit for purpose.

I am committed to helping AMOSSHE influence policy and practice by championing effective representation, collaboration and innovation, and by promoting the value of Student Services across the sector. I would work with the Vice Chair to diversify income streams and strengthen AMOSSHE’s long term financial sustainability, and collaborate with the VC (CPD), National Office and Executive team to ensure access to impactful, inclusive, professional development pathways for members.

If elected, it would be a privilege to continue serving the membership and contributing to AMOSSHE’s strategic delivery and national leadership of Student Services.

Nominees for Executive Member

Amy King

Amy King is Assistant Director - Student Wellbeing at The Open University. Here’s Amy’s nomination statement.

I am excited by this opportunity, driven by a strong belief in collective leadership to improve student support nationally. Working as Assistant Director for Student Wellbeing at the UK’s largest online university, The Open University, I lead a high performing, complex mental health casework team that supports an incredibly diverse student population at scale alongside Student Wellbeing. My team manages high-risk, high-volume casework with consistency, compassion, and an unwavering commitment to safer suicide practice. This experience has strengthened my conviction that effective student support is built on strategic clarity, empowered staff, and continuous learning.

My leadership has focused on embedding evidence informed frameworks, strengthening safeguarding culture, and creating psychologically informed environments where colleagues feel confident navigating complexity. I am passionate about championing the voices of students and those delivering frontline support, ensuring their insights shape institutional decisions and sector direction. Supporting others, amplifying best practice, and building collaborative networks are central to my approach.

I am energised by the opportunity to contribute actively to AMOSSHE’s strategic work. I am ready to take on projects, engage in consultations, and represent member perspectives with authenticity and purpose. I believe AMOSSHE plays a vital role in connecting institutions, influencing national conversations, and driving improvements that benefit all students on campus, online, and everywhere in between.

As an Executive Member, I would bring momentum, curiosity, and a commitment to shared progress. I would work collaboratively with fellow Executive colleagues, sector partners, and the National Office to advance AMOSSHE’s strategy, support key workstreams, and ensure members feel heard and supported. I am particularly motivated by opportunities to strengthen mental health practice, share scalable innovations, and contribute to a sector where every student has access to high quality, inclusive and responsive support.

It would be a privilege to serve on the AMOSSHE Executive and help shape the future of student wellbeing.

Andy Shanks

Andy Shanks is Director of Student Wellbeing at The University of Edinburgh. Andy is also standing for the role of Vice Chair. You can vote to elect him for any of the roles. Here's Andy's nomination statement for the role of Executive Member.

Angela Scanlon

Professor Angela Scanlon is Director of Student and Graduate Success at Ulster University Northern Ireland. Here’s Angela’s nomination statement.

With the support of members, I joined the Executive in 2024 and have deeply valued and benefited from the experience of working alongside colleagues from across the UK Higher Education sector as together we work to share practice and support Student Services. AMOSSHE continues to support UK higher education in optimising our value and impact across Student Services for students and graduates. Some of my personal valued highlights for the last few years have included being able to engage with the NI universities with support from AMOSSHE to consider Creating Safer Spaces in Higher Education and more recently designing new Student Mental Health and Wellbeing Principles to enable a regional strategic approach which clearly identifies our commitment to positive mental health throughout the student journeys. This year I had the privilege of co leading the winter conference along with Paul Rossi and the National Office team where we celebrated the Student Services Effect that is critical to student experience and success.

I am stepping forward, fuelled by the momentum of this transformative Executive, to ask for your support once again! This is an incredible opportunity to champion Northern Ireland and Ireland, driving vital collaboration with our UK-wide members to foster an inclusive, proactive approach. Despite the growing challenges in higher education, I know that together, we can make a real, lasting difference. I thank you for your support and look forward to building our future together.

Ann Duncan

Ann Duncan is Deputy Director Student Experience at the University of Strathclyde. Here’s Ann’s nomination statement.

I am deeply passionate about the student experience and the vital role student services play in enabling students to positively engage, progress and succeed at university, while preparing them for graduate employability. Over two decades in higher education, leading the strategic development and evolution of student services has been invigorating, and nothing is more rewarding than witnessing the impact our work has on individual student outcomes.

Having studied in my native Ireland before commencing my career in Scottish higher education, I have been an active member of AMOSSHE for many years and have found that it has significantly shaped my professional growth and development. I was delighted to have the opportunity to join the AMOSSHE Executive in January 2026 and have enjoyed my initial involvement. I am keen to build on this and expand my contributions through election, and I believe that my well-rounded experience positions me to be a strong representative for our sector.

I have led a range of strategic initiatives that have reshaped our institutional offering, including 24/7 incident response; work to address gender-based violence; suicide prevention; developing student services on our new overseas campus; the introduction of an AI-powered chatbot within student services; and a case management system. Central to my approach is co-production and student partnership: shaping services and priorities with students, for students. Equally important is ensuring staff are supported and equipped to cater for the increasingly diverse needs of our students.

Nationally, I represent AMOSSHE on the Scottish Government’s Equally Safe Core Leadership Group and the ASRA Student Wellbeing in PBSA Project. I also sit on the Ministerial Roundtable on Spiking and the Universities Scotland Student Mental Health Group.

I strive to make a meaningful difference to the sector. I am confident that my leadership experience, collaborative approach and commitment to students, staff and sector colleagues make me a strong asset to the AMOSSHE Executive, and I would be grateful for your support in continuing my journey by voting for me.

Daniel Tasker

Daniel Tasker is Director of Student Success at Birmingham Newman University. Here’s Daniel’s nomination statement.

I’ve worked in student services for twenty years this summer, starting in advice and guidance roles and moving on to team management and now senior leadership, and there’s not been a part of that where I haven’t benefitted from professional networks. I’ve experienced large, small, specialist, and ‘interesting’ institutions ranging from Yorkshire, to the East and West Midlands, London and the South West, so I like to think I know how universities fit together; I certainly have enough stories to write a half-decent book.

AMOSSHE is so important to the sector and to us as individuals. For me the value of the organisation ranges from the sharing of best practice, keeping up to date with ever-evolving policy and regulatory commitments, using its influence to lead to positive change and to ensure meaningful consultation, to providing members with training, resources, and most importantly the ability to connect with each other. AMOSSHE is a bridge between institutions and between individuals, and I want to support that work and contribute to it’s continued growth; I want to put something back in.

In terms of my own leadership, I see the value in creativity and authenticity and the power of sheer enthusiasm to get things moving. I also recognise that we all work within boundaries, of time, of resourcing, of headspace, and of personal expertise. We all have to make pragmatic decisions and weigh up effort to reward and outcomes, and we all have to be adaptable. I would always advocate for AMOSSHE creating space and trust for colleagues to share these dilemmas and considerations, as well as to celebrate what works well. Ultimately, we’re all here to support students, and I want to help AMOSSHE continue to support us to do that.

Emma Bales

Emma Bales is Director of Student Services at the University of Cumbria. Emma is also standing for the role of Vice Chair (Operations).  You can vote to elect her for any of the roles. Here's Emma's nomination statement for the role of Executive Member.

I am a committed, engaged and active member of the Executive team and during my time on the Executive I have contributed to a wide range of AMOSSHE priorities including:

Working with the Executive and National Office colleagues to develop and implement the new AMOSSHE strategy for the next 5 year period, ensuring it reflects the evolving needs of our community.
Co-leading the 2022 and 2025 Winter Conferences and the 2023 National Conference
Co-designing and leading online CPD events with a particular focus on supporting members’ career development
Co-leading the development and implementation of the online professional development hub which is designed to ensure our members have access to impactful professional development pathways.
Representing AMOSSHE in the sector including on the TASO Mental Health Tool Kit Project, the HEMHIT Learning & Development workstream, the ANUK/UNIPOL Committee of Management and the UUK Accredited Code of Practice for the management of residential accommodation.

Hannah Jones

Hannah Jones is Welfare Lead at Balliol College. Here’s Hannah’s nomination statement.

I have been a member of AMOSSHE for a couple of years now. During that time I have benefitted from the support and advice provided by the email community, and the CPD/training. Now that I am settled in my role, I would like to make an active contribution to the AMOSSHE community. Working collaboratively with other sector bodies appeals to me, and so does the opportunity to take on a specific area of work.

Ian Munton

Ian Munton is Director of Student Journey at Aberystwyth University. Here’s Ian’s nomination statement.

I’m really pleased to be standing for re‑election to the AMOSSHE Executive. I’ve been part of AMOSSHE for almost 20 years, and in that time this community has supported me, challenged me, and pushed me to go further than I thought possible. Over the last few years on the Executive, I’ve loved being able to offer that same support back — leading CPD events, facilitating sector‑focused activities, and contributing to the conversations that shape our practice.

Although most of my career since the early noughties (i have struggled to type this!) has been spent in England, for almost five years I’ve been Director of Student Journey at Aberystwyth University in Mid‑Wales. I love the distinctiveness of the Welsh sector and feel strongly about ensuring Welsh institutions continue to be heard and represented nationally. At the same time, I truly value the similarities we share across the UK — the common challenges, the shared purpose, and the commitment to improving student experience wherever we are based.

AMOSSHE has always encouraged me to think bigger than my team or institution. It’s helped me understand the impact we can be when we work together. This is mirrored in my role as Chair of the all‑Wales FE/HE Suicide Prevention Community of Practice and Steering Group — a deeply meaningful experience that keeps me close to sector‑wide challenges and reinforces my belief in evidence‑based, compassionate approaches to student wellbeing.

I care deeply about this thing we do every day that we call work — its challenging and hard, but it’s also brilliant! I would be honoured to continue representing you and contributing to the future of our community.

Keith Houghton

Keith Houghton is Director of Student Support and Wellbeing at The University of Law. Here’s Keith’s nomination statement.

I have had the pleasure of being an Executive Member for the last two years, having been an AMOSSHE member for nearly 15 years now and working in student services for nearly 25 years.

Over the past two years I have co-led two CPD events and been on the planning team for National Conference 2025 and 2026 as well as contributing to key strategic priorities such as he the professional recognition and career development portal, and chairing meetings for the LASER and East Region.

The sector has seen huge change over the past two years and no doubt there is more to come. If re-elected, my priorities will be:

Further contributing to the success of National Conference and CPD events.
Continuing to promote the professionalism and recognition of the sector as a positive force in HE.
Raising the profile of AMOSSHE as a thought leader and key driver of best practice in the sector.
Bringing the perspective of a specialist and alternative provider to the table.

Above all, I am passionate about innovation, collaboration, partnership and excellence in everything we do and would be honoured to have your vote.

Kerry-Ann Randle

Kerry-Ann Randle is Director of Student Services at Bournemouth University. Here’s Kerry-Ann’s nomination statement.

I am standing for the AMOSSHE Executive because I care about ensuring our profession is supported, influential, and confident in a challenging environment.

Those of us leading student services are managing complex regulatory expectations, sustained financial pressure, rising student need, and growing responsibility for wellbeing, safety, and safeguarding. This can be demanding, high pressure work and AMOSSHE plays a vital role in ensuring we are not navigating it alone. I want to help AMOSSHE continue to be a trusted, practical, and influential voice for members, as outlined in the 2025-2030 strategy.

I bring experience that reflects the realities many members face.

Professional Experience

Over seven years in university leadership, leading change across student services and support
Former strategic lead for vulnerable learners in local government, with strong safeguarding and multi-agency expertise

Impact and Achievements

Leadership of an award-winning student support service, recognised for innovation and quality
Delivery of suicide prevention work grounded in evidence, culture change, and staff confidence
Building strong NHS partnerships, including a formal data sharing agreement and funded on campus mental health provision, improving safety and access to care

Sector Contribution

Engagement with local MPs contributing to the parliamentary duty of care debate
Submission to the Education Select Committee Call for Evidence on children and young people’s mental health
Active Wellbeing Advisory Board member and experienced peer reviewer, committed to sector wide learning

If elected, I will help translate member experience into clear strategic priorities, ensuring AMOSSHE remains both practitioner-led and influential in external policy and regulatory debates. As an AMOSSHE Executive member, I would listen, represent, and advocate — ensuring member voices shape our priorities and our profession remains visible, credible, and supported in the challenges ahead.

Laura Whitty

Laura Whitty is Head of Student Services at the University of Buckingham. Here’s Laura’s nomination statement.

I am applying for an Executive Member role at a time when student services is responding to increasing complexity: rising demand, more complex diverse student needs, and a tightening regulatory environment. I want to contribute to how we, as a sector, respond in ways that are both practical and sustainable.

As Head of Student Services at the University of Buckingham, I lead an integrated portfolio spanning wellbeing, safeguarding, careers and employability, the Students’ Union, and institutional induction. This provides a whole-system view of the student experience and requires a clear focus on how services align to deliver meaningful outcomes.

Over the past year, I have led a full redesign of our student support model, improving accessibility, strengthening internal pathways, and reducing response times. Alongside this, I have driven initiatives to enhance engagement and belonging, including a redesigned Welcome Week and the introduction of termly student Town Halls. These reflect a consistent, data-informed approach to improving delivery in practice. I have also led work to review reasonable adjustments through an inclusivity lens, informed by sector developments such as the Abrahart v University of Bristol, ensuring our approach moves beyond compliance towards genuinely accessible and equitable practice.

I would bring to the AMOSSHE Executive a strong connection between strategy and delivery. I am particularly focused on ensuring that sector priorities translate into approaches that are scalable, operationally deliverable, and effective across diverse institutional and delivery models.

My experience across academic administration, compliance, and student services enables me to contribute effectively to policy discussions, consultation responses, and sector guidance with both a regulatory and operational lens.

I am a collaborative and pragmatic leader, comfortable challenging constructively and supporting collective decisions. I would be an active and reliable member of the Executive, contributing to projects, representing AMOSSHE externally, and supporting delivery of its strategic priorities.

Phillippa Dunning

Phillippa Dunning is Head of Student Support and Guidance at Edge Hill University. Here’s Phillippa’s nomination statement.

I’m putting myself forward for the AMOSSHE Executive because I care deeply about the student experience and want to contribute more actively to the sector. AMOSSHE describes the Executive as a space to influence our profession, share practice, and connect with colleagues across the country, and that really reflects what motivates me. I’ve gained so much from this community, and I’m keen to give something back.

I’ve over twenty-five years working across HE, FE, adult and community learning, and apprenticeships, holding roles that span curriculum leadership, admissions management, student services, and strategic project delivery. Before moving into HE, I was a Curriculum Manager and Programme Leader, responsible for quality, curriculum design, staff development, and student progression. I’ve also managed Admissions, Course Enquiries, and learner engagement services, which has given me a strong understanding of the whole student journey, from recruitment and induction through to progression, wellbeing, and retention.

In my current role as Head of Student Support at Edge Hill University, I lead three service areas and oversee our Early Intervention Model, which has helped improve retention significantly. I co-chair the Personal Tutor Working Group and work closely with academic and professional service teams to improve consistency and support for students across the institution.

I’ve supported large scale digital transformation projects such as the roll out of the Target Connect system across all our Student Services functions and our Personal Tutor network, and led the implementation of OneFile and online admissions systems. I’m passionate about inclusion and have led support for care experienced, estranged, and other underrepresented groups, achieving meaningful improvements in engagement and belonging.

I’m collaborative by nature and enjoy working across boundaries to improve services. Joining the AMOSSHE Executive feels like a natural next step and an opportunity to share my experience, learn from others, and contribute positively to the wider sector.

Tegan Locke

Tegan Locke is Senior Student Progress Manager at the University of Essex. Here’s Tegan’s nomination statement.

I am standing for election as an AMOSSHE Executive Member because I believe deeply in the collective strength, integrity, and purpose of our community. It has never been more important to actively contribute to the overall direction, work, and development of AMOSSHE, and I am committed to contributing to this mission.

AMOSSHE plays a vital role in shaping a sector that champions a rich student experience, the pursuit of professional excellence, and ethical leadership. I take a values‑driven approach shaped by openness to acknowledging difficult truths and work towards solutions with tenacity, promoting a true partnership between colleagues and students, and a steady resilience that keeps momentum even in demanding times. It would be an honour to represent our Student Services community as an Executive Member.

I have extensive experience engaging with diverse communities, translating complex policy and regulatory frameworks into accessible practice, and advocating for inclusive and informed student-centred practice. I believe in the power of constructive debate in shaping our strategy, reflecting the variety of providers across the sector, and contributing to sector-wide conversations that influence policy and practice. I have strong relationship‑building and communication skills that enable effective consultation, meaningful sector engagement, and credible representation on behalf of members to influence and motivate real change. I believe in implementing creative solutions to tricky problems, and the wealth of experience and creativity in our community is the key to navigating our current challenges.

Finally, I recognise the importance of modelling the values AMOSSHE sets out: integrity, openness, accountability, and ethical leadership, and I would be proud to embody them on behalf of our community.

I would welcome the opportunity to serve, contribute, and collaborate to advance the work of AMOSSHE, represent AMOSSHE membership and strengthen student experience across the sector.

Richard Mendez

Richard Mendez is Director of Student Life & Library Services at De Montfort University. Here’s Richard’s nomination statement.

At a time in which the HE sector faces unprecedented pressures, (financial, political, regulatory) and with an ever-increasing spotlight on student mental health, AMOSSHE's work is more pertinent than ever.

As a current Director of Student Services, I am extremely passionate about the student journey and in light of the unprecedented pressures, I want to make a positive contribution towards helping students, staff and other stakeholders within the sector navigate these challenging times. The opportunity to serve the sector as an executive member of AMOSSHE would be a privilege and aligns with my passion to better support students by upskilling myself and others in the sector.

So why should I be considered for the executive member role at AMOSSHE?

Firstly, I have been a member of AMOSSHE at two institutions and presented a conference paper at the 2025 AMOSSHE conference. Thus, I am well-versed with AMOSSHE and its mission.

Secondly, I have prior executive board experience, having been an executive member of the Higher Education work placement body ASET for several years, and also governor of University Council at the University of Chester.

Thirdly, my experience spans Access & Participation, Wellbeing, Disability Services, Student Finance, Chaplaincy, Careers & Employability, Student Enterprise, Study Skills, Academic Librarians, and Study Abroad. I have led working groups and committees including heading up a Student Suicide Prevention Working Group, a Student Success Sub-Committee, and a group for the Disability Student Commitment. My skillsets span the creation of student policy, delivering sector-wide continuing professional development, and strategic development. Skills that I believe align very well with the AMOSSHE executive member role.

Finally, I should be considered for the role because I embrace the values and principles of AMOSSHE including 'constructive debate', 'objectivity in decision making', 'circle of confidentiality' and 'individual responsibility'.

Thank you for considering me.

Rory Cook

Rory Cook is Head of Student Mental Health and Counselling at BIMM University. Here’s Rory’s nomination statement.

I am nominating myself for the AMOSSHE Executive Committee because I believe the most important conversations in student services right now are about how we reach students earlier, address the conditions that drive distress, and build services that strengthen self-efficacy.

I am Head of Student Mental Health and Counselling at BIMM University, a specialist creative arts institution with approximately 8,000 students across nine campuses in the UK, Ireland, and Germany. My role spans institution-wide strategy, clinical governance, multi-campus service delivery, and external partnerships. I am completing an MSc in Health Promotion and Management, deepening my commitment to upstream, population-level approaches to student wellbeing.

Over fourteen years, I have progressed from frontline youth and educational support work to strategic leadership. I carry that ground-level understanding with me, and I believe that recognising the full range of factors shaping a student's experience, from clinical need through to social and material circumstances, matters enormously for how we design services and where we direct our energy.

Much of what presents as a mental health crisis in higher education is better understood as the downstream consequence of structural pressures: inadequate housing, financial hardship, and the erosion of the social infrastructure that helps people feel they belong. I am keenly interested in the phenomenon of medicalisation, its drivers, and its impact on how people make sense of their own experiences. Services that respond only at the point of crisis, without advocating for the conditions that prevent it, are doing vital but insufficient work. AMOSSHE is well positioned to lead that advocacy, mobilising members, influencing policy, and making the case for upstream investment as a student wellbeing intervention in its own right.

I would come to the Executive with genuine appetite for policy and consultation, and a particular commitment to representing members at smaller and specialist institutions.