Sabbatical Officer's Year in Review 2025/26

We want to sincerely thank Nico, Emina, Tom, Anson and Sarah for all their hard work lobbying for students and making sure Imperial is delivering an exceptional student experience to match it's world class status.

We're now in our handover period where your outgoing officers are wrapping things up and handing over the ropes to our incoming team, eagerly preparing things for the 2026/27 academic year!

Let's hear from them to see what went down this year...

Nico Henry, Union President

Imperial is now first in London and second across the Russell Group for Student Voice, up 75 places in two years (NSS Results 2026).

It's been an amazing year. Countless conversations, emails, committees, complaints, and stressful days. But on every one of those days, impact was either delivered or planned.

Some of it has already landed: more than 250 new affordable rooms for returning students, a new chaplaincy space designed with the people who will use it, and a student employment agency. I arrived at a university whose policy was that students should not work. I leave with the university supporting students to find paid work through that same university.

More of it will outlive me. Future sabbatical officers will inherit a proper consultation framework so decisions that affect students are not made without asking them first. A guarantor scheme trial for postgraduate taught students, a library redevelopment, and consultation on a whole new campus will all continue.

As a ‘sabb’, you come in with your priorities, and hit the ground running. The route rarely looks like the one you planned. I’m proud to leave projects in a stronger position than I found them; Metric arrives with everything in place rather than finished, and the challenges that slowed us down are written up so the next team does not meet them cold.

Thank you to Anson, Emina and Tom, to the staff team, and to university colleagues.

Tom Gordon, Deputy President (Activities)

This year has absolutely flown by, and what a privilege it's been to spend it supporting everything you get up to outside the lecture theatre!

My main pledge was to speed up how quickly the Union gets back to you, and I'm quite happy with the progress. Approvals for events take days, not months, and we've set a formal baseline with the Activities Team so you can hold us to it in the future.

It's also been a fantastic year for funding: we've allocated £53,755 through the Activities Development Fund — the highest since 2022/23 — launched the Expanding Reach Fund to break down barriers to joining clubs and societies, and saw the Student Experience Fund put nearly £40,000 directly into students' hands. After years of inactivity, the Culture, Community and Knowledge Management Groups have elected representatives, meaning these communities will be properly represented in Activities Forum and Union Council next year.

Our clubs and societies wouldn't happen without the 2,458 student volunteers who run them — you've all been incredible to work with, and I hope you've been able to take something out of this year. You'll receive one final thank you email from me soon!

More than anything, I've loved meeting so many of you and seeing your incredible activity first-hand. I did want to give a final shout-out to Wind Band and the Symphony Orchestra, with whom I've spent many of my evenings over the past four years.

For the final time, thank you, and please stay in touch!

Emina Hogas, Deputy President (Education)

I think most Sabbs start by thinking they know what they're signing themselves up for, only to have that completely turned on its head a couple months in. Two years down the line, I can finally say I've learned the ins and outs, which, of course, is exactly when you pass the baton.

A lot of the things close to my heart this year were the slow, unglamorous kind. Chipping away at mitigating circumstances until the review landed somewhere sensible, and getting us closer to that digital submission platform I'd had my eyes on. There was also the quieter work: reassessing barriers to student engagement, building up the digital repertoire of our rep team to better support our volunteers, and starting the conversation on parity of experience for our postgraduate community - be that through our UKRI or GTA rights and pay work.

The thing I am quietly proudest of is less a project and more the relationship between the Officers and the University, something that took years of consistency, and showing up as critical friends when needed.

I would not be able to look back on my time in office positively without the help of my reps and staff, who did the actual heavy lifting. Thank you for everything, I could not have done this without you.

I leave you in the capable hands of Jacob, who will pick up these threads and, knowing him, tie them off far more neatly than I managed.

Anson To, Deputy President (Welfare)

A year later I still haven’t gotten used to shouting about my “officer wins”. That said, I have been tasked with this so I guess I have to! (And also because it’s important to communicate what your paid officers have been up to - which I think is a better way to think about it…)

I’m quite glad that I’ve completed most manifesto objectives that I promised all students when I ran for the role. From £5 meals, to intercampus shuttle bus, to culturally-sensitive counselling, I’m happy that these things I’ve advocated for have now come to fruition. I’m also grateful to bring the MBBS Bursary Increase project across the finish line, together with ICSMSU, our Working Class Network and Representation team staff, bringing a £900 increase in bursary for almost 250 students. On this note, a huge thank you to all our amazing student representatives who have been relaying your feedback to us!

I would like to thank the Representation and Advice teams who have supported officers with our sabbatical officer journey. They do a lot of the work behind the scenes and are often the unsung heroes of the union. I also wouldn’t have survived this gruelling year without my friends, who lent a listening ear and stood with me when I felt that my values were challenged the most - so here’s a massive shoutout to you guys!

I’ve truly learnt a lot this year. Bureaucracy, systemic inequalities and injustices are difficult to navigate, but someone values-driven, it’s been worth every minute!

Sarah Azam, ICSMSU President

You'd think that taking a one-year break, in a six-year course, would only appeal to a very select group of people. And you'd be absolutely right.

After a rather hectic twelve months, I'm proud to say that ICSMSU has achieved so much, and has paved the way for another fantastic year at ICSM.

Some highlights include our most successful Freshers' Fortnight ever, which saw overwhelming engagement from new students settling into ICSM. We also implemented the Year 3 Travel Reimbursement Scheme, ensuring that students on clinical placements aren't out of pocket for essential travel. The Imperial Bursary Uplift for Years 5 and 6 was another major win, securing vital financial support for students when they need it most. Additionally, we designed focus groups centred on BMB identity and culture, working to strengthen the sense of community.

None of these achievements would have been possible without the hard work put in by the ICSMSU Officers. It has been such a privilege to work alongside such dedicated and genuine people, who all share the same drive to improve the student experience.

So, bye-bye ICSMSU President, and hello DPW. You guys can't get rid of me quite yet.