Ashraf released a video statement on Facebook advising students to support one another and collect through the student bodies and societies.
Candidate for Rector Junaid Ashraf has released a statement accusing the University of Glasgow of “falling short” to support students during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Releasing a statement on his Facebook page (Junaid Ashraf, University of Glasgow Rector Candidate), Junraf says that students are feeling “awful, homesick, and their mental health is suffering” and has urged students on campus to “support one another during these testing times, to collect through your unions and societies, and to make sure you’re checking in on one another” explaining further in a video posted on his campaign’s Facebook page.
He implied that the messages being sent by the University might not have been honest: “As a recent University of Glasgow candidate, I know all too well of the messages sent out on the Glasgow University social media pages and how this compares to reality on the ground.”
The University has been accused of “negligence” in not properly planning or implementing safeguards before students arrived. A recent article in The Glasgow Guardian showed how the University kept the public in the dark for five days about cases and delayed the response to the situation in halls.
The candidate seemingly endorsed new student demands, saying: “Collecting as a group through your unions to highlight your concerns is significantly more effective in having your voice heard…I’m also aware that the Glasgow University Solidarity Collective alongside a number of other societies have formed a list of demands for the University to comply with and are creating a support network through like minded groups. Please get in touch with these initiatives to ensure your voice is heard.”
He also encouraged accountability through press attention and pressure saying: “For any urgent developments that need to be highlighted make sure you contact Jordan Hunter and Holly Jennings at The Glasgow Guardian.“
(Editorial note: This is not an endorsement by The Glasgow Guardian of Junaid Ashraf for rector. Other campaigns and rector candidates are free to get in touch and express their message on the crisis by emailing [email protected])
