In this inaugural episode, we dive into the power of student collectivism and what it actually takes to build genuine advocacy movements within universities. Host Ebe Ganon sits down with Gemma Lucy Smart, a PhD candidate and seasoned disability advocate who serves as both Disability Equity Officer and HDR Equity Officer for the Sydney University Postgraduate Representative Association, plus represents postgraduate students with disability nationally through the Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations.Gemma shares her experience as a student advocate at the university and national level: we explore how student advocacy works and what drives student advocates, how to balance working within systems versus challenging them directly, and how student collectivism is a deeply valuable source of community and systemic change on campus.Key topicsThe power of student collectivism vs individual advocacyStrategic decision-making: when to work within systems vs challenge themSupporting emerging student leaders and preventing burnoutBuilding disability communities across undergraduate and postgraduate spacesLanguage politics in disability advocacyCo-production and co-design in university settingsUniversal Design for Learning and AI's role in accessible educationAssumptions about disabled students in higher educationConnecting with student advocacy and networksSUPRA (Sydney University Postgraduate Representative Association): https://supra.net.au/ Students with Disability Leadership Collective: https://studentvoiceaustralasia.com/students-with-disability-leadership-collective Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations: https://www.capa.edu.au/ National Union of Students (NUS): https://nus.asn.au/ National Student Ombudsman: https://www.nso.gov.au/ Professional Networks for StaffEquity Practitioners in Higher Education Association: https://www.ephea.org/ Australian Tertiary Education Network on Disability (ATEND): https://www.atend.com.au/ Universal Design for Learning ResourcesCAST (Centre for Applied Special Technology) UDL Guidelines: https://udlguidelines.cast.org/ Australian Disability Clearinghouse on Education and Training (ADCET): https://www.adcet.edu.au/ Gemma’s work:Writing in Honi Soit, the University of Sydney student paper: https://honisoit.com/author/gemma-lucy-smart/Gemma's research: https://orcid.org/0000Send us a textSupport the showFor students who want to transform their universities. For staff ready to build genuinely inclusive systems. For academics and professionals who think big about what Australian higher education could become. Ready to raise the bar? Support the podcast: higherhopespod.comFollow us: LinkedIn @HigherHopesPod | Instagram @higherhopespodFull transcript: Available at higherhopespod.com Produced on the traditional lands of the Ngunnawal and Ngambri peoples.

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