The Election 2023

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THE ELECTION 2023

 

What is The Election 2023?

The Students' Union is the recognised representative body for all ARU students. We run elections each year so students can choose the members of the Executive Officer Team. These are student elected to lead the direction of the Students' Union and campaign for the best student experience on your behalf.  There are no interviews for these roles; instead applicants will campaign for students to vote for them during our voting week 24th February - 2nd March.

As a student you have the opportunity to get involved in many different ways! This includes recommending a friend if you know someone who you think would be fantastic in one of these roles. You can cast your vote during voting week so you can have your say in who runs the Students' Union and represents you. You could even put yourself forward for one of these positions by applying below!

 

THE ROLES

 

Click on the roles to find out more!

President

 

The President of the Students' Union is a full time, paid role (£21,915) based at either the Cambridge or Chelmsford campus.

 

To apply for this role you must complete your studies in 2023 (by June) or intermit / pause your studies for the year 2023 - 24


The President will:

Be the spokesperson and figurehead for the Union;

Gather feedback and lead on the representation of the student voice;

Lead on significant campaigns and projects to improve the student experience;

Prepare for and attend meetings, committees and working groups to represent students and lobby for the best student experiences;

Provide day-to-day support for the Officer team;

Chair the Executive Committee (our elected team of student representatives);

Chair the Board of Trustees (the group responsible for meeting our legal and charitable requirements and strategic direction);

Have line management responsibility for the Chief Executive;

Represent the Union at the annual National Union of Students National Conference;

Act as the Student Governor on the University’s Board of Governors and relevant sub-committees; and

Act as the main point of contact with the National Union of Students.

 

Vice-President

 

The Vice President of the Students' Union is a full time, paid role (£21,915) based at either the Cambridge or Chelmsford campus.

 

To apply for this role you must complete your studies in 2023 (by June) or intermit / pause your studies for the year 2023 - 24


There are 4 full time Vice President roles available:

VP Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences,

VP Business and Law,

VP Health, Education, Medicine & Social Care,

VP Science and Engineering

 

The Vice Presidents of the Students Union will:

Act as the lead student representative for a faculty;

Chair regular student feedback forums to gather views, opinions, ideas and feedback;

Run projects to improve the experience of students within the faculty and across ARU;

Lead and support elected course reps and volunteers;

Act as a member of the Trustee Board (the group responsible for meeting our legal and charitable requirements and strategic direction);

Provide effective academic representation;

Prepare for and attend Faculty & University meetings of which they are a member;

Campaign on wellbeing and welfare issues eg:accommodation, equal opportunities, housing, finance, safety and religion; and

Champion societites SU events and opportunties

 

Vice-President Healthcare Practice

 

The Vice President Healthcare Practice is a part time (2 days per week), paid role (£21,915 pro rata) suited to students studying healthcare courses with a practice element.

The role will be based at either the Cambridge or Chelmsford campus and will be adpated to fit around your on-going studies.
 

The Vice President Healthcare Practice will:


Act as the lead student representative for healthcare practice students;

Chair regular student feedback forums to gather views, opinions, ideas and feedback;

Run projects to improve the experience of healthcare practice students and the student body across ARU;

Lead and support elected course reps and volunteers;

Provide effective academic representation;

Prepare for and attend Faculty & University meetings of which they are a member;

Campaign on wellbeing and welfare issues eg:accommodation, equal opportunities, housing, finance, safety and religion; and

Champion societites SU events and opportunties

Please note that the Vice President Healthcare Practice is a part time role only open to students on specified courses and will not be a member of the Trustee board.

 

 

 

KEY DATES

 

 

  • Applications open!

    Online applications will open at 9am!

  • Applications close!

    Applications will close at 12pm!

  • Voting Opens!

    Voting is open from 9am

  • Voting Closes!

    Voting closes at 2pm

     

  • Results Night @ 92!

    Breathe a sigh of relief and join in the fun and excitement of results night at 92 in Chelmsford from 7pm to celebrate our candidates and find out our winners!

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

 

What dates would I be in my role?
For the officer roles the term will start in the middle of June 2023 through to the end of June 2024.
Are the roles paid?
The President and Vice President positions are paid positions at £21,915 p/a (pro rata for the part time VP Healthcare Practice).
Can I stand if I am an International Student?
Absolutely! If your visa allows, you can stand for any of the roles in our election. We will help you to check your visa as part of the application.
Can I stand if I am a part time student?
You certainly can!
Can I run in a slate?
This year all candidates will be running as individuals and there will be no slates.
Do I need experience?
No, anyone can apply for these roles without any prior experience
I'm in my final year, can I still stand in The Election 2023?
If you are in your final year you would be able to apply for the Full Time positions, but you would not be eligible to apply for the Part Time role.
What should I include in my statement?
This is your opportunity to sell yourself and your campaign ideas to students! You should let students know what you will do if elected and why they should vote for you. The statement has to be at least 10 words long.
Where will I work?
Usually your home campus will be the campus you have been studying at. President and Vice President roles will be based at either Chelmsford or Cambridge campus, and you will be required to travel across the 3 main campuses; Cambridge, Chelmsford and Peterborough.
I want to speak to someone about a query or a complaint?
For any queries, or to arrange to speak to a staff member you can email our Democracy and Campaigns Coordinator, Fraser at f.luther-yarwood@angliastudent.com. For complaints you must complete the form at https://www.angliastudent.com/represent/election/complaints/
 

 

If you would like to speak to a member of staff about The Election, or if you have a question that has not been answered above you can submit your query to the Democracy and Campaigns Coordinator - Fraser at f.luther-yarwood@angliastudent.com

If you would like to submit to a formal complaint about the election to our Deputy Returning Officer you can do so by completing the form on our complaints page

Because we're independent from the University you get to decide how we’re run and what we do. You get to decide this by voting in our elections, getting your voice heard through Student Members Meetings or participating in campaigns. Our core function is representation, which means we dedicate almost all of our resources to making sure your voice gets heard in the University, that your rights as a student are upheld and you get the most out of your degree.