FAQ
If you've read through the Democracy Review that's being discussed at Student Council on 17th November but still have questions, take a look at our FAQ's below or sign up to one of our Q&A sessions to ask any queries you have.
Full-time officer roles
The remit for the new roles looks huge, how does it work?
The roles will have a number of shared responsibilities, including but not limited to, academic representation, communications, equality, wellbeing/welfare and liberation. It will depend on the annual priorities of the students within the relevant faculty/faculties as to how and what is delivered. The post-holders will now however represent a much smaller number of students. The changes will enable greater coloration between roles and facilities, allowing us to become more relevant, adaptable and flexible.
Who will be focusing on welfare now?
Everyone. It will be a key responsibility of each role. It will depend on the priorities of the students within the faculty/faculties as to how and what is delivered.
What happens if no one runs for a role?
It could happen now. A process is in place to cover and fill a vacant position.
If the roles are only faculty specific, how can you ensure fair representation across all campuses? What happens if all the full-time officers are from one campus?
There are currently two campus-based roles. The change will mean that all five roles become cross-campus. Students have told us that in comparison to a number of other factors, they do not necessarily feel as likely to share the same views as someone else from the same campus. It has therefore become less important for us to elect based on campus. The post-holders are held to account through the Executive Committee and Student Council.
When will these changes come into effect?
At the next election, March 2017, with a view to the successful candidates taking office in July 2017.
What will happen to the Faculty Rep role?
The Faculty Rep role will act as a deputy to the relevant full-time officer and play a key role in supporting them with their priorities.
Will the Vice President (Health, Social Care, Education and Medical Science) have double the workload?
There may well will be a few more meetings for the post-holder to attend. We have put these two faculties together because of their similarities, and in line with students telling us that they felt most likely to share the same views as other students who have the same interests as them and that study the same course. It will be a future consideration for us to lobby for additional funding to be able to have a dedicated role for each faculty.
Are other people doing it?
Yes. We visited Middlesex Students' Union, Staffordshire University Students' Union and Salford Students' Union. More information on what they do is available here
Who can run for which role?
Any student can run for any role.
Who can vote for which role?
Any student can vote for any role.