What roles are up for election?
There are two types of role available in the upcoming Leadership Election:
Full-time Officers - Paid
1 x Undergraduate Officer | 1 x Postgraduate Officer
School Officers - Voluntary
Arts | Built Environment, Engineering & Computing | Business |
Education | Health | Humanities & Social Sciences | Law | Sport |
What does the Student Executive Committee do?
The Student Executive Committee responsibilities include:
- Helping to facilitate and promote community organising within the Students' Union.
- Actively engaging with Student Communities in person and online to find out their views, opinions and concerns, and help them campaign for the changes they advocate.
- Representing student views to the University and other organisations including attendance at University meetings.
- Attending, supporting the facilitation of, and actively promoting the Student Assemblies.
- Deciding on proposals to be put forward to Student Assemblies, based on insight from listening campaigns and proposals put forward from Student Communities.
- Where appropriate, making decisions in relation to urgent matters than cannot reasonably be delayed until a meeting of the Student Assembly.
How are candidates campaigning?
Candidates will campaign to win your vote and convince you that they are the best person for the role. You’ll start to see lots of active campaigning soon – from social media messages to banners and posters around campus, and more.
Candidates will also outline their policies and positions in a manifesto so that you can easily see what platforms the candidates are campaigning on. All these things will help you to decide who you’d like to vote for!
How can I vote?
Voting opens at 9am on Tuesday 11 March and will close at 5pm on Wednesday 12 March. It’s easier than ever to vote – you can either cast your vote on campus at our polling stations or head over to our website at www.leedsbeckettsu.co.uk/elections! Simple!
For more information on the Leadership Election, candidates, and voting you can head over to our Leadership Elections webpage.
Why should I vote?
Voting in the Leadership Election ensures that your voice is heard! By casting your vote for your favourite candidates, you’re helping make sure that Leeds Beckett Students’ Union is led by the strongest team possible and by a team that reflects your priorities.
By voting for the candidate whose policies you support the most, you can also help to ensure that your student representatives reflect the diversity of the student body.
The Leadership Election at LBSU are also one of the smaller elections you will have the opportunity to vote in and that means your vote could be the difference between a candidate winning or losing!
When are the results announced?
The Leadership Election results will be announced from Friday 14th March. You can also keep an eye out on our social media channels for updated results as they’re announced!
Can I run if I’m in my first or second year?
Yes! If you are interested in a full-time Officer role you should speak to your School first to see whether taking a year out of your studies is right for you. If you are interested in a School Officer role, these roles are carried out alongside your studies.
Can I run if I’m in my final year?
For full-time roles, yes – in fact most candidates for full-time officer roles are in their final year of studies. However, for the School Officer roles, you must be returning to Leeds Beckett University in the next academic year.
Can I run if I’m a postgraduate student?
Yes! The Students’ Union represents all students at Leeds Beckett University and students at any level can stand for election as long as they meet the eligibility criteria for the role they are standing for and can fulfil the responsibilities and time commitments of the role. In fact, one of our full-time officer roles is specifically for postgraduate students.
Can I run if I’m an international student?
To be appointed as a full-time Officer you must be eligible to work in the UK. All international students considering standing for election should contact the Student Immigration Advice & Compliance team on siac@leedsbeckett.ac.uk to seek advice from a qualified adviser before submitting a nomination.
You can find out more about the immigration requirements you may need to meet in order to stand as a full-time officer here.
What is a Full-time Officer?
Full-time Officers are students who are elected and paid to lead and steer the direction of the Students’ Union in order to promote, defend and extend the rights of students. These are full-time paid roles and the successful candidates will take up their posts in July and represent the student body until June the following year. These roles are paid £26,192 per year and the contracts are for twelve months. Students can be a full-time Officer for a maximum of two years but must be elected for each year.
What is a School Officer?
School Officers are students who are elected to lead and steer the direction of the Students’ Union in order to promote, defend and extend the rights of students. These are part-time voluntary roles and the successful candidates will take up their posts in July and represent the student body until June the following year. Students can be a School Officer for an unlimited number of terms but must be a Leeds Beckett student and elected for each year.
Who are the current student leaders and why are they leaving?
You can see who your current Full-time Officers are here
These roles have a set term of office, so the role automatically ends after a period of time with a new election taking place each year. Students can be a full-time Officer for a maximum of two years but must be elected for each year.
I don’t know which position to go for!
If you’ve read the information above and are still unsure, you can contact a member of the Community Organising team to discuss which position would suit you. Contact them at communityorganising@leedsbeckett.ac.uk
Can I stand for more than one position?
Unfortunately you cannot stand for more than one role.
Isn’t it just a popularity contest? How do you count the votes?
Not at all. As long as you have great ideas for improving the lives and experiences of students at Leeds Beckett then you’ll make a great candidate.
We use a voting system called 'alternative vote' for single seat elections. It means voters get a bit more of a say, by ranking candidates from most to least favourable. So, if your top choice doesn't win, there's a good chance someone you like will and no votes are wasted.
How do I write a manifesto?
Your manifesto or election statement should be divided into three parts:
- Part 1 - outline who you are, your experiences and what makes you the right person for the role.
- Part 2 – what is the main thing you would like to achieve for students if you were elected to this role? Think big, but achievable, this can be the project you work on over the course of a year.
- Part 3 – anything else you think students need to know in order to help them decide to vote for you. This might include any smaller ideas you have.
If you’ve set up any social media pages for your election campaign, don’t forget to include the links to these too!
After the Candidate Briefing you will be able to add your manifesto to your election profile on the SU website.
What if I don’t have any ideas?
As a student you will be familiar with your own experience of your time at Leeds Beckett University – what changes would have made your experience even better?
You may also have course or house mates who have shared their experiences with you or can help you to develop ideas for how life at Leeds Beckett could be improved.
Do I get a budget?
Yes, you do! You will be informed of how much you can spend on your election campaign at the Candidate Briefing. This amount is the maximum you may spend and will be reimbursed by LBSU.
What happens if I win?
If you win, you will spend time during the next academic year working on projects and campaigns that improve the lives of Leeds Beckett students.