STUDENT OFFICERS
ABOUT THE ROLE OF STUDENT OFFICER
The details
Student officers are our highest level of student leader. They are elected by students to represent the entire student body – not just their course or school. They play an integral role in the continuous improvement of things on our campuses and beyond. That means changing things in the University, Students’ Union, and in our local communities, according to the wants and needs of the students they represent.
You’ll be working on important policies, actively participating in meetings to change things, and campaigning about the things that matter to students. The role isn’t about organising events or giving advice to students; we have professional and student staff who do that.
Some of the topics you could be working on include making campus more environmentally sustainable, or educational matters like academic adviser provision or the ethnicity degree awarding gap. You could also play a vital role in establishing representation for postgraduate researchers, or setting up and supporting student media outlets, across print, radio, or even TV. There are so many opportunities for improvement, and we'll support you to lead these projects.
Everything the Students’ Union does is about improving things for students. Here are a few examples of previous officer wins:
the new staff-student relationships policy ensures a safer campus culture for our students; improving teaching and assessment help students to have better educational outcomes; informing students about the ethnicity degree awarding gap paves the way towards more equitable academic experiences; opening brand new spaces in Stratford and Docklands means you have a place to relax and have fun on campus; and so many more things. We’re always making your university life better and our student officer team are at the forefront of that.
What’s in it for you?
There are loads of benefits to becoming a student officer.
You’ll have genuine influence over the direction of the Students’ Union, as well as at a high level in the University. This will enable you to improve the university experience for yourself and others, now and in the future.
If you're motivated to create change, we’ll be there to support you every step of the way. East London Students’ Union has a dedicated team of staff who will help you to make a success of your role.
Every day is genuinely different as a student officer. From lobbying university leadership to leading focus groups or speaking at University ceremonies, the breadth of work is impressive. You’ll also meet all kinds of people, build your understanding of the sector, and get to grips with the professional world.
You’ll also have access to professional opportunities that very few graduates will have in the first few years of their career, like being a board member (as a trustee or governor), and engaging regularly with senior leaders. This means that being an officer can serve as a fast track to future leadership roles - what a way to kick start your journey!
What an effective student officer looks like
To be chosen as a student officer you don’t need any prior experience (though there are some eligibility requirements). The most important thing is your attitude and motivations.
Being an effective student officer starts with having a passion to advocate for other people, a desire to improve things for students, and the get-up-and-go to make things happen. We want officers who are motivated, inspired, and who care about making things better.
It’ll help if you’re a good communicator, an organised person, and a fast learner. However, we’ll provide loads of training and support to help you master the skills you need. That applies to potential candidates and as a student officer.
Like last year, you won’t run for a particular position. Instead, all candidates will compete in a single election to become an officer, meaning you won’t need to come up with any policy ideas for a specific role ahead of the election. This is so the election will be based on who you are and what you can do, instead of promises you might not be able to fulfil. It’s more meaningful for candidates and for voters.
Roles and responsibilities, and a note on representation
We’re looking for five student officers. Like last year, students won’t run for a specific role. Instead, you'll apply to be a student officer, with the successful candidates being assigned roles by the student leadership committee based on their strengths, abilities and interests.
We’ve also introduced a gender quota, which will help to ensure our student officer team is more representative of the student body.
We want our officer team to be as representative of our student community as possible, which means we need a set of candidates as diverse as our student body. If you’ve ever felt a lack of representation from your student leaders, you have the power to change that. Why not run this year?
At the very least it’s crucial to have your say on who wins, by voting in the online election.
Student officers are full-time paid roles. You will be paid a salary of £26,780 for the year, and will take a break from your studies if you’re still completing your course.
--
THE ROLES
Every officer will be working to improve things through policy and campaigning, but their areas of focus and the groups they work with will vary.
Activities Officer
- Representing students to the University regarding activities and student development matters;
- Supporting student groups with their running and development;
- This role is not about organising events for students.
Communities Officer
- Improving connections with students at the University’s partner institutions;
- Creating relationships with local councils and other relevant external organisations.
Education Officer
- Representing students to the University on educational matters, such as teaching, assessment and funding;
- Supporting and improving the Students’ Union’s course representative and research postgraduate representation systems.
Inclusion Officer
- Representing students to the University on issues relating to equity, diversity and inclusion;
- Supporting and improving the Students’ Union’s community group system.
Wellbeing Officer
- Representing students to the University on wellbeing and sustainability matters;
- Supporting campaign groups working on these issues;
- Supporting and improving the accommodation representatives system.
Find out how to apply.
Students who intend to run in the election are required to attend three training sessions:
Session 1: complete
Session 2: complete
Session 1 and 2 repeat: complete
Session 3: complete