Candidate information Pack: By-Elections and NUS Delegations by The Students' Union at UWE

2017

THE LEADERSHIP RACE BY-ELECTIONS & NUS DELEGATIONS CANDIDATE PACK

WHAT YOU WILL FIND IN THIS PACK 03 03 04 05 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 25 27 28 29

Welcome to The Leadership Race The Students’ Union at UWE Why Run? What Does the Executive Do? The role of the Democractic Procedures Committee The role of NUS conference delegates Extra rules for NUS conference delegations The Leadership Race: Who’s Who? The Timetable Manifestos and Campaigning Candidate Welfare Voting – How It Works The Budget Code of Conduct Breaches of Conduct and Complaints Candidates Checklist Pledge of Fair Play

THE LEADERSHIP RACE: CANDIDATE PACK

WELCOME TO THE LEADERSHIP RACE This pack provides details about The Students’ Union’s October By-Election to choose the remaining Officers who will help lead The Students’ Union for the next year. This election is known as “The Leadership Race”. During this time, we will also be electing our NUS conference delegations and members of the democratic procedures committee. This pack is designed to provide you with key pieces of information to help you have the best experience possible - please read the whole of this pack carefully. If at any point you have questions about standing or running in The Leadership Race, please come in and speak to us at The Students’ Union on any campus.

THE STUDENTS’ UNION AT UWE The Students’ Union is a membership driven organisation that exists to make a positive impact on the life of every student at UWE Bristol. We are separate from the University and provide representation, advice and opportunities for each and every student here. We are a democratic organisation led by elected students for students. Our elected Presidents and Officers set the direction for The Students’ Union; help shape and deliver our many services; and lead on local and national campaigns affecting the student experience.

CONGRATULATIONS ON DECIDING TO RUN Running in an election develops an incredible range of skills whether you are successfully elected or not; time management, budgeting, presenting, engaging with a variety of different people, campaigning, debating, team work, leadership, self-confidence… the list goes on. If you are elected as a Student Leader, you will further develop all of these skills and many others. As well as making positive changes for the students of UWE Bristol, your time will be an invaluable experience for your future career progression. Our past Presidents have gone on to do some fantastic things.

JIM DICKINSON Vice President Education 1997/98 and Students’ Union President 1998/99 “I’m currently the CEO at UEA Students’ Union in Norwich having run NUS’ campaigns and policy function. All of the skills I need now were first practised as The Students’ Union at UWE President - it gives you the chance to change an organisation at the same time as changing the world, which is a great way to spend a sabbatical year. Originally I got involved because I was pretty ugly and figured that winning a garish popularity contest might cheer me up. That and the Freshers’ week entertainments were RUBBISH! When I became what was then the “Education Officer” sabbatical it was to not just give students a voice in their education – but to dramatically improve their rights. Voice isn’t important as much as what it can achieve. When I stood for President the year after it was all about power. Not mine (although that was nice) but giving students some power.”

THE LEADERSHIP RACE: CANDIDATE PACK

NICK BAIN Vice President Sports and Health 2003/04 “My time as VP Sports at The Students’ Union at UWE was certainly contentious. The new constitution was not something I supported and I fought hard for the rights and voices of minority students as a crucial part of my role as what was then Student Support Officer. I’m proud of what I achieved at that time, including my work with NUS for LGBT students in sport. I certainly learned a vast amount as a Sabb and would definitely recommend it to anyone; the life skills you learn are invaluable. Since leaving UWE Bristol I’ve studied and worked in a variety of fields, but now am Head of Social at the creative agency Bacchus. We look after a wide variety of clients from Diageo to top London restaurants and cocktail bars, to large commercial estates like Broadgate London. We work with clients to produce quality engaging content on one hand and activations to ensure people talk about them on the other. It’s never a dull day! Social Media literally didn’t exist when I was at UWE, which is probably a good think judging by some of the photos I’ve seen. Social Media is at the forefront of a change in the way people interact and experience life, but it’s crucial to get a balance between your digital and real world lives.”

WHAT DOES THE EXECUTIVE DO? All Presidents and Officers Firstly, and most importantly, the work of all of The Students’ Union Executive is driven by the needs of students. To ensure this, they each represent and engage with all students across all campuses. The Executive hold the University to account on its decisions which affect the lives of students and strive to make positive changes for them. They work together as a team, supporting each other, to deliver the strategic plan of The Students’ Union. Engaging collaboratively with other students’ unions on sector wide debates and activities, they run and support local and national campaigns on a range of issues affecting students. Presidents As Trustees of The Students’ Union, the Presidents are also responsible for ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory requirements and that The Students’ Union has the highest standards of governance. Finally, all of the Presidents act as guardians of the assets of The Students’ Union to ensure their proper security and use for the benefit of all students. The Students’ Union President The Students’ Union President’s role is all encompassing. They bring together all elements of The Students’ Union and direct the Executive to deliver the overall objectives of The Students’ Union. As a member of the University’s Board of Governors, the President is involved in the most important decisions the University makes. The significance of being the figurehead of an organisation representing 27,000+ students also opens doors to work with many other important figures. With this level of influence comes the responsibility to engage the student population and find out the issues that matter to them most. Lobbying, campaigning, surveying, researching, relationship building, negotiating and networking are just some of the tactics Presidents use to achieve their goals. There are many

THE LEADERSHIP RACE: CANDIDATE PACK

methods you can use to create the changes students think are important, and knowing when and where to utilise them is an invaluable skill. The flexibility the President enjoys ultimately gives them a huge say in the direction of The Studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Union, but with the high profile come high expectations. The Vice President Education The VP Education role really says it all in the name. It is everything teaching, exam, coursework, studying and learning based. There are certain meetings that the VP Education attends to better understand these issues; many of these are with different departments and boards within the University. The most important role the VP Education plays is working closely with various student groups to find out what issues students face in their academic life. This is because a big part of the role is putting pressure on the University to make improvements that are important to students. Lobbying, negotiating and campaigning are all tactics that have been used to do this. Within that remit it is really up to you what you want to achieve and how you want to go about it. The Vice President Societies and Communication The VP Societies and Communication is a role that embraces variety. The most important characteristic a VP Societies and Communication can have is enthusiasm: the enthusiasm to get behind the 100+ societies that exist so that they thrive; the enthusiasm to inspire other students to get involved and follow their passions; and the ability to communicate that enthusiasm to students so they know what is happening in The Studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Union. Other times the role means sitting in meetings and championing societies to ensure they have the resources they need. Sometimes the role means running events and activities that give students opportunities to get involved. It can also mean working with different individuals and teams within The Studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Union to put out messages students need to know about. Above all, this role is about working with students to ensure that their time at University is as fun and enjoyable as possible. How you would go about achieving this is entirely up to you.

The Vice President Sports and Health The VP Sports and Health role is perfect for students that are passionate about sports; as well as striving to develop participation, fitness, competition and inclusion in the student population. Working closely with the Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Centre for Sport to improve and better utilise the facilities in its ÂŁ5.5 million sports complex as well as working closely with students is key to achieving these objectives. The role is integral to the carrying out of Varsity; working with Bristol SU and the different strategic partners to ensure it is a success. They encourage and enable students to lead healthy lifestyles through raising awareness and leading by example. Most importantly, they make sure sports are for all students regardless of background or circumstance. Finding out what it is that students want from their sport provision and how they want to participate is necessary to deliver all other objectives. Running campaigns, organising events, research projects and developing new opportunities are all methods that have been used to succeed. How you tackle this role is up to you. The Vice President Community and Welfare The VP Community and Welfare is there to champion the diversity, rights and welfare of students. Being able to inspire, understand and reach out to others is at the core of the role. Having conversations with various individuals and departments within the University and challenging them to constantly improve the environment they provide for the student population is an important part of the role. By far the most rewarding parts of the role are working closely with minority groups, strengthening the student community, getting involved with local projects in Bristol and championing social justice causes. Working with local and national charities, leading and supporting student campaigns and building networks are all ways in which predecessors have ensured their success. You can decide what you want to change and the legacy you want to leave.

THE LEADERSHIP RACE: CANDIDATE PACK Black Minority Ethnic (BME) Officer The BME Officer role is one of the three liberation positions at The Students’ Union at UWE. Liberation is the movement for the removal of discrimination and oppression of groups within society. The BME Officer is as a key figure in the movement for Black Minority Ethnic students studying at UWE Bristol. They ensure that the BME perspective is taken into consideration by the rest of The Students’ Union by being part of the Executive and are in a position to meet with University officials to raise the issues that are important to BME students. Bringing together the different BME groups that exist within The Students’ Union is key to succeeding in this role and making positive changes in the University and local area. Running campaigns such as Black History Month, lobbying the University, raising awareness and working in partnership with local organisations are all ways in which an Officer can get the most out of their time in the role. The issues that you decide to work on and how you go about doing it is entirely your choice. LGBT+ Officer Liberation is the movement for the removal of discrimination and oppression of groups within society. The LGBT Officer is the face of the movement for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender students studying at UWE Bristol. Officers give the LGBT community at UWE Bristol a strong voice in The Students’ Union and work with their fellow elected officials to make sure that voice is recognised by the University as well. Running events, lobbying the University, raising awareness, and working in partnership with local organisations such as Bristol Pride are all ways in which an Officer can make their time a success. The issues that you decide to work on and how you go about doing it is entirely your choice.

International Students’ Officer The International Students’ Officer belongs to the international students. They listen to, speak up for, and aim to solve the issues that face students studying away from their home nation. Finding out what specifically effects international students and drawing on their own experiences is key. A big part of the role is making UWE Bristol a place where students from across the world feel included and welcome no matter their language, culture or beliefs. The Officer will also work with the University so that it constantly improves its provision for international students. Meeting with different departments and individuals in the University to make them aware of issues facing international students can have big impacts. Putting on events, running campaigns, carrying out surveys and working with different student groups, fellow officers and The Students’ Union staff are all methods Officers use to make sure international students enjoy their time at UWE Bristol. It’s up to you what you want to achieve and how you want to go about it. Disabled Students’ Officer Liberation is the movement for the removal of discrimination and oppression of groups within society. The Disabled Students’ Officer is there to lead this movement for disabled students studying at UWE Bristol. Officers represent the views of disabled students to The Students’ Union Executive and work with fellow officers to improve The Students’ Union and University’s provisions for those with disabilities. Raising awareness through events and campaigns as well as working with local and national charities are just a few ways in which Officers can further the cause of disabled rights at UWE Bristol. The issues that you decide to work on and how you go about doing it is entirely your choice. Postgraduate Officer The Postgraduate Officer makes sure that Postgrad students are heard. They listen to, speak up about and aim to solve the issues of UWE’s postgraduates. Having their finger on the pulse of what’s affecting Postgraduate students and drawing on their own experiences is key to being successful. They make sure UWE and The Students’ Union fit around the needs of postgraduate students by raising the issues and convincing then that solving them is a priority.

THE LEADERSHIP RACE: CANDIDATE PACK Putting on events, running campaigns, carrying out surveys and working with different student groups, fellow officers and The Students’ Union staff are all methods Officers can use to make sure postgrads enjoy their time at UWE. It’s up to the individual what they want to achieve and how they want to go about it. Sustainability Officer The Sustainability Officer role is perfect for students that are passionate about the environment. Every organisation needs to play a part in ensuring the planet is fit to live on for future generations. By sitting on the University Sustainability Board the Sustainability Officer is able to hold the University to account on their environmental footprint. Within the Students’ Union they work with various individuals and teams to make it greener and more sustainable in its operations. Supporting the Green Team (one of the most passionate student groups in The Students’ Union) in their various projects and promoting their work to the rest of the student population is a large part of the role. Running awareness raising campaigns, encouraging environmentally friendly behaviour in students, organising green events and working with local organisations are all ways in which Sustainability Officers can make big impacts. You makes the changes that you want to see, how you go about doing that is up to you. City Campus Officer City Campus Officers represent the creatives and freethinkers of UWE Bristol. Making sure their views are heard by The Students’ Union and the University is a big part of the role. The role often means meeting with different departments in the University and individuals in The Student’s Union to put forward cases as to why they should provide facilities specific for City Campus students. City Campus students also have different tastes and interests to students on other campuses so running social events that students want is part of the role. Carrying out campaigns and lobbying the University are methods previous Officers use to make sure the City Campus students are catered for during their studies. How you want to do this is up to you.

Glenside Campus Officer The students at Glenside are largely made up of health care professionals; working long hours on placements and caring for members of the public is a huge part of their studies. Glenside Campus Officers represent hard working students that have little spare time: making sure their views are heard is an extremely important role. With the changes to the NHS, having the perspective of health care students in The Students’ Union is invaluable. As a lot of Glenside students also live on site, part of the Officer role will be making sure that the campus is a place students can call home: Running social events and activities, working to improve the Glenside Union building are all methods that Officers use. How you want to approach this role is up to you. Gloucester Campus Officer Gloucester is the smallest campus and also the furthest in distance from the operational centres of the University and The Students’ Union. Because of this, Gloucester sometimes gets overlooked. This is what makes the Officer’s position so important. They ensure that the interests of Gloucester students are recognised by being a visible link between the campus, The Students’ Union and the University. Students should know they can approach their Campus Officer with their issues. Meeting with different University departments and having conversation with individuals in The Students’ Union are ways in which Officers make sure Gloucester students are looked after. The way you approach this role is up to you. Frenchay Campus Officer Frenchay is the largest of the four campuses, it has a huge variety of facilities, many subjects are studied there and thousands of students live on site. Officers work to find out what is important to students living and studying on campus; making sure they are visible and approachable so that students know that their views will be listened to. Important parts of the role are working with The Students’ Union commercial team to provide the big events students want and meeting with departments in The University so that they are aware of the issues in accommodation and university facilities.

THE LEADERSHIP RACE: CANDIDATE PACK With so many students on the campus at any one time Officers can have huge impacts on The Students’ Union by working to engage them with activities and carrying out and assisting on campaigns. With so many different aspects to the role Officers can be flexible and it’s up to you how to approach the role. Education Officer The Education Officer role is about loving learning. Officers fight for their fellow students to get as much out of their academic lives as possible. Teaching, exams, coursework, study space, learning facilities are just some of the areas that Officers aim to improve for students. Meeting with University officials is one way of achieving this. Another is building up support in the student population to pressure the University into making changes. Education Officers have a lot of flexibility with their role. Really they can work on anything that relates to education and enjoy the support of The Students’ Union as a whole. How you choose to interpret this role is up to you. Societies and Communication Officer The Societies and Communication Officer is about following passions. Societies enable students do what they love and meet other people that love it to. A large part of the role is working with the different societies so that they have everything they need for their members and representing their views to the rest of the Students’ Union; so is helping students that want to start their own societies and supporting them in their infancy. Some students may not have found their passions yet so promoting The Students’ Union activities, having an input in activities and even leading on the creation of activities make for really successful Officers. Societies and Communication Officers have a lot of flexibility on where they decide to focus their energy so it’s up to you what you want to achieve.

Sports and Health Officer The role of Sports and Health Officer is great for students that love sports. They work to support the clubs and make sure their views are represented in meetings with the rest of the executive. Promoting the clubs, supporting them in competitions, celebrating their successes and encouraging other students to get involved is essential to the role. Finding out what students involved in sport want and making sure there are opportunities for students to get involved in regardless of their background and circumstance is just as important. Officers can organise events and campaigns to help them in achieving these objectives and have access to The Student’s Union resources to enable them. Really it’s up to you how you want attack the role. Community and Welfare Officer The Community and Welfare Officer cares for students. Excellent listening, observation and communication skills are key to the role. Finding out the issues that affect students’ welfare generally, in Bristol and specifically at UWE are one of the first things an Officer needs to do. With that knowledge they are then able to work on improving the situation. Some issues require greater awareness in the student population. Running highly visible campaigns and working with their fellow officers to get messages out are important tools for an Officer to utilise. Having conversations with different members of The Students’ Union and meeting with University officials are methods that can lead to long standing changes. Working with local and national charities, researching, leading and supporting student campaigns and building networks are all ways in which Officer ensure they are successful. You can decide what you want to change and the legacy you want to leave.

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THE ROLE OF DEMOCRATIC PROCEDURES COMMITTEE The Democratic Procedures Committee exists to ensure the student voice is represented in and, as far as practical, responsible for the good conduct of the democratic procedures at The Studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Union at UWE, to ensure that these procedures are legitimate, to maintain and improve the integrity of student democracy. DPC members work together to ensure the legitimacy of votes for Student Ideas, investigate complaints relating to Student Ideas, rule on queries about Student Ideas, advise the Executive and Studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Union staff on the interpretation of Bye Law 6 and the openness and inclusivity of the democratic procedures. DPC members also provide oversight of the Executive and hold its members to account about how they engage with and champion student democracy. All members are required to remain impartial for their term of office in all matters relating to student democracy. Members of the committee are elected for two academic years, subject to continued student status.

THE ROLE OF NUS CONFERENCE DELEGATES NUS Conferences are the supreme decision making bodies of the organisation where delegates representing students from each students’ union review the work of NUS over the last year, decide on priorities and policy for the following year and elect the leadership. Each delegate at any NUS Conference does this in different ways. Creating policy and setting priorities by submitting policy proposals and voting on proposals from other students’ unions. Choosing the leadership of the organisation by voting in elections to choose the NUS Officer Team and committee members. Reviewing the work of the organisation and different campaigns by questioning Officers and committee members and holding them to account. National Conference is the lead decision-making body of NUS. Delegates are elected from each students’ union that is an affiliated member of NUS to represent their students’ views on a national level. The Liberation Conferences (LGBT+, Women and Black Students) are the sovereign decisionmaking bodies for those campaigns. Delegates are elected by those students from each students’ union that is an affiliated member of NUS who self-define as members of that campaign to represent their students’ views on a national level.

THE LEADERSHIP RACE: CANDIDATE PACK

EXTRA RULES FOR NUS CONFERENCE DELEGATIONS NUS National Conference Delegation Election Due to a National Union of Students (NUS) Policy, the delegation that UWE sends to annual conference must be at least 50% women. There are 4 places available for self-defining women students (including Trans women and those who have suffered oppression as women) and 3 open places. The elections team will run the count twice, once with all those that self-define as women to fill the 4 places and then again with any self-defining women that are not successfully elected and everyone else running for the 3 open places.

NUS LGBT+ Conference Delegation Election Due to a NUS policy, the delegation that UWE sends to LGBT+ Students’ Conference must be 1 open place delegate (open to any LGBT+ student), 1 Trans place delegate, 1 Black place delegate (open to any LGBT+ student of African, Arab, Asian, Caribbean heritage and those who self-define as Black) 2 Women’s place delegates (open to any LGBT+ student who defines as a woman including Trans women and those who have suffered oppression as women), 1 Disabled place delegate (open to any LGBT+ disabled student). The elections team may be required to run multiple counts to factor in these self-definition requirements to meet NUS policy.

NUS Womens’ Conference Delegation Election Due to a NUS policy, the delegation that UWE sends to Women’s Conference must be 2 open place delegates (open to any self-defining women including Trans women and those who have suffered oppression as women), 1 Black place delegate (open to any women student of African, Arab, Asian, Caribbean heritage and those who self-define as Black) and 1 reserved place delegate who define into another liberation group (Black, Disabled or LGBT+; or has caring responsibilities). The elections team may be required to run multiple counts to factor in these self-definition requirements to meet NUS policy.

THE LEADERSHIP RACE: WHO’S WHO? Returning Officer Elections in The Students’ Union at UWE are supervised by an external Returning Officer (RO). Their duty is to make sure the elections are fair, successful, transparent and legal. Our RO contact here at The Students’ Union is Aidan Mersh (NUS Membership Engagement Manager). The RO has the final say in election matters and their decisions are final. Deputy Returning Officer Elections are organised, run and overseen on a day to day and hands on basis by the Deputy Returning Officer (DRO). The DRO acts on behalf of the RO (who delegates their authority to the DRO) and deals with matters as they arise on the ground. The DRO will inform the RO of any decisions and rulings affecting the election. Assistant Returning Officer The DRO appoints several Assistant Returning Officers (AROs) who offer advice, guidance and support to the DRO and to candidates. The AROs oversee general election activity and raise any concerns with both the DRO and candidates.

KEY CONTACTS All Enquiries suelections@uwe.ac.uk Deputy Returning Officer Andy Eagleton, Representation Coordinator Assistant Returning Officers Edward Burrell, Academic Representation Manager Toby Ray, Representation Coordinator Georgia Williams, Student TBC, Student City and Glenside Campus Contacts Amy Tanner, City Campus Community Coordinator To Be Confirmed, Glenside Campus Community Coordinator (Maternity Cover)

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THE TIMETABLE Date

Time

Event

Friday 1 September