What positions are available?
The list of available positions will vary for each election (with most, if not all, open doing the Main Elections, and a smaller set of unfilled positions open during any By-Elections). The full post list for each election will be available shortly before Nominations open.
The three main types of position available are:
- Full-time Officers (or Executive Officers)
- Student Officers
- National Student Rights Campaigners (or NUS Delegates)
The Executive Officers
There are currently four full-time Executive Officer positions at the Union. These are the most senior officer positions which we have; the students elected into these positions help to oversee the financial and legal governance of the Union of Students as a business and charity, alongside acting as lead representatives for our students.
These positions are held for one calendar year beginning in July of the year elected. As the full-time officers are expected to either take a year's break from their studies, or serve in the year after their graduation, they are paid an annual salary to cover living expenses whilst in their term of office.
Executive Officers make decisions on, and influence the direction of, the Union of Students. They provide leadership for students; running campaigns which aim to affect real change to the lives of students within the University, wider society, and also nationally through the National Union of Students (NUS).
These roles are held to account through the Union’s Governance structure including the Scrutiny Panels and All Student Meetings.
The Student Officers
Student Officers, like the Executive Officers, are there to represent students within their area of responsibility. However Student Officers each have a more focussed remit; such as postgraduate students, part-time students, disabled students, etc.
Student Officers are voluntary positions which students fill alongside their studies and any other jobs they may have. Like the full-time officers, Student Officers also make decisions on and influence the direction of the Union by conducting campaigns, meeting with University and Union staff, and passing policy at the All Student Meeting.
Education Student Officers
Each of the University Schools has a Student Officer whose job it is to observe and improve academic conditions, as well as oversee and support the student volunteer Programme Representatives within their area of study. They also provide a clear channel of communication between Programme Reps, the University, and The Union. Students in these positions attend key meetings with University and Union staff and provide feedback from students within their School.
Chairs
These roles are responsible for chairing, arranging, and attending meetings with their specific cohort. They will work closely with the full-time Officer and any part-time Officers that overlap with the area which they govern.
NUS Reps
Students in this role attend the NUS Conference where they will, on behalf of students at the University of Derby, vote on national policy which will affect all students in Further & Higher Education across the whole of the UK. They will also vote in the NUS's national officers.
To represent the Union of Students at NUS National Conference, the Union puts forward up to six students as the University of Derby delegation (though only some of these spaces will be made available for election).
- One space is reserved for the Union President to act in the capacity of Delegation Leader
- One space is reserved for a delegate who studies on a Further Education (FE) course.
(If there are no FE candidates standing for election then the reserved space may be made available to other candidates)
- The remaining places are open to all in the election
50% (rounded down) of the delegation must be women, as determined by policy passed at NUS National Conference, this means a minimum of three delegates must self-define as a woman. This will be taken into account during the count and may affect the overall outcome of the election for these positions.
Once elected, NUS Reps must gather students’ views and keep up to date on all government and NUS policy which affects students, so that when they finally attend conference they are in the best position to make informed decisions.