Basket
0

Student Voice & Representation - We've made some changes

Student Voice & Representation

We’ve Made Some Changes…

Good on you for making that extra click of your mouse (or tap of your finger) to discover all of the exciting changes we have made to our democratic processes.

 

To cut a long story short, our old processes are in the bin. They were clunky, out of date and no longer fit for purpose. Some would say they were pretty snore.

So we’ve spent the last year working with students and researchers to make sure we know what City students want, generally these were:

• The Union should be simple and easy to understand.
• Voting in union elections should be easy and straightforward.
• The Union should be as open as possible, with minimal barriers to engagement.

So out with the old and in with the new.

 

The Assembly

It’s not the sit on floor legs crossed type of Assembly. Our Assembly is the largest, most powerful student decision-making body at City. After the first meeting in June, the Assembly has set the Union’s priorities for the next year.

The Assembly proportionally represents the Schools at City and is made up of 4 Students' Union Officers, 33 elected Assembly Members and 13 appointed First-Year and Postgraduate Members. That’s much better, right!

As part of the review, our Student Council and Executive Committee structures were removed. You can consult the previous Executive Committee and Student Council pages here.

 

Getting Stuff Done...

The Assembly is a community that inspires learning, debate, consensus decision-making and most importantly action. It facilitates active participation and create the change that City students need.

Students' Union Officers

Gone are the days that we will elect students to specific portfolios like Vice-President Education or Vice-President Community. Enter, Students' Union Officers.

The only full-time position that students apply for is Students' Union Officer, making the process of choosing a job to apply for quick and easy.

All Students' Union Officers have defined portfolios of work, such as being responsible for different activities or demographics of students. These are agreed shortly after the election.

Electing a President

Four Students' Union Officers get elected by students. The candidate with the highest number of votes is offered the role of President, everyone else is known as Deputy Presidents.

Slates / applying as a group

You told us that you would like to be able to apply to be a Students' Union Officer with your friends, so we've made that possible! Any student applying for one of our jobs can run as a team, they just have to follow a few extra rules.

If candidates choose to run together they must share a budget, campaign name, slogan, priority and publicity.

Why should my society get involved?

Run a Society or Sports Team at City? Great! Any student-led group at City can support a candidate that is running in our elections, the President / Captain just need to let us know the committee all agree. Once thats done groups can use their membership lists and social media to promote a candidate or slate. Easy.

Other Changes Coming in 2022/23...

Wider student involvement in our democracy

We won’t limit students getting involved, participation isn’t limited to elected leaders and all students will be supported to play an active role in shaping their experience and being part of the Assembly.

 

Job Shares (Students' Union Officer)

We understand that no City student is the same and we want everyone to feel able to access the opportunity to work with us, to help this a job share can be arranged. Whether your a student parent, a student who cares for someone, or just don't want a full-time job we'd love to let you know how we can help you apply.

 

All Student Votes

A referendum (now known as an All Student Vote) can be called by students, the Assembly or the wider student community on any issue.

 

Running Societies and other Student Groups

We’ve simplified how support students to come together to run societies by slimming down our regulations and removing time barriers, such as waiting for decisions of the three Student Groups Board. Read more here.

 

Introducing... Handbooks (ish)!

More crucially, we backed up our bye-laws (the concrete stuff we have to do) with useful and easy to understand handbooks to ensure students have all the information they need to participate in decision-making and change.

Still got questions about how this all might work? Drop us an email on SUAssembly@city.ac.uk