a guide to elections 2013

A Guide to Student Union Elections 2013

A guide to Student Union Elections 2013 |

ContentsWelcome to Elections 4 What positions are open for nomination? 5 President 6 Vice President Academic Affairs 7 Vice President Employability and Activities 8 Student Trustees 10 NUS Conference 12What are the benefits of running? 14 Becoming a Candidate 16How to write a manifesto 17Publicity 19Official campaign tools 20How to run the best campaign 21Voting stations 24The voting method 25The elections timetable 27Elections rules and guidance 28

Welcome to ElectionsWhat, Why, When……

As a student it’s often difficult to understand what the Students Union does, and why we’re here. The big reason we exist is to represent and support you during your time as a student, for example working with the University to improve life at LSBU, supporting you through any academic issues you have and putting your ideas and views to national organisations such as the National Union of Students.

The other side of what the Union does is the stuff that you really see day to day, but might not know we’re behind it. We support and fund societies, volunteering and campaigning groups, sports clubs and student media. We put on events across the year like the Fresher’s Fair, and the End of Year Ball.

And above all, we really care that when you come to LSBU you have the best possible time and leave here totally prepared for everything you want to take on in the future. The Students’ Union is a student led organisation and that’s basically why we have elections, it’s to elect the people who decide on what we should be doing and when for the 25,,000 students of LSBU. It’s vital that all students get to both stand for election and choose who will lead us, because the reason we exist is to support and represent you.

This guide will tell you all about the Elections and how you can stand to be a Sabbatical Officer or Student Trustee and how you can get involved with the voting process.

If you don’t get past this page then two key things to remember are :

1. Nominations close on the 1pm, 8th February 20132. Voting is between 25th February and 1st March 2013

If you have any questions, issues or concerns then get in touch with us anytime by e-mailing [email protected] or visiting the Students’ Union reception in the Student Centre.


What positions are open for nomination?Any fully registered student of London South Bank University may run for election within the Students’ Union unless they have independently opted out of being a member of the Union.

You don’t need to be in your final year or an Undergraduate or a home student to run in the Election and in the past many Officers have taken a year out to lead the Union before returning to complete their studies. All students from any area of University life are strongly encouraged to run and the best kind of Sabbatical Officer or Student Trustee are the ones who care and are passionate about the student experience regardless of their background.



4 x Full Time Sabbatical OfficersPresidentThis role works with a number of key stakeholders including the Trustees of the Students’ Union and the University Board of Governors (the highest governing bodies at the Union and within the University). It also takes a leading role on policy development and implementation, ensuring that the strategic and political direction of the Students’ Union and the University is relevant to the student body. This role is also the lead officer of the Union with a number of ambassadorial duties within and outside LSBU, ensuring the positive reputation of LSBU student’s is enhanced and upheld in the wider community.

Job Description:

• There shall be one President as elected in accordance with Regulation D. The responsibilities of the President are:

• • The President shall lead representation and liaison between the Union, the University, the local

community and national bodies.• • The President shall work in partnership with the Chief Executive Officer of the Union to achieve

the mission of the organisation and to drive the strategic planning process.• • The President shall represent the Students’ Union at University Board of Governors and

Academic Board meetings.• • The President shall be the principal spokesperson for the Union dealing with media enquiries.• • The President will represent students by leading the delegation at NUS National Conference.• • It is the job of the President to raise awareness among students of issues that affect or

interest them and lead them to take appropriate action, and to lobby for change on their behalf and to ensure the delivery of key messages to key stakeholders.

• • The President shall fulfil those duties and obligations that arise consequentially upon signing the

Sabbatical Officer contract for the post of President.


Vice President Student Experience (2 posts available)These roles take a lead on developing and improving the educational quality and student experience based on student feedback through channels such as Course Representatives, the National Student Survey and nationally initiated education campaigns. They also also have a joint responsibility for monitoring the welfare concerns of students and running campaigns to raise student awareness of health, welfare and cultural issues.

Job Description:

• There shall be two Vice President (Student Experience) as elected in accordance with Regulation D. The responsibilities of the Vice President (Student Experience) are:

• The Student Experience Officers will lead all Union activities in academic affairs including the National Student Survey and Quality Assurance Agency Audit student submission.

• The Student Experience Officers will lead the development of the Union’s education policy.

• The Student Experience Officers will lead student representation in academic matters to the University and external agencies.

• The Student Experience Officers will develop and deliver resources and training for Course and Faculty Representatives.

• The Student Experience Officers will lead developments with Course Representative online tools.

• The Student Experience Officers will engage with Faculty and Course Representatives to provide support, training, advice and campaigning.

• The Student Experience Officers will lead all Union welfare activities.

• The Student Experience Officers will be responsible for the delivery and co-ordination of campaigns and training on welfare issues.

• The Student Experience Officers will lead on all matters relating to community liaison and internationalisation.

• The Student Experience Officers shall fulfill those duties and obligations that arise consequentially upon signing the Sabbatical Officer contract for the posts of Student Experience Officers.

Vice President Employability and Activities This role champions the employability agenda at LSBU and encourages and develops student participation in activities, volunteering, societies and sports. This includes duties ranging from ratification of new student groups, gathering feedback about activities on campus and developing employability initiatives to prepare students for life after study.

Job Description:

• There shall be one Vice President (Employability and Activities) as elected in accordance with Regulation D. The responsibilities of the Vice President (Employability and Activities) are:

• The Vice President Employability & Activities will lead all Union student development opportunities and engagement and will lead in the development of all affiliated Union Societies and Union activities such as Fresher’s Fair.

• The Vice President Employability & Activities will encourage and facilitate the personal development of students by providing opportunities for them to develop key skills through participation in societies, sports and student activities.

• 6.3. The Vice President Employability & Activities will act as publisher for all Union media.

• The Vice President Employability & Activities will be responsible for the democratic processes of the union and encouraging participation in Union democracy support.

• The Vice President Employability & Activities shall represent the Union at all University and external agencies with respect to environmental, ethical, faith and diversity issues.

• 6.6. The Vice President Employability & Activities shall represent the Union at all University and external agencies with respect to Sports.

• The Vice President Employability & Activities shall fulfill those duties and obligations that arise consequentially upon signing the Sabbatical Officer contract for the post of Vice President Employability & Activities.


Candidates for any of the Sabbatical positions should display the following characteristics:

• The ability to represent the needs of students, both to the University and on a national level

• The ability to champion the need for and benefit of student support, beyond academic study

• Be student focussed and strive to enhance the student experience at LSBU

• The ability to listen actively to student feedback and opinion• Be non judgemental, empathetic and able to relate to the needs of all

students• Have confidence, enthusiasm, friendliness and an outgoing personality• The ability to engage with individuals and build relationships at all levels

of the Students’ Union, the University and the wider community• The ability to work effectively with others (students, staff, University) to

reach a consensus• The ability to build trusting and supportive relationships with students• The ability to work as a team and exhibit leadership skills as

appropriate• Independence and self reliance, being able to work without close

supervision• A positive attitude towards problem solving and decision making• Be tactful and diplomatic• Be resilient and able to respond to unpredictable challenges in a

positive manner• Flexible and hardworking with a proactive work style• A commitment to the principles and practices of equality and diversity

Term of office1 Year Commitment (1 Jul 2013 - 31 Jul 2014) The minimum working week for each post is 35 hours. However due to the nature of the role, actual working hours may exceed this total and involve some evening and weekend work

Remuneration£20,000 per annum. 26 days annual leave, in addition to the public holidays and University closure days.



Student Trustees2 x Student TrusteeThe Student Trustees play a vital role in our organisational development, provide strategic oversight and ensure the Students’ Union remains relevant to an ever diversifying membership. Attending usually for Trustee board meetings throughout the year, their responsibilities include ensuring that the Students’ Union has a clear vision, mission and values and that the organisation complies with all legal, financial and regulatory requirements. Outside of meetings, trustees are expected to play an ambassador role, enhancing the reputation of the Students’ Union and our members.

• Be responsible for the performance of the Union and for its behaviour• Make comprehensive and robust decisions on the future of the Union• Act as guardians of the organisations assets

Candidates for Student Trustee should display the following characteristics:

• Commitment to and a passion for the organisation• Willingness to devote the necessary time and effort• Strategic vision• Good, independent judgement• Ability to think creatively• Willingness to speak their mind• Understanding and acceptance of the legal duties , responsibilities and

liabilities of trusteeship• Ability to work effectively as a member of a team


Student Trustees are required to:

• Attend Trustee Board meetings (between 4 and 6 a year)• Ensure that Students’ Union has a clear vision, mission and strategic

direction and is focussed on achieving these• Be responsible for the performance of the Students’ Union and its be-

haviour• Ensure that the Students’ Union complies with all legal and regulatory

requirements• Act as guardians of the Students’ Union’s assets• Ensure that the Students’ Union’s governance is of the highest possible

standard• Abide by the Trustee Code of Conduct at all times

Term of Office2 Years (1 August 2013 to 31 July 2015) However if your course ends before this time you will need to resign from the trustee board.

RemunerationThe role is voluntary but reasonable expenses may be claimed

NUS National Conference Delegate5 x NUS National Conference DelegatesThe National Union of Students was set up as an association of students’ unions in 1922. Today NUS is one of the largest student organisations in the world representing over 600 Students’ Unions and over 7 million student members. It is committed to improving the lives and experiences of students in the UK, ensuring their voices are heard and effectively represented.

NUS have a well-deserved reputation for high profile campaigning that reflects the issues and concerns of all students. Working together with students and students’ unions, NUS develops strategic campaign actions and produces support materials including briefings and publicity materials. Successful candidates will be provided with further briefing on conference conduct, explanations of terminology and the production of their Conference Report.

NUS is governed by NUS National Conference, an annual meeting of all constituent member unions to decide policy for the forthcoming year and to elect the new National President and members of the National Executive Committee.

The role of delegates is to represent the interests of LSBU students at National Conference when decisions about the policy and leadership of NUS are being made. LSBU delegates will be helping to choose who will be running the NUS and what NUS works on in the year ahead so it is a vital job.

It is also a unique opportunity to get involved with the student movement at a national level, hear key issues debated in a lively manner and meet students from other Universities.


Candidates for NUS Conference Delegate should display the following characteristics:

• Commitment to and a passion for the student rights• Willingness to devote the necessary time and effort• Good, independent judgement• Ability to think creatively• Willingness to speak their mind

NUS Conference Delegate are required to:

• Attend a delegates’ briefing session before the conference.• Read all conference materials prior to attending the Conference.• Attend the Conference in Sheffield between 8th – 10th April 2013.

RemunerationThe role is voluntary but travel and reasonable expenses will be reimbursed.



What are the benefits of running? “Running for the position of Student Officer has many benefits – whether you’re successful or not.”

The experience of running your own election is one which will stay with you for a long time, regardless of the outcome. You’ll meet new faces, make new friends and, by throwing yourself in at the deep end, leave the process feeling proud. Elections are an experience shared by few, and when they’re over, you’ll have plenty to bring to the table at future job interviews: communication skills, running a marketing campaign and building relationships with potential voters are just some of the transferrable skills you’ll pick up.

Should you be the eventual victor, you’ll be in a privileged position with some very exclusive opportunities. Your role will have so much responsibility and variation as well as challenges that you’ll jump onto a steep learning curve and be taking on work that people wouldn’t normally get to experience until well into their career. All of our Sabbatical Officers will become trustees, sitting at the helm of an organisation with a million pounds turnover; to say this stands out to future employers is an understatement.

On a day-to-day basis, you could be meeting MPs, working with the Chief Executive to ensure that the organisation is running smoothly or representing your fellow students on a local, national and perhaps even an international basis. You lead the Students’ Union in the directions you know are best for the student population. This truly is a job which is designed by you and your passion for student life. What we can guarantee you is that whatever position you decide to run for, you’ll spend a year undertaking one of the most exciting roles in Higher Education today.


The difference between the Sabbatical Officer and Student Trustee roles is that as a Student Trustee you will not be a representative but you will sit on the decision making board of a charity with a million pound turnover. Working with the Student Officers and Lay Trustees your skills and knowledge will help to shape the future of the organisation, and how students will experience LSBU in the future. You’ll have opportunities to debate and negotiate decisions with experts in a variety of business areas, building your own transferable skills in the process.

It is also an opportunity to build your networks and develop some interesting and useful professional contacts. The biggest reward comes from contributing your expertise to an organisation that you are passionate about and paving the way for future leaders.

Becoming a CandidateApplications are made online through www.londonsouthbanksu.com/election2013. This is the only correct way to make an application. All candidates will be asked to complete information about yourselves and why you want to stand, read and agree with a declaration that you are eligible to stand and hold office.

The deadline for applications is 1pm on 8th February 2013. No applications received after this time shall be accepted. Once we’ve verified that you, and therefore eligible to stand, we’ll email you to confirm your candidature and post all accepted candidates on the elections website.

It is important to firmly decide which position you’d like to run for. Each post has a different focus and different responsibilities so think about where your passions lie and choose the role where you’ll be able to put the most of your ideas into practice.

Every candidate needs 2 LSBU student to support their nomination. So find a friend who thinks you’re worthy of the role. You’ll need their name, University email address and student number as you will be required to fill these in on your nomination form. Your nominator must be fully registered students of LSBU.


How to Write your ManifestoAs a candidate in an election, to be successful you need to convince as many people to vote for you as possible. Talking to potential voters face to face is the best way to secure their vote but your manifesto is also an important reflection of who you are and what you intend to do should you be elected. Many students, particularly those who don’t know you will use this to decide whether or not they want to vote for you

Do the research

Ask your housemates, friends on your course and students around campus to find out what students would like to see improved (or what really gets on their nerves) and build this into your manifesto.

Know the role

Make sure you fully understand what’s involved in the role you’re running for as different roles have different remits and therefore varying levels of influence on areas of policy (e.g. Higher Education Funding or a No Platform Policy). It’s important to understand the different roles, for example it’s no good standing to be one of the Vice Presidents Student Experience if you really want to work on activities and sports issues. Your manifesto needs to be relevant to the role you are running for.

Get thinking

You can stand out from other candidates by putting all your great ideas in your manifesto. Have you got a unique way to get students involved in a campaign or to make LSBU greener for example? You are more likely to get people’s votes if you can suggest new ways to solve issues as opposed to just pointing the problems out.



Something for everyoneThink about the different kinds of people who will be deciding who to vote for and try to include something which appeals to everyone. Think about the kinds of needs different students may have based on your research.

PersonalityAn election is not a formal job interview but is potentially thousands of mini interviews to get votes. Use your manifesto to convey your passion for LSBU and being a student representative. Let your personality come across in your writing so that students can see what they can expect if you are elected.

Don’t make promises you can’t keepIf you are successfully elected you should try to act on the points within your manifesto as the people who voted for you have given you a mandate to act on their behalf. It’s therefore important that you don’t promise things only to find that they cannot be done e.g. for financial or legal reasons as this will reflect badly on you and the Students’ Union. Make sure your ideas are viable so that if you are elected you can get to work on them straight away.

Ask!If you’re unsure about what role to stand for, what to include in your manifesto or want to know what the hot topics over the next year are likely to be, just come and speak to one of your Sabbatical Officers or a member of Student Union staff.


PublicityThe students’ union will be producing publicity to promote candidates to voters. Candidates’ official manifestos will be available online and in printed Voter’s Guides, which will be available at voting stations. Candidates are, of course, able to create whatever extra publicity they like.

Candidates will be supported with a contribution towards printing costs of £30 to publicise their election campaign (which will produce about 200 A3 posters in black and white). You should email the design you’d like printed as a Word or pdf files and you will be informed by return email when your publicity is ready to collect. Posters and flyers are the least effective form of publicity – face to face communication is by the far the best way of convincing students to vote in elections.

We’ll be sharing the official manifestos with students by email, on our websites and through our social media channels. We will support this by making technical staff available to produce campaign videos – each candidates will have the opportunity to record a sixty second manifesto that we will share electronically with all students throughout the elections process.

We actively encourage you to be creative and do your own electronic campaigning but you should remember that noting convinces students to vote more than face-to-face contact.

Official Campaign ToolsWe’ll be using as many ways as possible to share information about elections and what you’re doing with students. We’d encourage you to use our platforms to share your news and why people should vote for you.

www.facebook.com/mylsbustudentsunion

www.twitter.com/su_lsbu

www.youtube.com/

We will support this by making technical staff available to produce campaign videos – each candidate will have the opportunity to record a sixty second manifesto that we will share electronically with all students throughout the elections process.

We’d also like to incentivise creativity in campaigning so we’re offering a prize fir the best photo or video taken during the elections. BY sharing them with us on the channels above, you will be eligible to win £100. Any student can enter this competition. We will announce the winner at the Results Night event.


How to Run the Best CampaignYou can only begin campaigning after you have attended a candidate’s briefing meeting. The no campaigning rule means no flyers, posters, items of clothing carrying a campaign message or name or any other means of written publicity can be displayed or promoted before attending the candidate’s briefing meeting. This rule extends to social networking sites and websites (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, My Space, www.voteformike.com etc) and no groups.

Once the campaigning period is open, it’s time for the real work to begin. You need to work to get your name out into the student population as much as possible, so that when the voting period opens, it’s your name that people are putting the tick next to. Campaigning can be intensive and often leaves candidates exhausted. Our advice is to utilise your network of friends or colleagues to create a campaigning team. This will help with campus coverage and means your message can get out to many more students. Ensure your team is clear on your platform and the issues that matter to you. Don’t forget that you are responsible for the actions of your team.

• Tell your fellow students how you will represent them, what your passions are and what you feel the most important issues are.

• Repeat your name as much as possible; you want it to stick in people’s heads.

• Give examples of what experience/skills/knowledge you have that means you’ll be a great representative or trustee.

• Use a photo! People relate better to someone if they can put a face to a name. Images attract the eye more than words.

• Be clear on what you want to work on / change or develop.• Create a strap line for your campaign – use this on y our materials.• Ask questions of voters – what are the issues they f eel passionate

about?


• Take a name and contact number and tell them you’ll look into it and then get back to them.

• Make sure you understand the voting system – this will help with securing voters’ 2nd and 3rd preferences.

• Plan your time well so that all campuses are covered and a r ange of students are spoken to.

• Make sure you attend the Candidates Q&A Session – this is a great opportunity to speak to an audience and hear what other candidates have to say.

• Look after yourself and those helping you – don’t neglect healthy eating and plenty of sleep!

• Ensure your personal tutor is aware of your election campaign and that all University work is prioritised

Using the web and social networkingFor low cost, high impact publicity get online. Create a website about yourself and what great things you’ll do if you’re elected successfully. Use your Facebook profile, create a group about your campaign and invite all your friends to join it. Get them to spread the word. Remember, word of mouth is the most effective marketing tool you have and social networking sites provide a great platform to reach loads of people all at once.

Be second choiceElections are run on the Single Transferrable Vote (STV) system. This means that each vote counts for more by allowing the voter to select his/her preferred choice whilst allowing him/her to indicate second and a third rate preference until the candidate list is exhausted. If a voter wants to select another candidate as his/her first preference then encourage the voter to select you as their second preference.

Lecture Shout-outsA great place to get your message across, but you MUST get permission from the lecturer giving the lecture and you NEED to be very brief. Be succinct, genuine and encourage voting. Practice making a few important points in under a minute.


CanvassingWhile all the publicity is well worth doing, nothing beats actually sitting down face to face with your voters and talking to them about why they should vote, and why that vote should be used to get you elected. Across all our previous elections, the evidence shows that the most productive method of getting people to vote for you (by far) is asking them to in person.

• Don’t cover Union publicity with your own posters. Your materials will be removed and left at the nearest Student Centre for you to collect.

• Don’t use stickers. The University and even local councils may prosecute due to the damage they do to walls and furniture.

• Don’t start campaigning before Friday 4 March, if you are found to be doing so, you may no longer be allowed to run in the election.

• Ask permission from the relevant member of staff before making any announcements in lectures etc.

• Don’t annoy staff or local residents. They are not eligible to vote, and will not appreciate you harassing them.

• Don’t knock on doors in halls.• Don’t intimidate people, particularly when they are voting.• You and anyone campaigning for you must not be within two metres

of the voting station.• Don’t use offensive, discriminatory or inappropriate materials.• Don’t try and send out e -mails over the University e-mail network as

complaints are often received from University staff and students and this can have a negative impact on your campaign.

• Don’t use chalk t o write messages on walls and floors around either the Union buildings or University property as any cleaning bill will be invoiced to the candidate.

• Do not use negative campaigning to defame or attack another candidates

• Ensure that all election publicity remains within the la w (i.e. no infringement of copyright or equal opportunities.

• Respond to criticism in a measured way – Some people will not like what or how you are saying something. The best way to respond is to be diplomatic and polite – even if they are neither


Voting StationsEvidence form LSBU and experience from other students’ unions strongly suggests that the number of students voting in an election is heavily influenced by how candidates talk to voters and encourage them to vote; face-to-face contact is the most important thing about the elections.

Although all of the elections are done online with an electronic ballot, there will be voting stations of banks of computers all around campus and in halls to help candidates guide students to vote. Voting stations will be supervised by election officials (usually students’ union staff). Elections officials will always ask campaigners to leave students well alone as they vote, and will usually require them to stay a distance away from the voting station.Voting will take place through www.londonsouthbanksu.com/election2013. Students will need their University login and password to vote and must do so themselves – it isn’t acceptable for students to vote on behalf of other students (and is actually against the University’s rules). Information about all voting stations will be on the front page of the voting website.


The Voting MethodVoting opens 12pm Monday 25th February 2013 and closes 12pm 1st March 2013.

Every student at LSBU should be involved in the election, even those of you not running for a position, because you all have the right to vote. The election itself takes place over 5 days through an online voting system. So you can log in from any computer at any time of day (or night!) and register your vote. As soon as the successful candidates have been announced we’ll publish their manifestos so you can read up on what each person intends to bring to the role.

Visit www.londonsouthbanksu.com during the voting period to cast your vote. Log in with your LSBU username and you can log in and out as many times as you wish but you cannot re-cast a vote for a position you have already voted for. Make sure you’ve read about the candidates and made your choice before voting.


Where to vote?Voting is done completely online through www.londonsouthbanksu.com/election2013 and there will be voting stations around the Southwark and Havering campuses:

Students can vote on their laptops, tablets or smart phones but candidates are reminded of the ‘code of conduct’ and appropriate campaigning.

The votes will be counted as quickly as possible once the election pe-riod has closed. The results announcement will be made in on Friday 1st March 2012 and results will be available online the same evening.

How does the voting work?In all elections, we use the Single Transferable Vote to elect our student representatives. This basically means that each voter gets the opportunity to rank candidates in the order they wish to see them elected – they will select numbers rather than just put a mark. A winning candidate must receive a certain number of votes (also known as a quota) to be elected, which will change depending on the number of votes cast but is usually the total number of valid votes divided by the number of positions being elected plus one, plus one vote. This is, in our opinion, the fairest method as it means candidates have to have wide support to win. More information about this method of electing candidates can be found at www.electoral-reform.org.uk

Top Tip for Candidates: If you meet someone who has already decided who they are going to vote for make sure you campaign for their second or third vote as these could make all the difference! The transferable vote system can be used to elect a single position such as a Student Officer or several people such as Student Council or the Union’s NUS delegation.


The Elections Timetable

Nominations Open 12pm, 7th January 2013 Nominations Close 1pm, 8th February 2013 Candidates Briefing Sessions 4pm, 11th February 2013 Ballots Open 10am, 25th February 2013 Ballots Close 1pm, 1st March 2013 Elections Results Announced (subject to election procedures)

1st March 2013


Elections Rules and GuidanceThe correct process for submitting an application to stand in the elections and the elections process is contained in this Guide. Only applications completed in this way and within the deadline specified will be accepted.

Our general philosophy is: candidates are expected to conduct themselves in a way that is fair and reasonable and engage in a positive campaigning experience that helps students to vote.

We don’t believe that restrictive rules help the elections process to engage students in discussions about the future of their experience, or help them to vote. As such, our rules are deliberately minimal. We expect candidates to ensure that they and their campaign teams support this.


London South Bank University Students’ UnionStudent Centre Borough RoadLondonSE1 0AA

Tel: 0207 815 6060Email: [email protected]/election2013

a guide to elections 2013

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