STUDENT OFFICERS AND SCHOOL REPRESENTATIVES

Statement booklet: download here or pick up a copy on campus.

Question and answer session recordings: Student Officer | School Representative

Candidate handbook: download here.

ABOUT THE ROLE OF STUDENT OFFICER

This year, we are choosing five student leaders instead of the usual three, and 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.

Student officers are full-time paid roles. You will be paid a salary of £26,000 for the year, and will take a break from your studies if you’re still completing your course.

The details

Student officers 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. We're always trying to improve things for students: 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; doing research on the needs of Disabled students ensure they have an equitable experience; opening a brand new space in Stratford for you to relax in between lectures means you can have tie to refresh between learning activities; and so many more things. We’re always making your university life better and our student officer team are at the forefront of that.

Student officers are representatives of the student community. We really want successful candidates to lean into that. You’ll be working on important policies, actively participating in meetings to change things, and campaigning about the things that matter to students.

As a student officer, your responsibilities will include representing students’ interests, working on Students’ Union policy, and participating in relevant events and committees. (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.

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 to 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. 

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.