The University’s Students’ Union has opened nominations for their 2024 Leadership Elections, covering the SU Executive Committee, Student Trustees, and Society Committee positions. The ongoing democratic process of the SU ensures students have a voice to encourage and shape the Sussex they want to see. Active participation in the elections gives students a chance to have a say in issues such as what events take place at uni, how much funding societies receive, and even the cost of rent and drinks on campus.
For those interested in becoming a nominee for a Students’ Union role, the current SU will be hosting a ‘Being an Officer Information Session’ on 26 February. Nominations close on 1 March, followed by the manifesto submission deadline on 8 March.
Candidates will be announced on 11 March, and all manifestos will be made public for students to consider. This is closely followed by the voting period, which opens at 9am on 13 March. All students will have the opportunity to choose who they want to represent them. Votes can be cast on the SU website (https://sussexstudent.com/elections) in a few simple clicks.
Voting will close on 15 March so be sure to head to the website before then.
Who are we voting for?
The March elections are held to vote for the Executive Team and Student Trustees of the Students’ Union for the next academic year. The Executive Team consists of six full time officers and seven part time officers who will be in charge of running the SU on a day-to-day basis. These roles include influential positions such as the Wellbeing Officer, Diversity, Access and Participation Officer and the Sports, Societies and Events Officer.
The Student Trustees, on the other hand, are not involved in frequent affairs, however, they play an important role in overseeing the finances and performance of the SU, holding them accountable for meeting their aims. This position also allows three students to work alongside the full-time officers and the Board, allowing students’ voices to have a pivotal impact.
During this period, societies will also be voting for their 2024/25 committee. All registered members of a society are eligible to vote for their new committee, which comprises at a minimum the President, Welfare Officer, and Treasurer.
The SU is a separate organisation from the University of Sussex that aims to improve the University for students. Therefore, voting for a candidate whose values align is a direct way for individual students to influence the University the following year. Have your say on the Students’ Union website 13-15 March 2024.
Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash
