SU ELECTIONS 2016 STAND. VOTE. LEAD.
CANDIDATE INFORMATION PACK
CONTENTS WELCOME KEY DATES KEY CONTACTS NOMINATING YOURSELF SABBATICAL OFFICER ROLES PART-TIME VOLUNTEER ROLES TRAINING AND SUPPORT RULES AND REGULATIONS JARGON BUSTER FAQS
WELCOME
So you’re interested (potentially) in standing for election? First of all, you’ve made a great decision. Putting yourself forward for a leadership role in the Students’ Union is one of the most rewarding things you can do during your time studying at Royal Holloway. In this pack you’ll find lots of information about the elections we’re holding in March for the following positions: i. Sabbatical Officer Roles ii. Student Trustee Roles iii. Royal Holloway College Council Student Representative
IMPORTANT INFORMATION For the sabbatical officer roles, your term of office will start on Monday 27 June, with a compulsory two week induction, followed by a one week handover with the current officers.
KEY DATES
THE ELECTION PROCESS STARTS IN LATE JANUARY AND FINISHES IN MID-MARCH. YOU CAN CHECK OUT THE KEY DATES BELOW. nominations open 10:00, 25 JANUARY
previous officer panel discussion 18:00 - 20:00, 2 FEBRUARY
manifesto planning sessions 8 - 12 FEBRUARY
campaign training and manifesto drop-in sessions 15 - 19 FEBRUARY
nominations close 19 FEBRUARY
compulsory candidate briefing 17:00, STUMBLE OUT, 23 FEBRUARY
online campaigning starts 4 MARCH
physical campaigning starts 7 MARCH
candidate question time 8 MARCH
voting period 9 - 11 MARCH, OPENS 09:00 CLOSES 16:00
results night 11 MARCH
NOMINATING YOURSELF Nominating yourself is really easy. All you need to do is head over to su.rhul.ac.uk/elections and complete the online self-nomination form. To do this you’ll need the following information: i. ii. iii. iv. v. vi.
Name College Email Telephone Number Up to 100 words about you Up to 100 words about your relevant experience Up to 100 words about what you want to achieve for students
Please be aware that this information will be used in all official Students’ Union publicity, including the online voting platform. Candidates are free to design their own publicity outside of this.
KEY CONTACTS Your first point of call for all things related to the SU Elections should be the Students’ Union’s Representation and Engagement Coordinator, Dan Curran, who can be found upstairs in the main
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Students’ Union building, or contacted on:
ASSISTANT RETURNING OFFICER DANIEL CURRAN E: ELECTIONS@SU.RHUL.AC.UK T: 01784 276714
SABBATICAL OFFICER ROLES THERE ARE FOUR SABBATICAL OFFICER ROLES THAT ARE UP FOR ELECTION. THESE ARE OPEN TO ALL CURRENT STUDENTS AND YOU CAN TAKE A YEAR OUT OF YOUR STUDIES OR APPLY AT THE END OF YOUR FINAL YEAR. ON TOP OF THE £22,704 ANNUAL SALARY, ADDITIONAL BENEFITS INCLUDE 37 DAYS HOLIDAY, LIFE INSURANCE COVER, AND MATCHED EMPLOYER PENSION CONTRIBUTIONS. Hours: Full Time (35 hours per week) Contract: One Year Salary: £22,704 per annum
As trustees, sabbatical officers sit on the Board of Trustees, which is a committee ultimately responsible for everything that the Union does. They have a legal duty to act in The sabbatical officer team consists of the the long term interests of the Union, and make President and three Co-Presidents who all have decisions on matters including the budget, their own individual areas of responsibility. strategy and governance of the organisation. The President is the Chair of Trustees, with These roles have four core areas of work: as additional responsibility for working with the activists and student representatives, as Chief Executive Officer to ensure the Board is trustees of the charity, and as staff members. effective in what it does. As activists and student representatives, sabbatical officers are responsible for ensuring the Union constantly champions the voice of our members, to the College, local community and at a national level. This involves knowing what issues are currently at the top of students’ minds, lobbying effectively to make change, and communicating regularly through a “you said, we did” approach.
As staff members, sabbatical officers are responsible for working on a day-to-day basis with the permanent staff team to deliver the Students’ Union’s objectives. This involves things like attending planning meetings for big projects such as Welcome Week, to writing documents for College committees. It involves a regular 35 hour working week, with plenty of professional training and support.
The Deputy Returning Officer for these elections is Dr Tom Flynn, the Students’ Union’s Chief Executive. The Returning Officer for these is elections is Peter Robertson from the National Union of Students. Both
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of these can be contacted via Daniel Curran.
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SABBATICAL OFFICER ROLES PRESIDENT, EDUCATION AND CAMPAIGNS On one side the President of the Students’ Union is the Chair of Trustees, and first point of contact between the Union and the College. They sit on the College’s governing body called Council, as well as a host of other important committees. On the other hand, they are also responsible for developing the Union’s work related to your educational experience – working closely with academic departments and supporting course reps to make positive changes for students. They are ‘chief campaigner’ (attend NUS Conference automatically), chair General Meetings and have overall responsibility for increasing democratic participation in the organisation.
CO-PRESIDENT, SOCIETIES AND MEDIA
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The Co-President, Societies and Media is one of two sabbatical officers with a portfolio linked to student groups. They are specifically responsible for developing the Union’s work supporting and facilitating our societies, media groups and Raise and Give, giving students the opportunity to get involved in amazing activities while studying at Royal Holloway. They also sit on a number of College committees related to things like volunteering and campus events.
CO-PRESIDENT, WELFARE AND DIVERSITY The Co-President, Welfare and Diversity is the lead sabbatical officer on matters related to equality, diversity and liberation – making sure the Union and College is a positive environment where all students feel comfortable studying. They lead our work on campaigns related to housing, money, health, safety and general wellbeing – working closely with the Students’ Union’s Advice Centre to identify issues across the student population. In addition to this, the Co-President Welfare and Diversity sits on a number of committees related to student wellbeing, working closely with College services such as Disability Support and Counselling to ensure they meet the needs of students.
CO-PRESIDENT, SPORTS AND DEVELOPMENT
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The Co-President, Sports and Development is the second of two sabbatical officers with a portfolio linked to student groups. They are responsible for developing the Union’s work supporting and facilitating our sports clubs, both competitively and just for fun – getting more students more active, more often. This includes acting as the first representative point of contact with external organisations such as British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS). They also sit on a number of College committees related to sport and healthy lifestyle.
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PART-TIME OFFICER ROLES THERE ARE ALSO TWO VOLUNTEER ROLES UP FOR GRABS IN THESE ELECTIONS, WHICH ARE ONLY OPEN TO CURRENT STUDENTS WHO WILL DEFINITELY BE RETURNING TO ROYAL HOLLOWAY NEXT YEAR.
STUDENT TRUSTEES X3 Hours: up to two meetings per term Term of Office: one year Salary: voluntary Student Trustees are volunteer roles for one year, to join the four sabbatical officers and three externally appointed members on the Board of Trustees. These roles have the same legal responsibility for making decisions in the long term interests of the Students’ Union, dealing with matters including the strategy, budget and governance of the organisation.
COLLEGE COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVE Hours: up to two meetings per term Term of Office: one year Salary: voluntary
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The College Council Representative joins the Students’ Union President as a member of the College’s governing body, making decisions on issues that affect all students at Royal Holloway. This includes approving things like the recent £55m new library building, and holding the Principal to account for delivering the College’s own strategic plan.
TRAINING AND SUPPORT FOR CANDIDATES ELECTIONS ARE ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS WE DO AS A STUDENTS’ UNION – WHERE STUDENTS GET TO CHOOSE WHO REPRESENTS THEM AND LEADS THEIR ORGANISATION. TO HELP YOU MAKE THE MOST OF THE PROCESS, WE’VE PLANNED A NUMBER OF USEFUL SESSIONS. YOU’LL BE ABLE TO BOOK ON TO THESE FROM THE MAIN SU WEBSITE.
MANIFESTO PLANNING SESSIONS Time: 11:00 - 13:00 Date: Tuesday 9 February Location: Jane Holloway Hall Time: 12:00 - 14:00 Date: Thursday 11 February Location: Stumble Out
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Need help structuring your manifesto? Not sure how to word something? Then come along to one of the manifesto planning sessions and sit down with the Students’ Union President, Education and Campaigns who will be able to give you expert support and top tips.
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MANIFESTO DROP-IN SESSIONS Time(s): 10:00 - 12:00 Date(s): 15 – 19 February (daily) Location(s): Ask at SU Reception With the launch of the Students’ Union’s strategic plan 2016-2020, it’s really important that candidates have a good idea of what’s on the horizon for the organisation – and what large projects are already in the pipeline. Come along for a one-to-one chat with the Union’s Chief Executive, Tom Flynn, who’ll fill you in on some longer term plans.
CAMPAIGNING TO WIN Time: 12:00 - 14:00 Date: Monday 15 February Location: Windsor Building, 1-05 Time: 13:00 - 15:00 Date: Wednesday 17 February Location: Arts Building, Ground Floor 24
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This session will take you step-by-step through how to plan and run a successful election campaign at Royal Holloway, from identifying your campaign team to looking at interesting methods of campaigning. This session is useful for both candidates and campaigning teams.
RULES AND REGULATIONS It is impossible to provide a set of rules and regulations that cover every potential scenario that could happen during an election campaign. When investigating conduct, incidents or complaints, the Deputy Returning Officer and Returning Officer will make a judgement based on the following ethos:
ALL CANDIDATES MUST CONDUCT THEMSELVES IN A ‘FREE AND FAIR’ MANNER THAT REFLECTS THE VALUES AND POLICIES OF THE STUDENTS’ UNION AND THE REGULATIONS SET OUT IN THE COLLEGE’S STUDENT HANDBOOK*. If in doubt, we advise you to run your campaign ideas (in complete confidence) past the Assistant Returning Officer before you put them into action. *ACCESSIBLE HERE: ROYALHOLLOWAY.AC.UK/ABOUTUS/GOVERNANCEMATTERS/STUDENTHANDBOOK
GENERAL The elections will be overseen by the Returning Officer, who will be provided by NUS. The Returning Officer will delegate responsibility to the Deputy Returning Officer. Both individuals are empowered to investigate any matters related to the election, infringement of election rules or complaints regarding candidate or campaign team conduct. If they find that there has been an infringement they may: i.
Warn the candidate that any future infringement will result in a campaigning ban or disqualification ii. Issue a campaigning ban iii. Disqualify the candidate All candidates must attend a compulsory briefing session with the Deputy Returning Officer and will be required to sign a copy of these rules at the meeting.
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Names will appear on ballot papers as per the University registration. In cases where a shorter form or alternative is used, dispensation may be granted at the Deputy Returning Officer’s discretion. SU.RHUL.AC.UK/ELECTIONS
COMPLAINTS All complaints must be submitted within 24 hours of the alleged incident, via the official online complaints form, and will include the following information: i.
Name and contact details of person making complaint (anonymous complaints will not be considered) ii. Name of person being complained about iii. Details of incident (including time and date) iv. Details of any witnesses v. Details of which rules have been broken vi. Details of the action requested All complaints will be investigated by the Deputy Returning Officer, who will consider the facts and make an appropriate decision. This ruling will be communicated to all parties involved and included in the annual Returning Officer’s Elections Report. Any decisions made by the Deputy Returning Officer can be appealed via a written statement to the Returning Officer (but must include factual information as to why the original decision is considered unjust). Any decisions made by the Returning Officer are final.
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All complaints must be received within one hour of voting closing. Any complaints considered after this time will not be investigated as part of the elections process (although they may be considered under the disciplinary procedure outlined in the Students’ Union Constitution).
CAMPAIGNING Online campaigning begins on 4 March while physical campaigning will begin on 7 March. The Students’ Union will provide a number of physical ballot stations on campus during the voting period. An exclusion zone for campaigning around these will be made clear to all candidates. Permission should be obtained from the College before placing any posters/banners etc. around managed areas of the campus. Candidates must ensure that all publicity (including stickers) is removed from campus within one hour of voting closing. Campaigning is strictly forbidden in the following areas: i. ii. iii. iv. v.
All libraries Computer rooms The Chaplaincy and associated spaces Facebook groups, pages or events other than those specifically set up for the election Email lists (i.e. mass email)
Candidates and members of their campaign team must allow voters the opportunity to cast their vote in private, and under no circumstances must votes be cast on a voter’s behalf.
FINANCES Candidates for sabbatical officer roles are allowed to spend up to £50 of their own money on campaign resources (non-refundable). The Students’ Union will provide up to £10 worth of printing without charge and up to 11 campaign team t-shirts. Financial declaration forms (including all receipts) must be submitted to the Deputy Returning Officer within one hour of voting closing for approval. Any queries will be investigated as required.
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Candidates may not accept material sponsorship from any source to assist with their campaign that would not have been available to other candidates unless it is accounted for in their budget.
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JARGON BUSTER THE ELECTIONS CAN SEEM LIKE A COMPLICATED PROCESS ALTHOUGH WHEN YOU BREAK IT DOWN IT’S VERY SIMPLE! THAT’S WHY WE’VE THOUGHT OF ALL THE UNUSUAL WORDS AND ACRONYMS USED DURING THE ELECTION PERIOD AND PROVIDED A BRIEF EXPLANATION.
ALTERNATIVE VOTE / SINGLE TRANSFERABLE VOTE SYSTEM (AV/STV) The voting systems which are used in SU elections. Voters put a number 1 next to their preferred candidate and a 2 against their next choice etc. Ideally, you want voters to put a 1 next to your name on the ballot, but if they have already decided someone else is their first choice it’s worth fighting to be number 2, or even 3. This is because if the candidate who was their first choice gets eliminated, that vote will then go to you.
CAMPAIGNING Persuading people to vote for you… But be careful not to annoy them. Although voting doesn’t open until 9 March, you should begin talking to people and using social media to spread the word as soon as the campaigning period opens.
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CAMPAIGN TEAM A team of people who will be spreading your message around campus and online. There is no limit to the number of people who can help you, but remember… You are responsible for their conduct.
CANDIDATE QUESTION TIME An event where voters get the chance to meet the candidates and quiz them face-to-face.
CONSTITUTION A long document, and there’s no need to know it back to front, but it’s the rules that govern how the SU operates so it’s worth familiarising yourself. The constitution can be downloaded online from www.su.rhul.ac.uk/ about/constitution.
E-VOTING The paperless way to vote! You can use any web enabled computer or mobile device to vote, from our website at www.su.rhul.ac.uk/ vote
MANIFESTO A proclamation of who you are, what you want to achieve, and why you think students should vote for you.
RETURNING OFFICER This is the person who oversees the elections and makes sure they are run as they should be. There is also a Deputy Returning Officer who is a member of Students’ Union staff.
RON (RE-OPEN NOMINATIONS) The opposition in every election. If students don’t like any of the candidates, they can vote to ‘Re-open Nominations’. If this option gets more votes than any of the candidates, the election will have to be re-opened.
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SABBS A short word for the sabbatical officers, the team of four full-time (and paid) student officers. Students can take a year out of studies, or apply at the end of their final year.
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FAQ THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS A STUPID QUESTION. DON’T YOU HAVE TO BE IN YOUR FINAL YEAR TO STAND TO BE A SABBATICAL OFFICER? Any member, at any point during their studies, can stand to be a sabbatical officer. It’s like taking a paid gap year. However if you are taking a break from your studies, it’s important that you check with your department that this is feasible and that you will be allowed to return. IS IT GOING TO COST ME LOTS OF MONEY TO TAKE PART IN THESE ELECTIONS? Elections aren’t won by spending lots of money and the rules won’t let you do so either. Each candidate is only allowed to spend £50 of their own money but that is completely up to you – candidates have in the past run successful campaigns without spending a single penny of their own cash. The Students’ Union will also give every candidate £10 worth of free printing and up to eleven campaign t-shirts.
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AREN’T ELECTIONS STILL JUST A POPULARITY CONTEST AT THE END OF THE DAY? That depends what you mean by popularity. Obviously the most popular candidate wins, but that popularity could come from your policies or from an interesting and engaging campaign – you don’t have to be an extrovert
who knows 1000 students by name. DO I STAND A CHANCE OF WINNING THE ELECTION IF THERE’S AN INCUMBENT STANDING? Every candidate stands a chance; just because the incumbent won one election doesn’t mean they will win another, especially if students don’t think they have done a good job. You have to show why you would make a better choice and then sell that to the electorate. There are clear examples in recent elections where incumbents have failed to get re-elected. WHO DO I CHOOSE FOR MY CAMPAIGN TEAM? It’s always good to have a core group of people to help you with your campaign and spread the word – you should try and get a good range of people from different courses and years. We would advise you to ensure that you don’t recruit more team members than you can realistically coordinate – remember you will be responsible for them. A big campaign team is not necessarily an effective one – more important is to choose people you can trust to represent you with the right skills to win you votes. WHEN CAN PEOPLE VOTE? Voting is open from 09:00 on Wednesday 9 March to 16:00 on Friday 11 March.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY ‘ALLOWING STUDENTS TO CAST THEIR VOTE IN PRIVATE’? We understand that you would want to make the process of voting easy and simple. However, you have to make sure that each person has the chance to vote for whoever they want. If you are allowing someone to use your tablet or laptop then you need to make sure you don’t cast the vote for them. Giving them a chance to sit down is a great way of making sure they have enough space and privacy. We’ll be giving more guidance to candidates on this topic during the compulsory briefing session.
WHAT DO I DO IF SOMEONE IS HAVING TROUBLE ACCESSING THE VOTING SYSTEM? Get them to visit the Students’ Union reception where a member of staff will be able to assist them. DO I HAVE TO KNOW THE STUDENTS’ UNION OR JOB INSIDE OUT? Don’t worry - you don’t have to know what the job is straight away. As soon as you start the role you will be given plenty of training during the first few months, and throughout your time in office you will be supported by staff, who will help you to reach your targets. I’M NOT SURE WHAT TO PUT IN MY MANIFESTO… An easy way to start building up a manifesto is by going out and talking to students and seeing what issues they are currently facing. Moreover, you can look at the Students’ Union strategic plan to see what projects students have already suggested. We’ve also got lots of training sessions specifically designed to help you with this.
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DO I HAVE TO MISS MY LECTURES DURING ELECTION WEEK? We advise that candidates don’t miss lectures during election week, remember your education is important and the reason you came to university. If you do decide to miss teaching time then we advise arranging with your tutors to catch up with the work that you miss, so that you don’t fall behind. If you are attending lectures make sure that your campaign keeps going and your campaign team are still out and about.
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SUELECTIONS SU.RHUL.AC.UK/ELECTIONS
t: 01784 276700 e: students.union@su.rhul.ac.uk w: su.rhul.ac.uk Find us on social media @SURHUL