Students’ Guild announces changes to Officer roles

Ballantyne Editor

EXETER Students’ Guild are introducing a new Guild Officer position in the upcoming Guild elections, as part of a series of changes which the Students’ Guild have made to the roles and titles of Guild Officers.

The Guild will be electing six positions this year, compared to the five positions open in the 2022 elections. Guild representatives will now be 'Officers' not 'Vice Presidents' under the changes. While the positions of Guild President, Education Officer, and Sports President remain the same, the positions of VP Liberation and Equality and VP Opportunities have been replaced with a ‘Communities and Equality Officer,' a ‘Societies and Employability Officer,' and a ‘Student Living Officer.’ The position of Sports President is elected through the

Guild election process, but the Sports President is affiliated with the Athletics Union and is therefore not a Guild Officer.

The Students’ Guild explained these changes, telling

Exepose: “Last year’s democratic review consulted students and trustees on how Exeter’s student body could better be represented through the paid Full-Time Officers. This has resulted in the creation of a new Student Living Officer role, and some changes to the remits of the other FTO roles. The changes have been made to ensure students are better represented in key areas including housing, student safety and sustainability amongst others.”

The Students' Guild have once again chosen to not require candidates to provide manifestos in this year’s elections, a change first implemented in last years' elections, and which was criticised by students last year, when students told Exeposé , they worried this would turn the elections into a “personality contest,” and would give an unfair advantage to returning officers. Speaking on the decision to run elections without manifestos for a second year in a row, the Students’ Guild told Exeposé : “For this election, we have again asked candidates to provide a personal statement focusing on the skills and values that they will bring to the roles, rather than a manifesto. For Officers to be student led, being reactive to student priorities and needs as they arise, is a better model for making sure the student voice is heard than static manifestos.”

The run up to the Exeter Students’ Guild elections has already is already underway, with nominations for the elections open until 6th February. Voting will open on February 22nd. A spokesperson for the University of Exeter said: “The University and the Guild work closely to provide meaningful action and change to ensure students have the best possible environment to thrive. The Guild Officers play an integral role in raising, supporting and championing key issues within the student community, and these elections give an important opportunity for students to choose their representatives going forward.”

FEATURES EDITORS: Benedict Thompson and Austin Taylor