LETTER FROM THE CHAIR
Hello,
My name is Bob Walder and I chair the Board of Trustees at Hertfordshire Students’ Union. I would like to thank you for showing an interest in joining our Board and give you an insight into our work.
Our Board is made up of eleven members, with elected student officers, appointed students, a senior university representative and external representatives. We also have a number of officers in attendance like the CEO and her senior leadership team.
As a Board, our main task is to ensure Herts SU operates legally within the Charities Commission structure, as well as working with the CEO, senior leadership team and elected officers to establish and review the strategic direction of the Union.
The world of higher education doesn’t stand still, making Herts SU an inspiring environment to be part of. The University of Hertfordshire has ambitions reach the top 50 in a university league table, the top 25% for student satisfaction and the top 50% for graduate outcomes. We’re confident the Union can support with this. In recent years we have come together to improve the student experience through joint ventures like a huge student listening project, a free enrolment scheme for our academic societies, the complete refurbishment of our student venue social space and more. It’s an exciting time to be part of the journey.
Higher education is a fascinating world that can have huge impact on peoples lives. Being a trustee is an opportunity to both learn more about this world and contribute your expertise to its success.
Bob Walder Chair of the Board of Trustees
BOB WALDER
THE STRUCTURE
Herts SU is an incorporated charity. Our Board of Trustees has overall responsibility and oversight for our administration.
TRUSTEE BOARD MEMBERS
The Board is made up of 11 members:
• 4 x Officer Trustees
1 President and 3 Part-Time Officers, all elected by students
• 2 x Student Trustees
Current students appointed by the Chair of the People Committee and the President
• External Trustees
Individuals with varied experiences, bringing their own expertise and skills to the Board
• 1 x University Trustees
A member of staff from the University of Hertfordshire’s senior leadership team
OFFICERS IN ATTENDANCE
The Chief Executive Officer and senior leadership team of Herts SU also attend meetings, in addition to our Secretary to the Board.
SUB COMMITTEES
There are several sub-committees of the Board:
• People Committee
• Finance and Audit Committee
• Election Review Working Party
Each sub-committee is made up of one or two External Trustees (one of whom acts as Chair), along with a number of Officer & Student Trustees and the CEO, with an appropriate senior manager to support and inform the committee.
ABOUT US
Herts SU is here to support students on their journey at the Uni of Herts and make sure it’s the best it can be. We’re independent from the university, but we work closely together to enrich the student experience. We are a dynamic, vibrant and exciting organisation.
We run a variety of provisions for the benefit of our 35,000 strong student population. Services include advice & support, events, opportunities, a nightclub and student representation.
CAREER STAFF
Our career staff team is made up of 34 fulltime and part-time members, in addition to 1 full-time and 9 part-time Elected Officers. We are extremely proud of all that they do to improve the student experience at Herts and make the SU a lovely place to work.
STUDENT STAFF
Our student staff team are vital to our continued growth and we couldn’t reach our ambitions without their support! Roles include Bar Staff, Digital Content Creators, Events Assistants, Insight Assistants, Tech Crew and more.
OUR IMPACT
1,290 STUDENTS SUPPORTED
1,517 CASES WORKED ON ADVICE & SUPPORT COMMERCIAL
3,238 SERVICE ENGAGEMENTS
13,000 TICKETS SOLD
4,649 INDIVIDUAL STUDENTS PURCHASED TICKETS
60 STUDENT EVENTS
STUDENT DEVELOPMENT
32 SCHOOL COMMUNITY ORGANISERS
6,371 INDIVIDUAL STUDENTS ATTENDED 96 EVENTS 3,268 SOCIETY MEMBERSHIPS
5,465 STUDENTS TOOK PART IN RESEARCH GIVEN OVER STUDENTS OVER £5,000 IN INCENTIVES
STUDENT STAFF
117 STUDENT STAFF MEMBERS WORKED A COMBINED TOTAL OF 15,082 HOURS 1,017 STUDENT REPS
Numbers from the 2024-25 academic year
VALUES AND VISION
People enrich our organisation and make it the way that it is. They create our unique culture and bring our values to life. We wouldn’t be able to succeed without the invaluable input of these individuals, and we work hard to ensure their continued success in return.
Here at Herts SU, we want everyone to feel they have a part to play in the organisation’s strategy and feel connected to our vision.
OUR VALUES
When developing our Strategic Plan, we consulted widely with staff members about the key themes we felt were important and passionate about. The following themes were selected and form our HERTS values.
OUR VISION
We’re here to enrich the student experience at the University of Hertfordshire. That’s why our vision underpins all that we do, to ensure that we help students love life at Herts
H ELPFUL E MPOWERING R EPRESENTATIVE T RANSPARENT
JOB DESCRIPTION
JOB DESCRIPTION
JOB TITLE
External Trustee (Voluntary)
RESPONSIBLE TO
The chair of the Board of Trustees
LOCATION
Hatfield, Hertfordshire
DURATION
Maximum of two terms
(Three years per term, maximum of six years)
THE ROLE
To sit on the governing body of Hertfordshire Students’ Union, ensuring the organisation is well run, meeting all its charitable aims and working within legal and constitutional frameworks. You will also support us to develop a strong understanding of our ever-evolving University of Hertfordshire student population, playing a vital role in how we serve them through our continued growth.
NUMBER OF POSITIONS
We are currently looking to recruit one External Trustee.
BENEFITS
• Opportunity for personal and professional development
• Impressive addition to any CV
• Opportunity to network with other professionals
• The chance to make a meaningful different to University of Hertfordshire students
• Out-of-pocket expenses for attending meetings and the like will be covered by us
SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATE
You will have...
• A vast range of experience and skills that you can bring to the Board from outside Herts SU and the University
You will...
• Contribute up to 2 days per month to the role
• Be committed to the position
• Keep in regular contact with other members of the Board and provide feedback & input on any issues as they arise
• Be friendly and respectful of others, maintaining a safe and considerate workplace in line with our HERTS values
• Be honest and open while being supportive of others, empowering other Board members to be fulfilled in their role
• Be fair
• Value equality, diversity, ethics and the environment
We encourage...
• Applications from the local and surrounding areas, alumni and former governors or staff of the University of Hertfordshire
You can...
• Be appointed for a minimum of one term of 3 years and serve a maximum of two terms which can be consecutive or non-consecutive
ELIGIBILITY
To ensure that you are eligible to stand as a charity director, please review the government’s guidance here.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Attend six meetings a year
2. Undertake appropriate training and personal development as required for the role
3. Prepare for meetings by reading through materials and papers beforehand
4. Actively contribute and add value to the Board, offering a considered and reasonable perspective on matters at hand to help reach sound conclusions, with the courage to challenge appropriately. This may involve but is not limited to
• Leading discussions
• Scrutinising papers
• Providing guidance on new initiative
• Hearing specific HR and/or membership discipline case
• Supporting with any issues in which you have special expertise
5. Ensure Herts SU has and follows a clear strategic direction that meets the needs of its members, with clearly outlined goals and performance indicators
6. Ensure Herts SU complies with its governance, charity law, company law, Education Acts and any other relevant legislation or regulations
7. Help steer the strategy and finances of the Union alongside other Trustees
8. Provide support for the Chief Executive Officer and senior leadership team in protecting and managing the Union’s assets, ensuring they are used exclusively in pursuance of the agreed objectives
9. Provide expertise, experience and support to the Board to ensure Herts SU will be able to deliver positive change for its members
10. Adhere to all relevant Herts SU policy, with particular reference to staffing and health & safety
11. Ensure any and all conflicts of interest that may arise are declared
RECRUITMENT PROCESS
The recruitment for this role is being overseen by the Chair of the Board of Trustees (Bob Walder), CEO (Rebecca Hobbs) and the Director of People and Resources (Leena Patel). A panel has been made of three trustees and the CEO, who will be responsible for the selection of the candidate.
As part of the recruitment process, the People Committee has reviewed the current skills and experience of the Trustee Board and is seeking applications from candidates with some or all of the following areas of knowledge and experience.
• Commercial
• Communications, Marketing and Engagement
• Legal
• Higher Education
• Human Resources
We are looking for a committed and engaged individual who will be able to contribute up to 2 days per month to the role. We welcome applications from candidates with diverse backgrounds and from typically under-represented groups within our community. We encourage applications from the local area and from alumni and former University of Hertfordshire staff.
HOW TO APPLY
In order to apply for this role, please email your CV and a supporting statement (maximum of 2 A4 pages) to recruitment@hertssu.com Please note all personal details will be hidden as we are committed to blind shortlisting.
Your supporting statement should outline your experience in charity governance and knowledge of the role of a Trustee, whilst also covering your links to the organisation and the University. The panel would like to see what you could bring to the role to help develop the student body at Herts and any evidence to support the areas of knowledge and experience being sought through this process.
The deadline for applications is Wednesday 30th July at 23:59. Interviews will be held week commencing 4th August on our College Lane campus.
If you are interested in applying for this role but you’d like to learn more about the position, expectations, the recruitment process or Herts SU, please contact the Board’s Secretary (Karen McKenna at k.mckenna@herts.ac.uk) to organise this. Karen will be able to arrange a discussion with the Chair of the Board (Bob) or with the Chair of the People Committee (Umar) should you wish to have a conversation with either of them specifically. Karen can also organise a campus tour for you if you would like.
