Features
The Beaver | 09.10.2012
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s students at the London School of Economics you are automatically members of the LSE Students’ Union (LSESU), granting you the right to vote in SU elections and having your voices heard at the weekly Union General Meeting. The leadership structure of the union can seem confusing, and at times impersonal. This article aims to help you understand who runs your Union, and who to get in contact with if you have an issue whilst at this university. The SU is officially run by an 11 strong ‘Cabinet’ of elected members, the majority of which are part time officers, including: the Anti Racism Officer, Environment
can McKenna, the Community and Welfare Officer, Jack Tindale, and the Activities and Development Officer, Matthew De Jesus. The General Secretary is the public face of the Union. The position holds a very broad remit and Alex Peters-Day sits on the board of several committees, representing the views of LSE students to the School. She also sits on the LSE Council, the LSE’s chief governing body. Alex was re-elected General Secretary in last year’s Sabbatical elections after a closely fought contest. Hailing from Yorkshire, Alex has taken part in several protests over the last few years and is co-ordinating the LSESU’s engage-
The leadership structure of the union can seem confusing, and at times impersonal. and Ethics Officer, LGBT Students’ Officer, International Students’ Officer, Women’s Officer, Disability Officer, Mature and Part Time Students’ Officer and Athletics Union President. All of these positions are entirely voluntary, and the officers are not paid for their work. The Post Graduate Officer, who will be elected later this term, is also part time but paid. The day to day running of the Union is carried out by 4 full time officers who take a sabbatical year out from, or after, their studies to work within the Union. The Sabbatical positions are: the General Secretary, Alex Peters-Day, the Education Officer, Dun-
ment on the National Union of Students (NUS) demonstration against fees and cuts. She is also leading the LSE contingent on the Trade Union Congress (TUmarch later on this year. Before being elected as General Secretary for the first time, Peters-Day was a Social Anthropology student, President of the Raising and Giving Society (RAG), and President of Rosebery Hall. Over the last year as General Secretary Peters-Day, has been leading the LSESU response to the Gaddafi funding scandal, and has organised the Union’s response to the Government’s changes to higher education funding.
Next week
This work will be continued this year, in addition to finalising the new Student’s Centre. Peters-Day also intends to focus on international issues, especially responding to the UK Border Agency’s actions towards London Metropolitan University and post-study work visas. Duncan McKenna, the Education Officer was elected on a platform focusing on more internal issues, mainly regarding teaching at the LSE instead of political action further afield. McKenna holds a disposition left of centre with outspoken views regarding the Education Secretary particularly. Duncan was a Philosophy student and Executive Editor of the Beaver before running for Education Officer. This year he will be focused on dealing with the calls for increased teaching quality and helping Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs). He will also be focusing on continuing programmes from his predecessor, and representing LSE students on bodies like the Academic Board. Jack Tindale, also hailing from Yorkshire, was elected Community and Welfare Officer. This position’s remit is also wide ranging, aimed at making studying at the LSE a more enjoyable experience. Jack’s focus this year is on forming a new deal for residences and establishing a yearlong “De-Stress Festival”. Self described, as a NeoGatskillite or National Liberal, Jack was well known of campus for
his distinctive style and particularly his collection of hats, which he is rarely seen without and of which one has its own Facebook page. Tindale, a former Government and History student, was one of the most active members of the LSE. President of the History Society, chair of the UGM, a member of the Court of Governors, Labour Society Secretary and frequent contributor to the Beaver. Matthew De Jesus, an Economics student, was elected Activities and Development Officer, widely regarded as the ‘fun’ Sabbatical position. The Activities and Development Officer is in charge of clubs and societies in the LSESU and managing their budgets.
likely to be centred on Union life and its clubs and societies rather than the wider political events that are on going. The part-time, unpaid Executive Officer’s were also elected last summer term and will be organising events and services for LSE students to help them at their time through their studies at the university. Additional members of the Executive including the Post Grad Officer, the Mature and Part-time Students’ Officer, and the General Course President will be elected later this term, along with several other union positions. All these elected offiers are held to account on a weekly basis at the Union General Meeting, held every Thursday at
Officially, the UGM also has the power to rePRYH DQ\ RI WKHVH HOHFWHG R FHUV De Jesus’ project for the year is to foster joint events between societies, so larger events can be hosted and restructure society budgets to reward those clubs and societies that achieve outstanding results. He’s also pressuring the school to commit to its promise of getting LSE to the same standard as the top urban universities in London. Before being elected De Jesus was on the LSE Badminton Team and Treasurer of the AU Exec. Politically Matthew De Jesus can be described as a centrist, but hailing from the AU, and holding the more administrative of the Sabbatical positions his focus is more
1pm. The weekly meeting is described as ‘the heart of the union’, officially being the highest authority in the Union. The LSE is the only union to have a weekly general meeting. Officially, the UGM also has the power to remove any of these elected officers, set policy for the union, make important financial decisions or occasionally put forward more light hearted motions. However, in recent years the UGM has dwindled with only a handful of Students attending, and the vast majority of motions fail, unable to reach the required quorum of 250 votes.
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Craig Calhoun