Executive Committee, RAG & Media Elections 2012: Code Of Conduct
Union Chair Democracy Officer Entertainments Officer Equality & Liberation Officer Academic Affairs Officer Postgraduate Students’ Officer International Students’ Officer Media & Communications Officer Campaigns Officer Ethics & Environment Officer Sports Officer Societies Officer RAG Chair RAG Vice Chair Orbital Editor Orbital Deputy Editor Insanity Manager Insanity Assistant Manager
Executive Committee, RAG & Media Code of Conduct 2012 The following information contains a comprehensive guide to what you can and cannot do during the forthcoming elections period. Please read carefully and understand the contents of this document. The rules laid out within, and verbally imparted at the Candidates’ Meeting on Friday 2nd March 2012, must be adhered to at all times. Any breach of these rules may lead to disciplinary action against you, and could ultimately lead to your disqualification from this election. Please note that in this document, the term ‘campus’ refers to the grounds of the main campus of Royal Holloway, University of London, and also the grounds of Kingswood Hall and those properties north of the A30 (Penrose, Highfield, and surrounding areas inclusive of the Drama and Music Departments). No canvassing of any sort may take place outside of these areas of Royal Holloway, University of London property.
Campaigning and Canvassing Please note that the term ‘campaign materials’ refers to all forms of publicity available to a candidate during the campaigning period, including those purchased with their own allocated budget. On-line canvassing starts Friday 2nd March at 6pm and continues until voting closes On-campus canvassing starts on Monday 5th March through to Friday 9th March at Midnight List of do’s Always wear official elections campaign t-shirts when campaigning T-shirts may be decorated as individual teams see fit Display campaign materials on all general notice boards to which all candidates have equal access Remove all canvassing materials (except posters) from campus by 9pm each night Ensure any form of hand out is stamped including paper and cardboard Display campaign materials on Royal Holloway property but limit this to the main campus, North A30 properties and Kingswood Hall Only display one of your posters per display board List of don’ts Interfere or cover any of the t-shirt’s pre-printed text or imagery Display any form of campaign materials on any other surface, including but not limited to, walls, trees and specifically assigned notice boards, i.e. those outside the Advice and Support Centre and Departmental notice boards. Attach any canvassing materials to any College property using any method including but not limited to: blue-tac, sellotape, duck tape, string, rope etc. Canvass/campaign/flyer inside any buildings at all on campus Make your posters larger than A4 Use SATV, Rhubarb TV, the Students’ Union Insanity Radio Station, the Students’ Union Orbital Publication, The Founder or any other form of media to publicise yourself, another candidate, or the election in general. Do any additional printing from that supplied by the SU Do any form of door-to-door canvassing Use voice projection devices Mention any another candidate whilst canvassing in any context Lie in your manifesto or campaign Use bribery Interfere with Students’ Union or College facilities, or the allocated polling areas (specifically the entrance to Bedford Library). Display laptops/smartphones/tablets/ipads or any similar device or invite students to vote using these devices. Consume alcohol and illegal substances whilst canvassing/campaigning.
Facebook and Twitter List of Do’s Use your personal Facebook (www.facebook.com) and Twitter (www.twitter.com) for online canvassing and campaigning Allow the Deputy Returning Officer to see your personal home page by logging on in front of him. Add ‘Dedar Singh Mahal’ as a friend on Facebook and allow full access to your profile Monitor your profile and that of your teams to ensure that no slander or libellous material is published Anyone can donate Facebook statuses providing there is nothing slanderous or libellous. Follow @surhuldemok on Twitter (if Twitter is being used). List of Don’ts Candidates and campaign teams are not allowed to post on Facebook Groups/Events/Pages belonging to sports teams/societies/services eg RHUL memes
Candidates’ Question Time All candidates will be asked questions about their aims and positions that they are running for. These questions can be asked by anybody present including candidates running for the same position as you. There will be a limit on how many questions are asked and answering time. This will be 3 minutes per person running for each position, for all positions. List of Do’s Give a speech at the Candidates’ Question Time (upto 3 minutes long) Use visual aides such as PowerPoint presentations when giving your speech (if you wish) however you must inform Dedar Singh Mahal, Deputy Returning Officer of your intention to do so, and submit any visual aides at least 24 hours in advance of the Candidates’ Question Time. You must deliver your speech in person, unless you have been granted permission from the Democracy Sub Committee at least 24 hours in advance of the Candidates’ Question Time. Should a candidate be unable to make Candidates’ Question Time and they have informed the Democracy Sub Committee as outlined above, one of their nominated Candidate Team Members may deliver the speech on their behalf. List of Don’ts Listen to other candidates’ speeches running for the same position as you. Mention another candidate in your speech. Lie in your speech or in your answers to any questions asked.
Campaign Teams
Campaign Team Members are bound by the same rules as Candidates. If for whatever reason a candidate needs to change a Campaign Team Member, they must first ask the Deputy Returning Officer, who shall inform the other candidates running for that position. If all the other candidates agree, then the Campaign Team Members may be changed. List of Do’s Use up to but no more than 10 Campaign Team Members during the campaigning period. Campaign Team Members can campaign and canvass on their candidates’ behalf. Budgets and Campaign Materials List of Do’s Use up to 50 pieces of paper provided by the Students’ Union Use up to £15.00 of your own money to fund campaign materials. Candidates are encouraged to be creative with their campaign materials; however you must provide a complete budgeted breakdown of your personal expenditure using your receipts and the Budget Sheet provided. This Budget Sheet is to be submitted to Dedar Singh Mahal before 12.00noon on Friday 9th March 2012. List of Don’t’s Actively seek sponsorship or freebies from any organisations, companies, groups and/or individuals in order to aide their campaign work.
Elections Broadcasts List of Do’s Film a brief elections broadcast, the maximum length of which will be 1 minute. This will be available alongside candidates’ Manifestos on the website and will be broadcast at Candidates’ Question Time. Max time allowed 10 mins to record the broadcast. Adhere to the rules on Manifestos and Candidates’ Question Time as outlined in this document, within the broadcast. PLEASE NOTE: By recording an elections broadcast, the candidate gives permission to the Students’ Union at Royal Holloway, University of London to use the footage in promotional material for the Students’ Union, outside of this elections period.
We, the undersigned, agree to abide by the above rules and those imparted to us verbally at the Candidates’ Meeting. We recognise that any breach of these rules could result in an Elections Complaint being submitted against us, disciplinary action, or our disqualification from this election. Candidate’s Signature:
Printed Name:
Candidate Team Member 1:
Printed Name:
Candidate Team Member 2:
Printed Name:
Candidate Team Member 3:
Printed Name:
Candidate Team Member 4:
Printed Name:
Candidate Team Member 5:
Printed Name:
Candidate Team Member 6:
Printed Name:
Candidate Team Member 7:
Printed Name:
Candidate Team Member 8:
Printed Name:
Candidate Team Member 9:
Printed Name:
Candidate Team Member 10:
Printed Name:
Democracy Sub Committee democracy@su.rhul.ac.uk March 2012