Student

ElectionsThe Leadership Race 2012

What’s happening?Every year four students are paid to work full-time to lead Glasgow Caledonian University Students’ Association. Elected by their peers they become leaders of an organisation with a £600,000 budget, trustees of a charity and representatives of 17,000 students.

Just nominate yourself with the form found on our website or at the Students’ Association reception and we’ll support you through every step of the campaign

Key DatesNominations OpenMonday 23rd January, 9.00am

Nominations CloseFriday 10th February, 2.00pm

Compulsory candidates briefingMonday 13th February, 12 noon

Candidate Question TimeThursday 16th February, 3.00pm

Voting opensMonday 27th February, 9.00am

Voting closesThursday 1st March, 2.00pm

Elections PartyThursday 1st March, 6.00pm

What are the rolesAny member of Glasgow Caledonian University Students’ Association is eligible to stand for any of the four positions. That means if you’re a currently registered student of the University you can do it.

You don’t need to be in your final year, in the past many officers have taken a year out to lead the Students’ Association before returning to finish their degree.

If successful you’ll become a trustee of the organisation. That means you’ll need to meet a number of legal requirements – you can find details of these on our website.

Contact the current officers to ask them questions about running in the Leadership Race and find information online at www.caledonianstudent.com/elections

Student PresidentGovernance. Communication. Finance.

The Student President is the figurehead of the Students’ Association and is responsible for making sure the officers are carrying out their duties and that agreed policies are acted upon.

Chairs the Trustee Board and works on implementing all strategic and operational plans.

Is the Students’ Associations’ main representative on University Committees and ensures students’ interests are at the heart of key decisions.

Is accountable to the membership and makes sure students’ needs are met through the Students’ Association’s democratic system.

Matte says: “To be successful in the Election campaign you need to be confident, determined and have a good knowledge of issues affecting the wider student movement. Don’t be afraid to approach big groups of students to ask them about their experiences as their feedback will give you ideas.”

Vice President EducationCourses. Library. Learning.

Works with School Officers and Class Reps to make sure students’ views are represented, listened to, and acted upon. Is the lead on Student Summit and Caledonian Conference – two forums of discussion focusing on everything to do with the way students learn.

Is responsible for the employability of students; leading on the Student Leaders Programme, as well as trying to increase the number of students going on international exchange at GCU.

Ensures that the decisions that are made at the Students’ Association are legitimate and representative through Caledonian Student Voice. Chairs the Education Policy Group and deputises for the Student President when required.

Simon says: “To be a good VP Education you need to be a good listener and communicator of opinion, as well as passionate learner who is keen to identify change and implement it”

Student Presidentstudent.president@gcu.ac.uk

0141 273 1601

Vice PresidentEducation

vpe@gcu.ac.uk0141 273 1602

Vice President WellbeingWelfare. Inclusivity. Environmentalism.

Ensure that GCU students’ wellbeing needs are met through the delivery of welfare campaigns during the academic session and an annual ‘Wellbeing Fayre’.

Is the sabbatical lead on; Internationalisation, Community engagement, Nightline, Mental health and the Ethical and Environmental agenda.

Chairs the Wellbeing Policy Group which feeds into Student Voice.

Keri says: “To be an effective Vice President of Wellbeing I think you need to be friendly, approachable and work well as part of a team within the Students’ Association, University and further afield. You must be flexible within your work to enable you to support all student groups whenever they require your assistance”

Vice President ActivitiesSports. Societies. Media.

Makes sure the student experience is enhanced by supporting everyone involved in our sports clubs, societies, radio station and magazine.

Chairs Sports Policy Group and Societies Policy Group. Sits on Radio Caley and The Edit committees. Represents these groups at Executive Committee and Student Voice.

Assists in the development and delivery of the Students’ Association’s Events Programme which is at the centre of engaging with the whole of GCU’s diverse student population.

Pete says: “To be a good Vice President Activities I think you need to be an outgoing person who is adaptable enough to work across all the Activity areas and be comfortable taking the lead when it comes to organising and delivering events.”

Vice PresidentWellbeing

vpw@gcu.ac.uk0141 273 1612

Vice PresidentActivities

vpa@gcu.ac.uk0141 273 1616

Other elections taking placeIf you want to get involved with running your Students’ Association, but aren’t yet able to commit to standing for a sabbatical officer position, there are two further ways which you can.

Student Trustee (3 places)

Each year we elect three students to sit on the Trustee Board alongside our Sabbatical Officers and External Trustees. These students are full members of the board and take an equal share in making the decisions that affect the Students’ Association.

The role of the Student Trustee is to ensure that the perspective of GCU students is taken into consideration in all decisions made by the Trustee Board. The Trustee Board are responsible for making strategic, financial and legal decisions on behalf of the Students’ Association.

The Student Trustee is a voluntary position that students take on alongside their studies. Expenses incurred while performing their role as a Trustee such as food and transportation will be reimbursed by the Students’ Association.

No prior experience is necessary for this role and full training is provided.

National Union of Students (NUS) Conference Delegate (4 places)

Your Students’ Association is an affiliate to NUS. This means that we make an active contribution to the national campaign to defend and extend the rights of students. As part of this movement we have a stronger voice and we can help to shape and challenge government policy which affects our education.

Part of how we work within NUS is to send delegates to their annual conference which this year takes place in Sheffield from the 24th until the 26th of April. At conference we decide on NUS policies and campaigns with delegates from universities and colleges from across the UK and elect the leadership of NUS who will take the fight straight to the heart of government.

The NUS National Conference Delegate is a voluntary position for which students must be available for the full duration of the conference plus any time required for transportation to and from the venue. All expenses including transport, accommodation, food and conference fees will be met by the Students’ Association either in advance of the conference or through expense claims afterwards.

A full briefing for delegates is organised in advance of the conference.

How do I do it?

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Choosing a positionLook at the roles and think about where your passion lies. Each role has different responsibilities relating to its main area of work. Think about what you could bring to these roles, and how your ideas or experience might persuade other students to vote for you.

Nominating yourselfThe easy bit. Just download a form from our website or pick one up in the Students’ Association, fill it in and hand it in at our reception desk. We’ll be in touch to tell you what you need to do next.

Getting electedVoting takes place from 9.00am on Monday 27th February to 2.00pm on Thursday 1st March. To be successful you’ll need to convince people you’re the best person for the job. That might sound daunting, but there’s plenty of support on offer to you.

We’ve got campaign advice online to help you start planning, and all candidates will be invited to attend a campaign workshop. You will also get £40 from us to fund your campaign.

For more information about running, go to:www.caledonianstudent.com/elections

What will I get?

If you’re successful you’ll not only find yourself in paid full-time employment, you’ll also gain unique skills and experience.

PayYou’ll receive remuneration of £16,191, salaried for 12 months with 20 days annual leave plus university closed days.

CampaigningObviously not everyone who takes part is successful, but whether you win or not you’ll gain great experience through running your election campaign which is an excellent CV booster – demonstrating motivation, determination and hopefully creativity too.

MentoringThroughout your year in office you’ll be mentored by our team of staff who will support, challenge and motivate you to get the most from your experience.

TrusteeshipIn your role as a trustee of the charity you’ll not only gain invaluable insight into how our organisation works, you’ll also make real decisions that shape our future.

ExperienceNo matter which role you go for, you’ll gain experience of the following: chairing meetings, leading campaigns, managing budgets, communicating and team building skills.

EmployabilityLeading an organisation with a £600,000 budget before you’ve left university puts you in a great position.

Past officers have found their experience in the role of great benefit when applying for graduate careers.

What do they do?The Students’ Association constantly strives to improve upon the services and activities we offer and to ensure that the voice of all GCU students is heard. In order to make this happen, our Trustees have come up with a strategic plan to take us forward. For the full plan please visit our website, below is an overview of who we are and what we do:Working through this plan has led to important and tangible results for our members. So far this year:

• The Student President has campaigned with trade unions on campus to protect public sector pensions because we believe that our staff and our graduates who work in this sector deserve a better deal.

• The Vice President Education has successfully delayed cuts to library opening hours and is working hard to prevent this happening.

• The Vice President Wellbeing has made us a cleaner and greener organisation by bringing in a ban on domestic air travel and lowering our energy consumption.

• The Vice President Activities has overseen the largest ever programme of events offered by the Students’ Association.

By becoming a sabbatical officer, you can make a difference to the lives of GCU students.

Missionwhat we exist for

Visionwhat we aspire to

Valueshow we behave

Strategic Themeswhat will focus us to move towards our vision in the next 3 years

Strategic Enablerswhat underpins our ability to function

That GCU students will have an outstanding experience that will live with them forever.

To represent and enable GCU students to enhance all aspects of their student experience.

Diversity Community Participation Fun Support Leadership

Effectively representing our members.

Communicating effectively with our members.

Developing a fun and supportive community for all our members.

Developing our members employability.

Financial and Enviromental Sustainability

People Management

Partnership Working