Apply to be our Ethical & Environmental Officer or our Ethnic Minority Officer, before 12pm on Thursday 22nd November!
What’s it all about?
As one of 23,000 students at BCU you have the opportunity to get involved in our By-Election, by either standing for either the Ethical & Environmental Officer or as Ethnic Minority Officer, or by voting to choose the two part-time Executive Officers who will join our existing Leadership team.
The SU Officer Team is made up of ordinary students or recent graduates elected by the student body to lead your Students’ Union: they are the voice of students and represent your views.
In March 2018, we held our main Leadership elections to elect current or graduating students into the Executive Officer roles. Unfortunately one of these roles, Ethical & Environmental Officer was unfilled, and the elected Ethnic Minority Officer decided to stand down. We are now looking for students to fill both of these roles on a part-time voluntary basis, which can be tailored to fit around your studies. The usual commitment is roughly 4 hours per week.
- Applications & Nominations (08/11/2018 - 12pm, 22/11/2018) If you are interested in becoming either the Ethical & Environmental Officer or the Ethnic Minority Officer, or know someone who would be perfect for this role, it’s time to apply or nominate a friend. The Ethical & Environmental Officer role is open to all BCU students, while the Ethnic Minority Officer is open to all BAME (black, Asian and minority ethnic) BCU students.
- Candidate Training: All candidates MUST attend a compulsory one-to-one training session which you will be invited to once we receive your application (23/11/2018, time and venue to be confirmed); this will prepare you for the elections process and provide you with everything you need to run a successful election campaign.
- Campaigning (26/11/2018 - 30/11/2018) It’s time to hit the campaign trail! Get amongst student voters and promote yourself and your manifesto. Ensure they vote when voting opens.
- Online Voting (03/12/2018 - 07/121/2018) Run social media campaigns to encourage students to vote for you online.
SU Officer Roles
Each SU Officer has a unique role and a set of key responsibilities they must carry out.
Part-Time Roles
Ethical and Environmental Officer
Tasked with identifying environmental and ethical issues within the Union and University through running campaigns to increase awareness and ensure correct policies are implemented.
An effective candidate for this role should:
- Have an interest and knowledge of environmental issues
- Encourage participation with Union activities
- Have confidence in running campaigns
- Have the ability to acknowledge and identify environmental issues in the Union and University
- Be creative and generate ideas of how to make the Union and University 'greener'!
Download full role description
Ethnic Minority Officer
Tasked with ensuring the needs of ethnic minority students are reflected through identifying relevant issues, canvassing opinion and implementation of campaigns.
An effective candidate for this role should:
- Have an interest in the views of ethnic minorities
- Be able to vocalise issues regarding ethnic minorities
- Have good communication skills and be able to communicate effectively with ethnic minority students to ensure they are aware of common problems
Download full role description
Please Note: Candidates standing for part-time roles also have the potential to be a member of the University's Board of Governors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Considering standing for a position but have a few queries? You may find the answers you're looking for below...
What is an Executive Officer/SU Officer?
The SU Executive Officer Team is made up of ordinary students or recent graduates elected by the student body to lead your Students’ Union: they are the voice of students and represent your views.
NOTE: SU Officers may also be referred to as Exec, Executive Officers, Sabbatical Officers or Vice Presidents (VPs).
How does the election process work?
- Applications & Nominations (08/11/2018 – 12pm, 22/11/2018) If you are interested in becoming an SU Officer or know someone who would be perfect for one of the roles, it’s time to apply or nominate a friend. Remember, the roles are open to all BCU students!
- Candidate Training All candidates MUST attend a compulsory one-to-one training session which you will be invited to once we receive your application (23/11/18, time and venue to be confirmed); this will prepare you for the elections process and provide you with everything you need to run a successful election campaign.
- Campaigning (26/11/2018 - 30/11/2018) It’s time to hit the campaign trail! Get amongst student voters and promote yourself and your manifesto. Ensure they vote when voting opens.
- Online Voting (03/12/2018 - 07/12/2018) Run social media campaigns and encourage fellow students to vote for you online.
Why should I stand for the position of SU Officer?
There are many reasons to become an SU Officer. You will:
- Have an unforgettable, exciting year, full of challenges Every day is different; one day you could be helping a student with a problem, leading a national campaign or heading up a BCU Tigers Bar Crawl. The next day you could be listening to students in a Student Group or at Student Council, attending a high-level BCU meeting or sitting in a meeting with the Vice Chancellor.
- Improve your employability This is a fantastic opportunity to build a very impressive CV that will make you really stand out to employers. You will have real experience of making senior level decisions as well as managing budgets, events, meetings, projects, teams and your time! In one year, you will have worked with the media, interviewed staff, done public speaking, written reports and negotiated change.
- Make a difference You can make a positive impact on students’ lives by influencing the decision makers. There are many changes and developments at your Students' Union, the University and in the local community that that have been driven through by an SU Officer.
What are SU Officers responsible for?
- The direction of a charity with a 2 million pound turnover. Your Students’ Union is an entirely not-for-profit organisation and a registered charity, completely independent from Birmingham City University. It exists to act on your voices for better student life, by offering services which include: representation, advice, support, development, opportunities and entertainment.
- Representing 23,000 members to the University as well as locally and nationally. SU Officers represent the concerns and views of individuals, groups or the whole student body on issues such as welfare, academic, social and financial.
- Making up the majority of the Students' Union Board of Trustees SU Officers are members of the Students' Union's Board of Trustees and also have legal and financial responsibilities.
- Developing the strategic direction of the Union The Board of Trustees is responsible for the broad direction of the Union and works with the Chief Executive, Deputy Chief Executives and SU Finance Director to ensure a successful long term approach to the government of the Union.
Will I get paid?
Part-time roles are voluntary roles and where out-of-pocket expenses are covered. A Students’ Union hoodie, dedicated staff support and a campaigns budget is provided.
How do I write a manifesto?
- Think of it like a job application (answer the questions concisely, remember there is a word count for each). Point out to other students why they should vote for you and why you’re the best person for the job.
- Make sure that what you write is concise and relevant to the post that you’re standing for. Don’t waffle. But make sure you write more than one line. You should aim to reach the word allowance.
- Don’t be overly modest, you’re trying to sell yourself, but don’t over compensate either.
- Don’t make untrue claims.
- Make sure you spell check what you’ve written.
How will I run a successful election campaign?
Don't worry, you'll be briefed during the candidate training sessions where we'll give you everything you need to know to run a successful campaign. Here is a short video to get you thinking...
Nominate A Student
If you know someone who you think would be an ideal candidate for our Leadership Elections, why not tell us here!
Nomination Form
Apply Now
Think you've got what it takes to become one of our next Executive Officers? Then apply now!
Application Form