Do you have what it takes?!

Do you want to make a change at university? Do you want to earn a wage, whilst getting leadership development? Fight for the rights of your fellow students? Take a stand for what you believe in?

If you said yes to any or all these questions, you should be an Elected Officer!

Nominations open on Monday 4th December 2023!

How much do you know about the student elections? 🗳️

Be honest with yourself - Do you know what Elections are or what an Elected Officer does? You may already know quite a lot, or you might know nothing at all but either way, we expect that you have questions. Not everything you hear or think you know is always right so let’s find out more!

So, what are Elections? 🗳️

The democratic process where students (that's you!) vote for the people that will help run The Union and represent the student body for the coming year.

Who can run? 🗳️

Any student studying a course at the University of Portsmouth can run in the elections including postgraduate, international and part-time students. Any Elected Officer will be expected to uphold the Students’ Union values and fairly represent the whole student body. 

You can become an Elected Officer at any stage of your student journey. You can take a sabbatical year from your course (a year out of your studies) or run in your final year for a graduate job.

What's in it for me? 🗳️

As a full-time Elected Officer this is your chance to improve the experience of students, develop lots of new skills and become more employable all while helping to lead a million-pound business!

Training in key skills is provided but you will need to be passionate about the work of the Students' Union and enhancing the student experience here at the University of Portsmouth.

That all sounds good - How do I get started? 🗳️

Nominations open on Monday 4th December 2023 and close on Friday 2nd February 2024 so you have plenty of time to nominate yourself! Head to our Election Info pages to take a look at the roles that you can run for

At this initial stage, you’re essentially throwing your hat in the ring. You don’t have to do anything else yet, your nomination lets the Union know that you want to take part in the elections and voting week held in February 2024.

Want to know more about what it’s like to be an Elected Officer?

But what does it really mean to be involved in the Union and to be an Elected Officer?

Being an Elected Officer is about making a difference and having an impact on the lives of the students at the University. By becoming an Elected Officer, you are being given the chance to represent students like you, every single day.

“It was really amazing to see the points that got you elected actually put into place” - Tom Plant, Ex-Elected Officer

It’s a year you will never forget, jam packed with opportunities and experiences; you will meet a diverse range of individuals from all walks of life, and you’ll have all of this to look back on after 12-months which will propel you to your next job. Whatever your career path may be, not only does the role look great on a CV, a year as an Elected Officer is an invaluable asset, an experience you won’t find anywhere else.

Previous Elected Officers have gone on to other careers, taking their experience and skills with them. From joining graduate schemes, pursuing a career related to their course or continuing to work in the not-for-profit or Higher Education sectors - having had a year (or two!) as an Officer has helped them to reach their goals and career aspirations. Not least to mention that during your year as an Elected Officer you earn a full-time salary.

Through gaining valuable leadership development, previous Portsmouth Elected Officers are now in roles across varying businesses and industries, such as:

• Chief Executive
• Head of Marketing & Engagement
• Campaign Manager
• Product Manager
• Education Project Manager
• Partnerships & Hospitality Sales Manager
• Operations Manager
• And more….

Nominations close on Friday 2nd February 2024 - so don't delay!

Our Elected Officer alumni have often said being an Officer was the best part of their university experience - why not make it yours?

If you have any questions, from nominating yourself through to how the elections process works, get in touch with elections@upsu.net to speak to our friendly elections team.