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Future Elections

Information about upcoming elections at UWS Students' Union. Find out what roles you can stand for and vote for!
Information about upcoming elections at UWS Students' Union. Find out what roles you can stand for and vote for!

Throughout the academic year, we hold a number of different elections to make sure that student voice is at the heart of the work of our Students' Union, the work of UWS, and national student movements. Check out our current elections page for Information on the School Officer and PGR Representative Byelections, and watch this space for updated information on our Big Elections 2026!


 

What are the Big Elections?

These elections are when UWS students choose who their student presidents, school officers, and PGR reps will be for the next academic year.

Students nominate themselves for the position they are interested in, and then all UWS students can vote for their preferred candidates.

The winners will hold these roles for a year - and the president roles are full time and paid so it's really important that you choose the candidates who are best able to represent you. You can find out more about the roles by clicking here.

Find out more below or email representation@uwsunion.org.uk with any specific questions you have!

Student President Roles

Student Presidents are the full time student leadership team of the Students' Union. There is one Student President, and three Student Vice Presidents, each with a different area of work.

Student Presidents lead the students’ union after being elected by UWS students, and their main job is to represent students. They work to deliver their election promises and sit on the University Court and Senate – the highest decision making bodies of the university. They are the people who bring the student voice right to the University management.

They are called "sabbatical" officers because they pause their studies for a year or take up the role as they graduate. You cannot continue to study while serving as a Student President - you must talk to your programme leader about deferring your studies for a year. 

Student Presidents are paid £23,141 a year and will begin their role on the 24th June.

There are two Student President positions so there's a role to suit you and whatever you care about most!

Many UWS meetings are held in person on Scottish campuses so successfully elected Student Presidents must already live in, or move to live in Scotland. 

You can read more detail about each of the presidents roles and how each one fits within the union in the executive committee bylaw for the Students' Union.

The main role of all Student Presidents is to advocate for and improve the university experience for students.

FAQs

What do Student Presidents do?

  • Identify the issues students experience by listening to students across the university be speaking with them in person or online.
  • Work out what needs to be done to improve the lives of students.
  • Attend meetings with university managers and join committees and groups across the university to express the views of students.
  • Work within these groups so that systems, processes, services, and more can be improved for students. 
  • Lead projects to improve the lives of students.
  • Become a part of the wider student movement, working together with officers and staff from across Scotland and the UK.
  • Become a member of the Students’ Union Board of Trustees. 
  • Work to achieve their manifesto that students voted for.

Would the role suit me?

A Student President role might suit you if:

  • You have been at UWS a while and have a good idea of what UWS students need.
  • You have already worked with the Students' Union as a student rep, society member, volunteer, or other similar role.
  • You are passionate about improving UWS for all students.
  • You are graduating in summer 2024 or are happy to take a years break from your studies to fulfil this role.
  • You are always up for a challenge!

However, each Student President has a different area of work to focus on so the focus of the day-to-day work will vary for each role!

Role descriptions

President

If you are looking to develop and use your leadership skills, like to have an overview of everything that is happening, and are not afraid of responsibility then this could be the perfect position for you!

The president is the leader of the Students’ Union – this means that they lead the Sabbatical Team, the student reps, and the Union. The president sits on the highest university committees and meets regularly with the senior management.

  • The president leads the Students’ Union, and the team of Student Vice Presidents.
  • The president, alongside the board of trustees, is responsible for the actions of the students’ union.
  • The president represents all student at UWS through attending meetings such as the University Court and Senate, and working in partnership with students, staff, at UWS and the wider student movement locally and nationally.
  • The president works strategically, building relationships across UWS and beyond.
  • The president is the spokesperson of the Students’ Union and students at UWS.

VP Education

If you are passionate about learning and teaching, and think that the educational experience is central to your university experience, you could be the next VP Education!

The VP Education is concerned with the learning experience of students! This means they work on everything learning and teaching. This includes the resources students have to learn, how they learn and are taught, assessment and feedback, and the guidance and support they receive along the way.

  • The VP Education works to improve the learning experience at UWS.
  • They work particularly closely with student reps, focussing on improving learning and teaching!
  • The VP education works to improve Learning and Teaching, and their concerns may include learning resources, curriculum, and teaching methods.
  • The VP Education may be involved in the running of learning and teaching conferences at UWS
  • The VP Education can work to empower students to enhance their learning and teaching experience.

Volunteer Roles

You can find out more about the volunteer roles with the drop down menus to the side. 

Post-Graduate Research Roles

What are they?

There are three committees at UWS with spaces specifically for PGR students. These roles are all voluntary roles which can be completed alongside your studies.

On all of these groups, the PGR Representative should:

  • Provide a research student perspective on the issues being debated by the university.
  • Read committee papers
  • Discuss and debate changes that are proposed at UWS
  • Talk to fellow PGR students to find out what they think and keep them informed.  
  • Be a student at UWS until at least Summer 2025

PGR Senate Representative

The PGR Senate Representative will be the PGR voice on the Senate. The Senate is responsible for overall planning, co-ordination, development and supervision of the academic work of the whole University and the elected Full Time Sabbatical officers sit on Senate too. Senate meets 4x a year.

The representatives will be in post for the academic year 2024-2025 so this role is not suitable for anyone who will finish their studies on or before August 2024.

  • The representative will provide a research student perspective on the issues being debated by the university.
  • Read committee papers
  • Discuss and debate changes that are proposed at UWS
  • Talk to fellow PGR students to find out what they think and keep them informed.  

Doctoral College Board Student Representatives

There are two places for Doctoral Students on the Doctoral College Board. The Doctoral College is responsible for addressing issues related to the doctoral student experience including registration, research studies, progression, and assessment of doctoral students. They also review and monitor the conditions of doctoral candidates. 

The representatives will be in post for the academic year 2024-2025 so this role is not suitable for anyone who will finish their studies on or before August 2024.

  • The representative will provide a research student perspective on the issues being debated by the university.
  • Read committee papers
  • Discuss and debate changes that are proposed at UWS
  • Talk to fellow PGR students to find out what they think and keep them informed.  

Research and Innovation Committee Representatives

There are two places for doctoral students on the Research and Innovation Committee (previously REAC). This committee is responsible for the development of research and enterprise at UWS, and makes recommendations to Senate - one of the highest committees in the University.

The representatives will be in post for the academic year 2024-2025 so this role is not suitable for anyone who will finish their studies on or before August 2024.

  • The representative will provide a research student perspective on the issues being debated by the university.
  • Read committee papers
  • Discuss and debate changes that are proposed at UWS
  • Talk to fellow PGR students to find out what they think and keep them informed.  
     

Support for Candidates

We offer lots of support for candidates and you can read about it all in more detail on our candidates information page. 

Elections Principles and Rules

A full list of elections principles and rules can be found on our candidates information page.

If you feel that a candidate has broken the rules you can submit a complaint by e-mailing David.Devlin@uws.org.uk stating which rule you think has been broken, and providing any evidence to support this.

Election FAQs

We'll be updating these as the election goes on and we get more questions!

Why should I stand for election?

Any of these positions are an excellent opportunity to:

  • Make a Difference – improve UWS for your fellow students by making sure that students are heard!

  • Develop Skills – you’ll get an opportunity to attend meetings at a very high level, work in partnership with university staff, and develop your skills for the workplace.

  • Get training and support – Whatever role you stand for your Students’ Union will support you to campaign, and if you’re elected your Students’ Union is here to support you in your role.

  • Get Paid - if you are successfully elected as a Sabbatical Officer you'll be in a paid role for a year!  

Why should I care about the Elections?

We believe that students should be at the heart of everything that happens at UWS – Elections make sure that the student representatives truly represent the views of students, and that the student voice is heard at every level of the university.

Why are there no NUS Conference Roles or Union Chair this time round? We now elect both of these types of roles at different times of the year - NUS Conference Delegates will be elected in September, alongside Course and Divisional Rep Roles. The Union's bylaws have now changed to enable to Union Chair to be elected from membership of Student Council.  

How do I nominate myself?

When elections are open you can simply log in to this election page and choose which position to nominate yourself for. Make sure you upload a manifesto to let students know what you stand for and why they should vote for you!

I'm an international student, can I stand for a Student President Position?

Yes you can! If you have any specific questions around visas please contact international student support.

Still have questions? Email elections@uwsunion.org.uk, for more information!

Questions or Complaints

If you have any questions about the election, please contact us by emailing david.devlin@uws.ac.uk. All enquiries are kept in the strictest confidence.

If you would like to make a complaint about the election please download and complete the Elections Complaint Form before sending it to David.

Voting

You will need to log into the website, using your standard log in, to Vote.

If your password is not working - you need to have this reset by ITDS. 

Big Election FAQs

Why should I stand for election?

Any of these positions are an excellent opportunity to:

  • Make a difference – improve UWS for your fellow students by making sure that students are heard!

  • Develop skills – you’ll get an opportunity to attend meetings, work in partnership with university staff, and develop your skills for the workplace.

  • Get training and support – Whatever role you stand for your Students’ Union will support you to campaign, and if you’re elected your Students’ Union is here to support you in your role.

Why should I care about the Elections?

We believe that students should be at the heart of everything that happens at UWS – Elections make sure that the student representatives truly represent the views of students, and that the student voice is heard at every level of the university.

How do I nominate myself?

The process for nominating yourself is coming soon, but you won't be able to put yourself forwards until January 2024.