Democracy Week is officially done! After a busy week of voting, campaigning and all things SU, we’re excited to announce your elected officers for the next academic year.
Democracy Week is officially done! After a busy week of voting, campaigning and all things SU, we’re excited to announce your elected officers for the next academic year.
Full-Time Sabbatical Officers
- President of Education: Grace Pearson
- President of Activities & Wellbeing: Zoe Saunders
Part-Time Officers
- BASST School Officer: Adam Locke
- Women’s Officer: Ruby Harrison Bannister
A huge thank you to everyone who put themselves forward this year - and congratulations to those elected.
We’ll be holding by-elections in the autumn for the part-time roles that are still vacant, so keep an eye out for more information on how to get involved.
Our new officers officially start in July, but there’s still plenty happening with Lee-Ann and the current officer team before then - so there are lots of opportunities to have your say and get involved.
Election Night Highlights
Election Night brought together candidates and their campaign teams, all eager to hear the results. Lindsay, Head of Engagement, talked through the manifesto themes and confirmed that 407 students voted in this year’s elections, with over 1,000 votes cast overall, before revealing the winners of each role.
Newly elected Presidents Grace and Zoe shared what they’re most looking forward to in their new positions.
Grace said: “I’ve been a student here for nearly four years, so I’m looking forward to making some changes based on things I’ve noticed and making a real difference for students.”
Zoe added: “I’m looking forward to speaking to students and finding out what they want from the University. I really enjoy talking to people, and I’m excited to make a difference here.”
Current SU President of Education, Lee-Ann Durrant, reflected on the year and what’s ahead: “I’m really excited for the upcoming year and what the new officers will bring for students, with the support of the part-time officers and staff. We’ve worked hard this year to make the governance of the Students’ Union more transparent and to strengthen students’ understanding of what it means to use their voice. And we won’t lose momentum between now and the new officers coming in.”
Election Conduct and Voting System
During the election period, one candidate was disqualified following a detailed investigation into complaints relating to campaign conduct and breaches of election rules. This decision was made in line with our established procedures to make sure the election remained fair, transparent and credible for everyone involved.
Following an appeal, the decision of the Students’ Union was upheld by the National Union of Students, who act as the Returning Officer for UOS elections.
As SU elections use the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system, votes are never wasted. If a candidate cannot continue in the process, votes are transferred to each voter’s next preference (where one was given), ensuring every student’s vote can still count towards the final result.