The Students’ Union Council has voted in favour of holding a by-election for the Student Union President role, following the resignation of Daisy Watson in August.
On the 23rd October, the Council was presented with various ideas and decided on the future of leadership in the SU.
Thirty-six councillors voted in favour of the by-election, and nine voted in favour of reorganising the responsibilities of the current Officer Team. 3 abstained from voting.
Geography and Planning Councillor Matthew Nunan, who voted in favour of a by-election, said:
“Without an elected President, students don’t have representation on the University Council and Senate, the highest decision-making board at the University.
Electing a new president will allow students to vote in a campus-wide election and free up responsibilities assigned to other officers.”
The option of leaving the Student Union without a president for the year was debated; however, many expressed concern over how much pressure that would put on the current Student Union Officer Team.
Operational and Working Committees Councillor Charley Sands, who voted against, said:
“I was mostly against the idea as I was unsure if anyone would actually sign up for the role, especially due to student finance and international student visa requirements making the half-term role generally inaccessible.”
If the organisation process is started immediately, the vote would be held around late November. After receiving training, the elected president would begin their term in December or January and finish their post in late June.
Since Daisy’s resignation, the Officer Team has covered as many presidential duties as possible. However, the team has been left without certain abilities, such as not having the power to vote on the University Council.
The Officer Team has also not received a pay rise despite taking on the duties of the Presidential role. The salary Daisy Rumbold, the previous SU President, would have received has been redistributed into the Student Union, though specifics of where are unconfirmed.
Council members identified flaws in holding the by-election. The elected President would have to take the rest of the year out of their studies, raising various concerns surrounding student finance and academics.
The incumbent would also have less time to receive training due to a lack of resources. In comparison, the current officer team received over a month of summer training.
However, Sustainability and Development Officer Anna James explained that taking on the role would be voluntary, and those applying would have considered the risks. The role would be open to current students and not recent graduates.
Councillor Chair Will Lovatt said he is “confident that the Council have made the best decision.”
Daisy Watson was re-elected as President in March, but stepped back. In a September interview with Watson, she described a “challenging year for the higher-education sector, and for Sheffield SU in particular.” She also explained: “constantly fighting to do my job and to stay vocal on critical issues was draining” due to wider structural issues.
We approached Watson for a statement on the decision. She responded: “SU Council is the representative body of students. I trust that they’ve decided the right thing. I’m glad there’s been a resolution.”
The Students’ Union has confirmed the dates of the by-election:
- Nominations – Friday 14th to Friday 21st November
- Training Afternoon & Rules Briefing – Friday 21st November (3-6 pm)
- Campaigning Opens – Monday 24th November
- Voting – Wednesday 26th to Thursday 27th November
- Results Announced – Friday 28th November (6 pm)
Forge Press plans to cover the by-election in November.
Find out more about the election here.
