A pink background with colourful white, green and yellow shapes

FAQs

Frequently asked questions we get asked.

What happens during the standing period?

During the standing period, students who are interested in the roles available will put themselves forward and submit their publicity.

Anyone who puts themselves forward will then have to attend a candidates' briefing session after the standing period has closed where they learn about the important rules, key dates and process. No campaigning should happen during the standing period and will only begin once voting opens.

Why should I stand for a role?

There are endless reasons why you should stand for a role that if we listed them all you'd be here a very long time. In summary standing in an election is an exciting experience, where you can meet new people, learn more about UAL and Arts SU, and develop so many skills.

If you're successful, you get to speak on behalf of other students, grow as an individual and develop creative changes to improve the student experience. Being a student representative also enables you to:

  • Connect with students across UAL.
  • Develop skills in empowering creative voices, problem solving, communication and team working.
  • Grow confidence in representing yourself and other creatives within the Arts.
  • Develop understanding of Arts education and the challenges facing students today.
  • Attend socials, arts active events, training and personal development opportunities provided by Arts SU & UAL.
  • Shape the future of UAL and Arts SU.

Which roles can I stand for?

You can view all the currently available roles in each election on the Elections Hub.

To stand as a School Rep you must be currently studying in that school / department.

How do I stand for a role?

You can find all the information on how to stand for a role here:

If you need any support with putting yourself forward, please email democracy@su.arts.ac.uk.

I’m not sure I should stand for election, what should I do?

Check out the Elections Guide in our Elections Hub or our other web pages which are filled with information and resources about the roles available, the elections process and the benefits of running for a role.

You could also pop along to one of our Introduction to SU Elections Sessions where you can learn more about the roles, meet some of the staff team running the elections, and ask us any questions you might have.

Ultimately, which role you choose to stand for in our elections is completely down to you! Just make sure you're eligible for the position.

It's important to think about what you will enjoy, can contribute towards and or improve for students. Speak to friends, lecturers, and family members to see which one they think you'd be best at. Alternatively, you can get in touch with Arts SU by emailing democracy@su.arts.ac.uk and we can schedule a Teams call for a chat with one of our staff members who will give you support and advice on whether any of these roles are for you.

Who can stand in these elections?

Any current UAL student who will be studying until June 2024 are eligible to stand. However there are requirements for some roles.

You can only stand to be a School Rep in the School you study in (e.g. only students who study in LCC: Screen School can stand for the LCC Screen School Rep role). Additionally, you must continue to be a student for the next academic year.

You can only stand for one of the NUS Liberation Representative positions if you self-identify with that community. (i.e Only those who self-identify as LGBTQ+ should stand for that position).

I’m an international student, can I stand?

Yes, all current UAL students who will be studying here until June 2024 can stand for the roles in this election. If you get elected we can support you with your Visa.

What are the hours like?

For School Reps, we suggest that you spend no more than 2-3 hours per week on your role, although this will vary depending on the time of year. For example, you may have weeks where you spend extra time on the role due to scheduled board meetings, but this should balance out by spending less time on the role at quieter times of year.

For NUS Delegates, you will need to attend a 1-2 hour briefing session delivered by Arts SU so you know what to expect at the conference, plus travel time to and from the conference, and of course the two days at the conference itself. We then ask delegates to attend a debrief meeting with us so they can feedback any significant discussions, and their experience.

For Sabbatical Officers, this is a full time paid position so you would be expected to work as a member of staff. During this time, you would have taken a year out of your studies unless you have already finished your course.

I don’t have the skills. Will there be training available?

For School Reps, we suggest that you spend no more than 2-3 hours per week on your role, although this will vary depending on the time of year. For example, you may have weeks where you spend extra time on the role due to scheduled board meetings, but this should balance out by spending less time on the role at quieter times of year.

For NUS Delegates, you will need to attend a 1-2 hour briefing session delivered by Arts SU so you know what to expect at the conference, plus travel time to and from the conference, and of course the two days at the conference itself. We then ask delegates to attend a debrief meeting with us so they can feedback any significant discussions, and their experience.

For Sabbatical Officers, this is a full time paid position so you would be expected to work as a member of staff. During this time, you would have taken a year out of your studies unless you have already finished your course.

Why do I have to submit publicity, a photo, and summary text?

It is not compulsory to submit publicity and summary, but it is in your best interests to create something to tell students about the kinds of issues that interest you and what you'd like to achieve.

Both are ways for candidates to put their ideas and personality forward to voters. If you have good publicity, students are more likely to vote for you.

Make sure in your publicity you answer the following questions:

  • What are the top 3 issues affecting students?
  • What personal qualities will you bring to the role?
  • Why would the wider Student Body be better with you in it?

The information you provide will be available on the Students' Union website and linked to the online voting pages. You have until the publicity deadline (see the elections timeline) to complete your publicity and summary text on your candidate profile.

What is ‘suggest a student’?

Suggest a student is run by Arts SU to encourage excellent students to stand in the elections. Simply put, it's a form that any current UAL student or staff member can complete to suggest that a student puts themselves forward in the elections.

Once they have completed this form, the student they suggested will get a notification from the SU saying that someone thinks they would be great at a role and should stand in the elections.

View form

When do we find out who is standing?

The names of candidates will be announced on the Arts SU website at the same time voting opens. Students will be able to see who is standing and their publicity on the voting screen.

We will also have a candidate booklet with all the candidate names and manifestos at our election stalls

What happens during the voting period?

The voting period is when you can read candidate manifestos and vote in order of preference.

Here are some frequently asked questions around voting which we wanted to answer to help inform you.

Who am I electing?

Arts SU holds two sets of elections annually, in February-March, and October-November, to allow you to choose your student leaders for the next academic year.

These representatives speak and act on your behalf in the Union, University and wider community fighting for you on an institutional, local and national level.

Candidates produce publicity that contains the ideas and principles of their campaigns. They produce these to help inform your vote – showcasing how they will represent you and address your needs. You can see who is standing and their publicity on the voting screen.

How do I vote?

When you're ready to vote, simply go to www.arts-su.com/vote, log in via your student account, click the vote button and start voting. You will then be sent to a online ballot where you will be able to rank the candidates in order of preference 1 (first choice) to as many or few preferences you wish to cast. When you are finished , simply click No Further Preferences and cast your vote.

If you receive errors logging into the SU website, please make sure you have opted to receive information from the Students' Union, which you can do via SITS

Can I vote in person?

Yes you can!

Arts SU will be organising some voting stalls throughout the voting week across all the colleges. At these stalls you can vote on one of our voting devices, talk to a member of SU staff and find out more information about the election.

How do these roles affect me?

These representatives are your voice and act on your behalf in the Union, University and wider community fighting for you on an institutional, local and national level.

The publicity that candidates publish in the elections can demonstrate their understanding of issues students are facing, and what they believe are priorities for students. The work they do throughout the academic year will be based on this, therefore, it's important that you vote so that you get to have a say on what your representatives are prioritising for you.

When events or circumstances change quickly for the student body, your representatives are the first to respond as the voice of students - often framing how UAL responds to student concerns.

Representatives sit on various committees across the colleges and UAL departments to ensure the student's voice is always inputted and considered in all aspects of decision making at the University. Electing individuals who will do this effectively and accurately is critical to ensuring student views are heard.

The representatives you elect will be listening to and collecting your feedback, raising it and working on developing solutions in collaboration with Arts SU and UAL. It's important that you have your say to make sure your opinions, concerns and thoughts are always at the forefront of your representative's decision making and relayed to UAL staff and committees.

Who is RON (Re-Open Nominations)

All elections include RON (Re-Open Nominations) which allows students to make a positive vote, even they don't agree with the policies of any of the candidates standing. Although we would urge students to consider using this option carefully as it could leave the role vacant until the next election.

I want to get involved further with SU decision making, how do I do this?

Voting in our election is just one of many ways you can get involved in SU decision making. Other ways you can get involved include:

  • Attend an Annual Members Meeting: these are held annually and are an opportunity for students to hear from the Union's Trustees, Elected Officers, and work together to develop policy and campaigns that matter to UAL students.
  • Submit an idea on our Ideas page: we have set up a brand new page on our website where any current UAL student can submit topics for discussion, propose policy, and suggest campaign ideas to improve student life here at Arts. Idea submissions will be taken to the new Student Forums (previously Student Council) and the Annual Members Meeting.
  • Attend Student Forum: This is a termly meeting where any current UAL student can come and discuss important issues affective student experience at UAL.
  • Join a Society: we have a variety of political based societies that are involved in various campaigns and initiatives at UAL.
  • Simply Pop Us An Email: just send us an email to info@su.arts.ac.uk and we will put you in touch with the relevant representative or staff member to support your inquiry.

Keep an eye out for the newsletters we send you every Sunday as these list all the ways you can get involved.