Who and why should you run to be a UG/PG Assembly Faculty Rep at Assembly?

There is one thing that connects all of Durham’s students – their academic interests. It is, therefore, extremely important that those interests are represented at Assembly. Our Standing Orders require us to have 2 Undergraduate and Postgraduate students from each of the Durham Faculties. And you can be one of them!

You’ll get loads of skills from being a member of Assembly including communication, diplomacy, and conflict resolution. You would also develop skills such as fairness, debating, and public speaking.

But there is far more to this role than the skills you will be developing. As an Assembly member, you will play an active part in the work of Durham SU, supporting your officers to act in accordance with what students voted for, whilst being mindful that the HE landscape changes frequently and the team must remain adaptable. You will be an active player in Durham's student democracy and a key part of your Students’ Union.

What are the expectations of the role?

Assembly meets three times a year, and as a member, it is expected that you will attend. You can also volunteer to join other Committees, including the Officer Scrutiny Committee and the Assembly Procedures Committee.

You are also expected to remain transparent and avoid any conflict of interests whilst exercising your duties.

How to run? 

To run for this position you need to nominate yourself. Its an easy process. All you have to do is login into your SU account (durhamsu.com), click the drop-down menu next to your name at the top of the page and select "Account/Profile". You will then see a "My Nominations" from on the left-hand side of the page. If you follow this button you will see al the positions you are elegible for. 

A "Place" position is an elected position and you will need to gather votes from the constituency you want to represent. You will then be trained before your first Assembly and will play a critical role in our democracy. 

Nominations open: 9/10/23 at 9am - 19/10/23 at 5pm.

Voting open: 23/10/23 at 9am - 26/10/23 at 5pm.

Who and why should you run to be a Student Group Place at Assembly?

Do you love being a member of a student group and want to make sure student groups are the best they could possibly be? There are eight student group places on Assembly, and you could run to be one, representing the issues and ideas of students who are part of student groups.

You’ll get loads of skills from being a member of Assembly including communication, diplomacy, and conflict resolution. You would also develop skills such as fairness, debating, and public speaking.

But there is far more to this role than the skills you will be developing. As an Assembly member, you will play an active part in the work of Durham SU, supporting your officers to act in accordance with what students voted for, whilst being mindful that the HE landscape changes frequently and the team must remain adaptable. You will be an active player in Durham's student democracy and a key part of your Students’ Union.

What are the expectations of the role?

Assembly meets three times a year, and as a member, it is expected that you will attend. You can also volunteer to join other Committees, including the Officer Scrutiny Committee and the Assembly Procedures Committee.

You are also expected to remain transparent and avoid any conflict of interests whilst exercising your duties.

How to run? 

To run for this position you need to nominate yourself. Its an easy process. All you have to do is login into your SU account (durhamsu.com), click the drop-down menu next to your name at the top of the page and select "Account/Profile". You will then see a "My Nominations" from on the left-hand side of the page. If you follow this button you will see al the positions you are elegible for. 

A "Place" position is an elected position and you will need to gather votes from the constituency you want to represent. You will then be trained before your first Assembly and will play a critical role in our democracy. 

Nominations open: 9/10/23 at 9am - 19/10/23 at 5pm.

Voting open: 23/10/23 at 9am - 26/10/23 at 5pm.

Who and why should you run to be at Assembly?

You’ll get loads of skills from being a member of Assembly, including communication, diplomacy, and conflict resolution. You will also develop skills such as fairness, debating, and public speaking.

But there is far more to this role than the skills you will be developing. As an Assembly member, you will play an active part in the work of Durham SU, supporting your Officers to act in accordance with what students voted for, whilst being mindful that the HE landscape changes frequently and the team must remain adaptable. You will be an active player in Durham's student democracy and a key part of your Students’ Union.

What are the expectations of the role?

Assembly three times a year, and as a member, it is expected that you will attend. You can also volunteer to join other Committees, including the Officer Scrutiny Committee and the Assembly Procedures Committee.

You are also expected to remain transparent and avoid any conflict of interests whilst exercising your duties.

How to run? 

To run for this position you need to nominate yourself. Its an easy process. All you have to do is login into your SU account (durhamsu.com), click the drop-down menu next to your name at the top of the page and select "Account/Profile". You will then see a "My Nominations" from on the left-hand side of the page. If you follow this button you will see al the positions you are elegible for. 

A "Place" position is an elected position and you will need to gather votes from the constituency you want to represent. You will then be trained before your first Assembly and will play a critical role in our democracy. 

Nominations open: 09/10/23 at 9am - 19/10/23 at 5pm. 

Voting open: 23/10/23 at 9am - 26/10/23 at 5pm. 

Why should you run to be your College Place at Assembly?

You’ll get loads of skills from being a member of this committee including communication, diplomacy, and conflict resolution. You would also develop skills such as time management, public speaking, leadership, and problem-solving.

But there is far more to this role than the skills you will be developing. As a member of Assembly, you will play an active part in the work of Durham SU, supporting students to influence policy and direction regularly. You will be an active player in Durham's student democracy and a key part of your Students’ Union.

What are the expectations of the role?

As a member of Assembly, you’ll be required to meet as and when needed, with a minimum of 3 meetings a year. You may also choose to join other committees, but there is no expectation you would do so. Our staff team will support you when conducting your role, and there will be training provided.

What is the nominations and election process?

There are seventeen places that need to be filled, representing each of the colleges.

You don’t need to be a member of your Common Room or pay a levy, all you need is to be a current student at the college you are running to represent. Only members of your college can vote for you.

St Cuthbert's College will be holding their own election for this position, look out for more information from your common room if you want to run for this post. 

Nominations open: 09/10/23 at 9am - 19/10/23 at 5pm.

Voting open: 23/10/23 at 9am - 26/10/23 at 5pm. 

How to run? 

To run for this position you need to nominate yourself. Its an easy process. All you have to do is login into your SU account (durhamsu.com), click the drop-down menu next to your name at the top of the page and select "Account/Profile". You will then see a "My Nominations" from on the left-hand side of the page. If you follow this button you will see al the positions you are elegible for. 

A "Place" position is an elected position and you will need to gather votes from the constituency you want to represent. You will then be trained before your first Assembly and will play a critical role in our democracy. 

Why should you run to be the next SU Assembly Chair?

Being the SU Assembly Chair is a great opportunity help students to shape the work of Durham SU. As Chair, you have the opportunity to develop skills such as communication, diplomacy, and conflict resolution. You would also develop skills such as time management, public speaking, leadership, and delegating.

But there is far more to this role than the skills you will be developing. As Chair, you will play an active part in the work of Durham SU, supporting students to influence policy and direction regularly. You will be an active player in Durham's student democracy and a key part of your Students’ Union.

What is the role of the SU Assembly Chair?

As Chair, you will be the head of the meeting, meaning that you would be responsible for welcoming new members and creating an environment where everyone feels that they can debate issues in a free, fair and respectful way. You would also NOT have a casting vote.

As Chair of Assembly, you will also Chair the Assembly Procedures Committee. This is the committee responsible for setting the agenda and approving motions to be taken to the main Assembly.

You will also be responsible for conducting the meetings, ensuring that the agenda and any formal processes are upheld– but don't worry, you'll have a Chair's Aide to support you with this.

You must remain neutral, and enable students who wish to express their thoughts on a motion or policy to do so respectfully.

What is the nomination process?

Nominations open: 9/10/23 at 9am - 10/11/23 at 12am (midnight).  

To run for this position you need to nominate yourself. It's an easy process. All you have to do is login into your SU account (durhamsu.com), click the drop-down menu next to your name at the top of the page and select "Account/Profile". You will then see a "My Nominations" from on the left-hand side of the page. If you follow this button you will see all the positions you are eligible for. 

Please note: This position will only be open to members of Assembly

We are delighted that you are considering nominating yourself for a position at the Assembly Procedures Committee. This is a challenging and rewarding role working with other members to make sure Assembly remains a respectful and accessible place, where students can discuss what matters the most to them.

What is Assembly Procedures Committee (APC)?

The APC is the committee responsible for setting the agenda, approving motions and amendments to be taken to Assembly, and overall ensuring that the meeting is well regulated and acts within its powers.

As a member of the APC, you will play a critical part in making Assembly an accessible place where all feel comfortable contributing. You can check the powers and responsibilities of this committee here.

Why should you run to be a member of the Assembly Procedures Committee?

There are four places that need to be filled with members of Assembly. These four, alongside the Chair of Assembly and the SU President, will help make sure Assembly meetings follow the rules and procedures that you decide.

You’ll get loads of skills from being a member of this committee, including communication, diplomacy, and conflict resolution. You would also develop skills such as time management, public speaking, leadership, and problem-solving.

But there is far more to this role than the skills you will be developing. As an APC member, you will play an active part in the work of Durham SU, supporting students to influence policy and direction regularly. You will be an active player in Durham's student democracy and a key part of your Students’ Union.

What are the expectations of the role?

As a member of APC, you’ll be required to meet approximately once a term. This includes one APC meeting per Assembly, and any others required by the needs of Assembly. You will also be required to approve decisions via email, and therefore be regularly contactable. Our staff team will support you when conducting your role, and there will be training provided.

Please note: This position will only be open to members of Assembly

What is Officer Scrutiny Committee (OSC)?

The OSC is the committee responsible for scrutinising the work of the Officer team. Amongst other things, this committee is responsible for supporting the Officers in prioritising their workload and reporting to Assembly on the work of the officers.

As a member of the OSC, you will play a critical part in making helping Assembly scrutinise the work of the Officer team, and make sure your union works for you. You can check the powers and responsibilities of this committee here.

Who and why should you run to be on the Officer Scrutiny Committee?

The OSC is comprised of members of Assembly. This means that you must be a member of Assembly in order to nominate yourself for a position. There are eight positions, of which four must come from specific places of Assembly:

• at least one member from an Undergraduate/Postgraduate place at Assembly
• at least one member must be an Association Representative
• at least one member must occupy a College Place
• at least one member should be a current postgraduate student.

The remaining four do not need to follow any specific criteria in order to be accepted, apart from being members of Assembly.

You’ll get loads of skills from being a member of this committee including communication, diplomacy, and conflict resolution. You would also develop skills such as fairness, workload management, and coaching.

But there is far more to this role than the skills you will be developing. As an OSC member, you will play an active part in the work of Durham SU, supporting your Officers to act in accordance with what students voted for, whilst being mindful that the HE landscape changes frequently and the team must remain adaptable. You will be an active player in Durham's student democracy and a key part of your Students’ Union.

What are the expectations of the role?

As a member of OSC, you’ll be required to meet as and when needed. This includes between one to two meetings a term (depending on when Assembly meets). Our staff team will support you when conducting your role, and there will be training provided.

You are also expected to remain fair and objective in your appraisal of the Officers job, remain transparent, and avoid any conflict of interests. You must also respect the proper role of Assembly and the Officer Team.

What is a Task & Finish Group?

Task & Finish Groups bring together students to do a piece of work that will help tackle an issue that students care about. Each group will have different objectives. They might be established to do a piece of research, to explore solutions to a problem, or work with the university to make a certain change.

How can you be part of one?

By joining a Task & Finish Group, you’ll be helping put Assembly policy into action, and taking a role in making the University or SU a better place for students.

Email dsu.governance@durham.ac.uk for more information about which Task & Finish Groups currently have openings. Groups are open to all students, not just Assembly members, though some groups will have specified membership categories due to their objective (e.g. they might specify the need for one JCR President to join).

How can you set one up?

Any student can write a motion for Assembly in order to set up a Task & Finish Group. Assembly members will vote on the motion, and if they vote in favour, your group will be set up. For more information about how to write an Assembly motion, go here: Understanding Policy @ Durham SU