SU Officer elections: roles, dates, nominations and support
Get paid to lead an area of the SU. You'll support activities, address issues, and bring student ideas to life - ensuring everyone can hear your voices loudly and clearly.
On this page you will find:
Roles
Officer role descriptions:
The next round of elections are the main SU Officer elections, taking place across February and March 2026.
The following roles will be elected:
- President (full-time)
- Community Officer (full-time)
- Education Officer (full-time)
- Faculty President - Business (part-time)
- Faculty President - Arts and Humanities (part-time)
- Faculty President - Social Sciences (part-time)
- Faculty President - Science (part-time)
- Liberation Officer (part-time)
- Societies Officer (part-time)
- International Officer (part-time)
- Welfare Officer (part-time)
- Postgraduate Research Students' Officer (part-time)
You can express an interest in the roles here, and we will get in touch to offer a chat, answer any of your questions. You can also nominate yourself now for any of these roles here. Nominations close 15 February (midnight).
Wages and hours
Full-time Officer
- Salary: £26,995
- Hours: 35 hours per week
Part-time Officer
- Wage: £13.45 per hour (this is in line with the Living Wage Foundation)
- Hours: 7 hours per week with some flexibility
Key Dates
Monday 26 January: Nominations open
Wednesday 28 January: speak to staff or current Officers at the Welcome Back Fair
Wednesday 4 February (15:00-16:00): Intro to being an SU Officer #1
Wednesday 11 February (14:00-15:00): Intro to being an SU Officer #2
Sunday 15 February (midnight): Nominations close
Wednesday 18 February (15:00-16:30): Candidate Training Essentials (compulsory for all candidates)
Tuesday 24 February (afternoon): Eligibility checks for full-time Officer candidates
Wednesday 25 February (14:00-16:00): Candidate Campaigns Workshop
Monday 2 March (08:30): Voting opens
Thursday 5 March (12 noon): Voting closes
Thursday 5 March: Results night event!
Candidate Support
- We know that elections can be stressful, so SU staff members will be available to provide support throughout the elections process.
- If you have any questions or need support, you can get in touch at su.elections@durham.ac.uk
- Further details on candidate support will be communicated during campaigns workshops.
Please note, SU staff members are not an alternative to professional or emergency mental health support. If you do need some support during the election period, take a look at Durham University’s Student Support Hub or Durham SU’s Wellbeing Advice.
