Thinking about becoming an Officer?
What is an Officer?
An Officer is a student who has been elected through a campus-wide vote to work in a paid position in the Students’ Union for an academic year. Their role is to represent students on the issues that matter to them.
What are the Officer roles?
This year, students will be electing three full-time Student Officer roles in February. This is a new structure, created in consultation with students, and is an exciting time to get involved in the SU. You can read more about these changes here. You can also download a document detailing role breakdowns here.
Durham SU President
- Chair Officer Committee
- Be chief spokesperson for the Officer team, representing Durham students to the media
- Be lead student representative to Durham University, regional and national organisations.
- Lead the student interest in the effective governance and management of Durham SU, working closely with the Durham SU Chief Executive.
Education Officer
- Chair Education Committee
- Be lead student representative to Durham University on the academic student experience.
- Coordinate and champion the work of academic student experience volunteers across Durham.
Community Officer
- Chair Community Committee
- Be lead student representative to Durham University on the wider student experience.
- Coordinate and champion the work of wider student experience volunteers across Durham including those in common rooms, societies, liberation and welfare groups.
Register your interest form
If you want to find out more information, have any questions, are interested in becoming an officer then fill out this form to register your interest: https://forms.office.com/e/0aduPN3jMP
This form is not binding and will not register you as an official candidate to become an Officer – it is just so our team can offer guidance and answer any questions you may have.
Once you have submitted the form, a member of our team will be in touch to offer support! We can answer your questions via email or set up a meeting to talk things through.
FAQs
Who can be an Officer? [+]
- Anyone! Well, as long as you are a Durham student.
- You do not need to have prior experience of working within the SU or University to be able to run.
- You can either take a year out from your degree to be an Officer or run just after you graduate.
- If you want to continue studying while being an Officer, please contact us at su.elections@durham.ac.uk to discuss your options.
Can I run if I am an international student? [+]
Yes, you can! Read more information below or find more information here.
This information is for you if you have Student or Tier 4 permission and you want to stand for election as a students’ union sabbatical officer.
When you can do the role and how often
You can become a students’ union officer either by taking a break from your studies or in the academic year after your course has ended. The post is for one year and you will be eligible to stand for re-election for a second year. You can run more than once to be a sabbatical officer and the limit is two years at one institution.
If you have completed your course
You must do the sabbatical officer post in the academic year after you complete your course. You can start the post on your current Student permission if it allows you to work but you will need to apply to extend it to complete the post. You will need a confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS) letter from the University. You should complete the extension to your permission before you start work. This is to avoid problems if the Home Office refuses your application. You must not work if you get a rejection or refusal and you no longer have immigration permission. Seek advice from the University immediately.
If you have not completed your course
You are in the middle of your course and you currently have Student permission that allows work. You can start full-time work as a sabbatical officer without making a new application. It does not matter that your documents refer to 10 or 20 hours work per week. The University must report you change of circumstances to the Home Office, so speak to them as soon as possible.
You will usually need to extend your permission so you can work and then finish your studies. You should discuss the timing of your application with the University.
When you stop being a full-time student, you will become liable to pay council tax.
Financial Sponsorship and Loans
You might have a loan or get financial sponsorship. Check the terms and conditions before you stand for election. In some cases, you might have to start repaying your loan if you take a break from studies. You might also be in breach of your agreement if you do not return to your employer when your studies end. You can stand for election after your course has ended to avoid repaying a loan before you graduate. You must do the sabbatical officer post in the academic year after you complete your course.
*This information assumes you already have Student or Tier 4 permission, talk to the University if:
- You are studying with a different type of permission.
- You need to apply for student permission.
Can I run if I’m a postgraduate student? [+]
Yes! Postgraduates can run for all of the full-time Officer roles. Just make sure that if you are not in your final year, that you are comfortable taking a year out of your degree in order to do the role. If you want to continue studying while being an Officer, please contact us at su.elections@durham.ac.uk to discuss your options.
Can I run for more than one position? [+]
No. You must decide which role you wish to run for, and only run in that election. If you’re unsure which position is for you, feel free to get in touch at su.elections@durham.ac.uk for more information.
Why do we have an election? [+]
We’re a democratically led organisation for over 20,000 student members. Every year, students are given the chance to vote for, and apply to be on of the three Student Officers who lead our organisation.
