***Amendments to Regulation 3 were last approved by the Senate at the meeting held on 10 June 2020, with changes taking effect from 10 June 2020.***

Regulations Governing the Election of Student Members of Committees

3.1 Regulations for the Appointment of Student Representatives to the Council and the Senate

Appointment to the Council

1) In accordance with Ordinance 4.2 Section 3 (a) the Students’ union President and one other elected Sabbatical Officer will be nominated by the Students’ Union for appointment as representatives of the students of the University to the Council.

(2) Student members will hold office for no more than one year commencing on the first day of their term of elected office and ending on their last day of elected office according to the Students’ Union governing documents. Student members may serve for more than one term of office on the Council if so elected to the office of President or other Sabbatical Officer position.

Appointment to the Senate

(3) In accordance with Ordinance 5 Section 6 (a) the President and two other elected Sabbatical Officers will be nominated by the Students’ Union for appointment as representatives of the students of the University to the Senate.

(4) Student members will hold office for no more than one year commencing on the first day of their elected office and ending on their last day of elected office according to the Students’ Union’s governing documents. Student members may serve for more than one term of office on the Senate if so elected to the office of President or other Sabbatical Officer position.

3.2 Regulations Governing the Procedure for the Election of Student Members and Observers on the Boards of the Faculties and Faculty Education Committees

(A) General Provisions

(1) The purpose of this section is to define eligibility for student positions on Faculty Boards and Faculty Education Committees as set out in Ordinance 7 on the Constitution of the Faculty Boards which concern student membership of the Faculty Boards.

(2) The number and type of student representatives on each Faculty Board is set out in Ordinance 7 Sections 5 (a) (x), 5 (b) (vii) and 5 (c) (ix)

(3) A student elected as a member of a Board of a Faculty will also serve as a member of the Faculty Education Committee under the Board of the Faculty concerned.

(4) One postgraduate student will be appointed from each of the Faculty Boards to sit on the Board of Graduate Studies.

(5) The Faculty Boards will recommend to the Senate on which of the Board’s sub-committees, if any, and in what numbers, the elected student member and student observers can sit.

(6) No student member or observer on a Faculty Board or any other sub-committee of a Faculty Board can participate in, or receive papers for, any business affecting the appointment, promotion or personal affairs of individual members of staff of the University or affecting the admission, academic assessment or personal affairs of individual students.

(B) Election of Student Members

(1) All registered (i.e. fee-paying) students of the University are eligible to vote in the election of the student member of the Board of the Faculty of which they are members.

(2) All registered (i.e. fee-paying) students of the University are eligible to serve as a member of a Faculty Board of which they are a member.

(3) Any registered student of the University in a particular Faculty of the University will be eligible to stand at the election of the student member of the Board of the Faculty of which they are a member, provided that they expect to be a registered student in that Faculty during the year in which they will hold office if elected.

(4) The Returning Officer, will be a registered student of the University appointed by the Union of Students. They will be responsible for checking the eligibility of students to vote in particular constituencies and for checking with the Academic Registrar concerning the status of any student who is nominated as a candidate for election but about whose future as a registered student any doubt might arise.

(5) Nominations must be made with the written consent of the nominee and must be sent to the Returning Officer appointed for the election, who will forward a list of nominations including proposers and seconders to the Registrar immediately upon the close of nominations. Candidates may be proposed and seconded only by registered students of the University.

(6) The election will normally be held in the Spring term and the person or persons elected will hold office for a period of one year commencing on the first day of October following the election.

(7) Notice of elections will be given by the Returning Officer at least fourteen days before the elections are held.

(8) Student members of the Boards of the Faculties may resign by writing both to the Chair of the Faculty Board and the President of the Union of Students.

(9) A vacancy caused by resignation will be filled by by-election for the unexpired period of office. The by-election will take place during term-time as soon as possible after the resignation and follow these Regulations where applicable.

(10) The election will be conducted as follows:

(a) If only one nomination is received for one position, the person nominated will be deemed elected to that position.

(b) Where there are only two candidates standing for one position, each elector will have one vote and the candidate who polls the most votes will be elected.

(c) Where there are more than two candidates standing for one position, the election will be conducted by means of an eliminating vote in a single ballot as set out below:

(i) Each elector will number the candidates in order of preference, indicating their first choice with the number 1 and so on. A vote will be deemed valid even if an order of preference has not been indicated for all the candidates.

(ii) The number of first preferences cast for each candidate will be counted and if any candidate polls over 50 per cent of the votes cast they will be elected.

(iii) If no candidate polls over 50 per cent of the votes cast the candidate with the least number of first preference votes will be eliminated and their votes distributed amongst the remaining candidates according to the second preference expressed on these ballots.

(iv) If any candidate then polls 50 per cent of the votes cast they will be elected. If no candidate polls over 50 per cent of the votes cast the candidate with the least number of votes will be eliminated and their votes distributed amongst the remaining candidates according to the next available preference expressed on these ballots.

(v) This process of elimination will continue until a candidate receives over 50 per cent of the votes cast, or until only one name remains, when the candidate will be declared elected.

(d) The Returning Officer of the Union of Students will have an ordinary vote in the election of the student member of the Board of the Faculty of which they are a member. In the event of a tie between the last two remaining candidates they may order a re-election to take place if either candidate so requests, or if both candidates agree the result will be decided by lot.

(e) The Registrar or their representative reserves the right to be present throughout polling at the election and counting of the votes.

(f) At least five per cent of the electorate for any office must vote if the election to any position is to be valid.

(C) Election of Student Observers

(1) The student observers in each Faculty will be elected by and from a Faculty Student Assembly, which will be composed of an equal number of student representatives appointed by and from each Staff/Student Liaison Committee within the Faculty. Subject to any relevant Regulations in (A) above, the number of these representatives and the method of election of the student observers will be matters for the Union of Students to decide in consultation with the Chairs of the Staff/Student Liaison Committees in each Faculty.

(2) No student will serve as an observer on a Faculty Board who is not a registered student of the University in the Faculty concerned.

(3) The election of student observers will be held in October following the election of the student members referred to in (B) above, and the person or persons elected will hold office from the date of the election until the following 30th September.

(4) Notice of elections will be given at least fourteen days before the elections are held.

(5) Student observers on the Boards of the Faculties and Faculty Education Committees may resign by writing both to the Chair of the Faculty and the Chair of the relevant Staff/Student Liaison Committee.

(6) A vacancy caused by resignation will be filled by by-election for the unexpired period of office. The by-election will take place during term-time as soon as possible after the resignation and will follow these Regulations where applicable.