Election Handbook 2015

LEAD YOUR UNIONELECTION HANDBOOK

1. Why Run?

2. Useful contacts 3. Interested in running for a position?

4. Full Time & Part Time elected officers

5. What to expect from the elections

6. Key dates

It is vital that you have a Union run by students for students. The benefits of running are immense, it gives you the opportunity to develop graduate attributes such as leadership skills through the training and experience gained. There is also a comprehensive handover training programme including input from outgoing sabbaticals, OSL and University staff, and other relevant professionals. The remuneration for the position is €25,000 and the term is early June 2014 – 20th June 2015.

USEFUL CONTACTS The best people to discuss the details of running in the elections are the current sabbaticals. They have gone through the process themselves and are currently working in the position so the advice that they give could be invaluable. Their contact details are below, alternatively feel free to pop into the Students’ Union and speak to them in person.

Full Time Elected Officers: • President Kenneth Browne [email protected]• VP Education Gary Gillick [email protected] • VP Welfare Eve Kerton [email protected]

Convenors• Humanities and Social Science Convenor- Peadar Gill -peadar.ogoill2@mail.

dcu.ie• Science and health Convenor - Kim Sweeney- [email protected]• Engineering & Computing Convenor- Danny Walsh -

[email protected]• Business Convenor- Jack Butterly - [email protected]• Post Grad - Brian Harman - [email protected] Clubs and Socs• Clubs Officer- Ross McCarrick [email protected]• Socs Officer- Lindsay Butler [email protected]• SLC Chair- Jake Ryan - [email protected] • CLC- Terry Keegan - [email protected]

For general enquiries contact Kenneth Browne [email protected]

Interested in running for a position?

The main elections are held once a year in Semester 2. The Students’ Union election gives all students the opportunity to have a say in the way the Students’ Union is run and its direction for the future. We represent students on issues they tell us to and we campaign for the changes that our members have asked for. To make sure we are relevant and effective in our work we always need students to get involved with their Students’ Union, by voting, by coming to meetings and by standing in elections. It’s your Students’ Union so if you care about it, stand for it. You can be elected to one of these 3 types of positions: Full time Elected Officer, Convenor, or Clubs/Societies Officer.

• Be the principal representative and spokesperson of the Union.

• Ensure the development of policy.

• Ensure smooth co-ordination of Union Affairs.

• Drive development of the Union.

• Safeguarding of Union Finances.

• Management and Development of Union services.

• Training of members of the Executive.

• Interpretation of the Constitution.

• In conjunction with the Manager of the Office Student Life, the President is responsible for the administration and staffing of the Union.

OVERVIEW

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

The President is the elected chief representative and spokesperson of the DCU student body.

• Give support to students with regard to their welfare.

• Be responsible for the promotion, development and implementation of the Union policies on welfare.

• Act as a point of peer-provided guidance to members.

• Sit on relevant university committees and bodies in the pursuance of implementing Student Union welfare policy.

• Work with the Vice-President for Education to ensure that adequate information is available to students regarding their education and welfare.

OVERVIEW


The Welfare Officer deals with all non-academic queries; finance, accommodation, sexual health, mental health, campaigns, sustainability, healthy eating. A huge part of your job is organising and co-ordinating SU campaigns to create awareness of issues that affect the student body.

• Give support to students with regard to their education and academic issues.

• Responsible for the promotion, development and implementation of the Union policies on Education.

• Update members on changes in the education system or changes within the educational structure of the University which are relevant to students.

• Oversee the Convener and Class Representative system.

• Sit on relevant University committees and bodies in the pursuance of implementing Student Union education policy.

• Serve as Secretary of the Executive and shall ensure the maintenance and accuracy and where appropriate, the publication of all Union minutes and records.

• Act for and on behalf of the President in the event of his/her absence.

• The scope of the authority of the Vice President for Education may be limited or defined by the President during the absence of the President.

OVERVIEW


The Education Officer represents and supports students in all academic and educational issues. This involves representing DCU Students on senior level committees in the University such as Education Committee, University Standards Committee & Academic Council. The Education Officer manages and administers our system of Class Reps and Grinds database. As well as this, you also help plan and organise the SU campaigns and represent DCUSU at various functions both inside and outside the University.

There are 5 part-time elected officers who work alongside the full time elected officers and take up the position for a year alongside their studies on a voluntary basis. Similar to the Full Time Elected Officers, they will have a number of roles to fulfill. These include being a representative of all students, representing your faculty and being a member of the Executive committee.

Opportunities available: Business Convenor, Engineering and Computing Convenor, Humanities and Social Sciences Science and Health Convenor & Post Grad Officer

The role of convenor is exciting and a great opportunity to meet and help new people. The main duties are attending Faculty Committee for Education (FCE), Academic Council, Student Union (SU) Executive meetings and reporting to Class Rep Council (CRC). As well as those you can pursue what you think is best/most feasible for you, whether that be attending Programme Boards, meeting with Class Reps or whole class or pursuing projects of your own. Your level of involvement/commitment to any one aspect is totally up to you.

• Convenors are responsible for aiding and co-ordinating union activities, promotion and policy implementation within their faculty.

• Training and development of class reps within their faculty.

• Working with sabbatical officers to ensure their faculty members are represented in SU policies and campaigns.

• Representing students on relevant faculty committees and university bodies in the pursuance of Students’ Union aims and objectives and implementation of policies.

OVERVIEW


The Clubs and Socs Officers are the liaison between the SU Executive & the S/CLC. As Clubs or Socs Officer, you sit your respective committees which each meet once a week. On the CLC and SLC, you help clubs or socs with any queries relating to their grant applications, review grant apps with the committee and plan and implement activities to integrate them and enhance the overall student experience. On Exec you aid and assist in all SU activity, from weekly campaigns to events. As a member of S/CLC you play a deciding role in the distribution of funds to DCU’s 130 plus active clubs and societies, help new ones set up and sort any issues existing that they may have.

• A member of CLC/SLC and liason between Students’ Union and those committees.

• Promote and implement Union policy with regard to extra-curricular activities.

• Co-ordinate activities between the Union, Clubs and Societies.

• Act as liaison between a number of Clubs/Socs and the relevant committee.

OVERVIEW


&

The nomination period is open for 1 academic week. In order to nominate yourself as a candidate in the elections you must find five current DCU students who will be your 2 proposers and also 3 seconders.

Your nomination must be completed before the closing time and all information and details on the form must be complete. After the close of nominations all candidates are required to attend a candidates meeting where the general protocol of elections, the rules and regulations and any administrative matters are discussed.

The time between the close of nominations and the start of campaigning is known as design period. This is the time for you as candidates to spend preparing for your campaign, be it making t-shirts, banners or thinking up that catchy song to go along with your theme. Also during this time you will need to design a poster and write your manifesto.

Campaign week is your time to shine and show the rest of the student population why they should vote for you and allow you to run their Students’ Union.

There are a lot of procedures and regulations related to the campaigning period- please see our leaflet on that “Election Procedures and Campaigning Information”.

WHAT TO EXPECTFROM THENOMINATION PERIOD

DESIGN PERIOD

CAMPAIGN WEEK

How, when and where do I Vote?

Voting is done using the Proportional Representation Single Transferrable vote system.

A short explanation is as follows:You vote with numbers instead of a tick or a cross, giving the number 1 to the candidate you believe to be best for the position. You then rank the candidates in order of preference, number 2 for your second preference, 3 for your third and so on.

Once voting is completed all of the first preferences are counted and if no one has achieved the quota (50% plus one of the vote) the lowest ranked candidate is eliminated and their votes transferred to the next preference. This continues until a candidate passes the 50% plus one threshold, or until there is only one candidate left.

This system means that your vote continues to influence the result of the election even if your first preference doesn’t win.

For each full time position as well as the candidates themselves you are given the option of voting for R.O.N which stands for re-open the nominations if you feel that none of the candidates running are suitable for the position.

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2015Mon16th Feb

Nominations Open -forms available from the SU Helpdesk

Nominations Close Candidates Meeting (2pm) - All candidates must attend

Ask your Union Officer - candidates can meet SU officers to discuss their role in the SU

Campaigning begins at 10am

Hustings @ 1pm - election debates

All campaign materials must be removedfrom within a ten metre radius of polling stations

Voting Begins

Close of Ballot. All candidates must present their accounts to Electoral Committee Treasurer by 6.30pm

Mon23rd Feb

Mon2nd MarchTues3rd MarchFriday6th MarchMonday9th MarchWed11th March

Thurs26th Feb

So, if you’re still reading, hopefully you are interested. Our advice on what to do next would be:

· Go and speak to one of the current officers, either the one in the role that interests you or any other. Ask them about the election process, about the role, about the good bits and about the bad bits.

· If you have any questions that this pack doesn’t answer (we’re sure there will be plenty), speak to us and hopefully we can find the answer for you.

· If you want to run but there are things preventing you from doing so, please let us know what it is and maybe we can help find a solution.

Think you will be up for the job? Go for it!

Find the form here for Part-Positions

http://www.dcusu.ie/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/CampaignFormsConvenorClubsSocs2015.pdf

Find the form here for Sabbatical Positions

http://www.dcusu.ie/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/CampaignFormssabbaticals2015.pdf

Documents

Election Handbook 2015