You’re thinking about running for election – congratulations! There are many different positions that a student can run for in the Students’ Union, all with their own remits. If you’re not entirely certain which position you’d like to run for, that’s okay! Below is a quick guide to the remits of the different positions for election. If you still have questions after reading this post, don’t be afraid to contact the relevant officers to see what their experiences have been like with the positions this year!
Part-time vs. Full-time
Many of the positions in the Student Union are currently full-time or ‘sabbatical’ positions – i.e, these positions cannot be held while you are studying. They’re a full time job for the year, with full-time benefits, including annual leave, expense reimbursement, and of course, a salary! Many students who run for sabbatical positions choose to do so the year they are completing college for this reason. However, many other students choose to take a year out from their degree to run for the Students’ Union, which works well for them, too!
The full-time positions are Overarching SETUSU President, VP Education Waterford, VP Education Carlow, VP Welfare and Equality Waterford, VP Welfare and Equality Carlow, VP Events and Engagement Waterford, VP Events and Engagement Carlow, and VP for the Wexford Campus.
However, there are also part-time positions within the Students’ Union. Holding a part-time position is a great way to be involved in the Students’ Union while still taking part in your studies, and also has its own benefits!
The part-time positions are 4 Waterford Campus Officers, 4 Carlow Campus Officers, and 1 Wexford Campus Officer.
Full-time Positions
SETUSU Overarching President
Chief Spokesperson of the Students’ Union – The President represents the Students’ Union and the student body across many different areas. They sit on many boards and committees within the University, as well as often liaising with the media regarding student issues.
USI National Council Executive – The President will represent the Students’ Union at USI National Council – they are responsible for casting votes on issues such as motions, by-elections, and more. The President also sits on committees and groups within USI as the SU representative.
Responsible for the day-to-day running and HR matters in the SU – The President is responsible for managing staff within the Students’ Union. They are also there to support the other sabbatical officers and intervene in HR issues should the need arise.
Shapes policy and represents students at a University Management level – The President sits on the supreme decision making body within the University – Governing Body – as well as Academic Council, which looks after all matters in the academic sphere, such as examinations, assessments, lectures, module structures, and so on. As such, they have the unique opportunity to shape policy as it arises within these bodies.
Head of Union Finances – The President will work with the Students’ Union Accountant and Board of Governance to set the Union’s budget for the year.
Any questions on what it’s like to be a President? Contact:
Mark: supresident.cw@setu.ie
Patrick: supresident.wd@setu.ie
SETUSU Vice Presidents for Education
Head of the Class Representative Council System – The Education Officers will look after their local Class Representative Council systems, as well as being important members of the Executive Class Representative Council. This includes organising the dates, setting the agenda, recruiting class representatives, training class representatives, and being the point of contact for them when they need assistance in their position.
Education casework – The Education Officers will assist students with any queries in the realm of academics – this includes things such as SUSI, assignments, examinations, issues with lecturers, timetables, and more.
Representative on Academic Council – Alongside the President, the Education Officers will sit on the University’s Academic Council – as representatives that are dealing with student issues on a day-to-day basis, their input is incredibly valuable.
Runs education campaigns such as De-Stress Week, Upskill and more – The Education Officers will be responsible for running any education-centric campaigns, such as De-Stress (designed to support students in their mental health the week before assessments/exams begin), Upskill (designed to give students skills which will improve their employability, as well as information on employment after third-level) and more!
Any questions on what it’s like to be an Education Officer? Contact:
Wiktoria: sueducation.cw@setu.ie
Bryan: sueducation.wd@setu.ie
SETUSU Vice Presidents for Welfare and Equality
Head of the Welfare Crew – The Welfare Officers will recruit students for their Welfare Crew throughout the start of the year. The Welfare Crew is a great way for students to be involved in the Union, as well as meet other students that share their interests! The Welfare Crew is there to assist the Welfare Officers in all of their campaigns and initiatives, and is an important part of their remit.
Welfare casework – the Welfare Officers will assist students with any queries in the realm of student life – this includes things such as accommodation, sexual health, physical health, mental health, personal finances, and more.
EDI Committee Lead of the Students’ Union – the University’s EDI Committee is committed to ensuring that the wide and diverse student and staff population is represented and supported. The Welfare and Equality Officers deal with many student issues around equality, diversity, and inclusion on a daily basis, and as such, are important additions to the University’s EDI Committee.
Runs welfare campaigns such as SHAG Week, Mental Health, EDI, and more – the Welfare Officers will be responsible for running any welfare and equality-centric campaigns, such as SHAG Week (Sexual Health and Guidance), Mental Health (designed to improve students’ mental health and experience, and provide information around resources for mental health), EDI (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) and more!
Offers students emergency financial aid – the Welfare Officers are responsible for the Welfare Fund, a small fund that the Student Union has to assist students who may need help with once-off living expenses such as groceries or travel.
Any questions on what it’s like to be a Welfare Officer? Contact:
Dani: suwelfare.cw@setu.ie
Alicia: suwelfare.wd@setu.ie
SETUSU Vice Presidents for Events and Engagement
Head of the Entertainment Crew – The Events and Engagement Officers will recruit students for their Entertainment Crew throughout the start of the year. The Entertainment crew is a great way for students to be involved in the Union, as well as meet other students that share their interests! The Entertainment Crew is there to assist the Events and Engagement Officers in all of their campaigns and initiatives, and is an important part of their remit.
Graphic design and social media campaigns – The Events and Engagement Officers will be responsible for designing graphics for different campaigns and other events, as well as being the primary points of contact for the Student Union’s website, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter pages.
SU Lead for liasing with nightclubs, sponsors, charities, and more – Events and Engagement Officers will be responsible for securing sponsorship for the Students’ Union. This could include anything from local businesses to Apache or Supermacs! They will also be the point of contact for the nightclubs, which is an incredibly important part of Raise and Give and Freshers Weeks – as well as any charities involved with the SU throughout the year.
Responsible for major campaigns such as Freshers Week and Raise and Give Week – As well as supporting the other officers in their campaigns, the Events and Engagement Officers are the primary leads on two of the biggest campaigns in the Students’ Union calendar – Freshers Week and Raise and Give Week!
Host and organise fun social acivities for students throughout the year – As well as Freshers and Raise and Give, there will be other events throughout the year that the Events and Engagement Officers will look after – this could be anything and everything, from 90s Nights to campus vists from brands! As well as this, the Events and Engagement Officers will assist students who want to organise things such as balls, class parties, trips, and more.
Any questions on what it’s like to be an Events and Engagement Officer? Contact:
Oscar: suevents.wd@setu.ie
Liam: suevents.cw@setu.ie
Vice President for the Wexford Campus
Supports Wexford and Wicklow students in areas of Welfare and Equality, Education, and Events and Engagement – as the Wexford Campus does not have a full-time sabbatical team, the Wexford Campus Officer will assist students in many areas. This will include student casework in the areas of Welfare and Education, as well as sitting on any relevant committees to Wexford and Wicklow students.
Organises events and campaigns for Wexford and Wicklow students – the Wexford Campus Officer will be the primary lead on these campuses for events such as Raise and Give and Freshers Week, as well as designing and implementing campaigns that will be of interest to these student cohorts.
Head of the Wexford Class Representative Council system – The Wexford Campus Officer will look after the Wexford Class Representative Council system, as well as being an important member of the Executive Class Representative Council. This includes organising the dates, setting the agenda, recruiting class representatives, training class representatives, and being the point of contact for them when they need assistance in their position.
Works in conjunction and with support of all other Executive Team members – the Wexford Campus Officer will be a vital part of the SETUSU Executive, and will have the support of the Carlow and Waterford teams, as well as the SETUSU President, in all aspects of their position.
Part-Time Positions
The Part-Time Positions available are as follows:
- 4 Campus Officer Positions in Carlow
- 4 Campus Officer Positions in Waterford
- 1 Campus Officer Position in Wexford
Represent the students of your campus – as a Campus Officer, you will be an important representative of the campus that you come from! Many of the separate SETUSU Campuses have unique issues that need to be addressed in different ways, and it’s important that the SU have the experience of students from that campus when addressing these issues.
Point of contact between Class Representatives on your campus and the SETUSU Students’ Union – Class Representatives on your campus will know you as a friendly face from the Union and may come to you with issues that they need voicing – an important part of your role.
Promote and engage with Students’ Union campaigns and events – Part-Time Officers have always been a vital part of promoting and assisting in some of the Union’s biggest campaigns – such as Raise and Give Week, Freshers Week, and more. It’s important that we hear from the student perspective what students are interested in seeing on campus as part of these campaigns, and areas of the student experience that can inform the events and information the Union put out during campaigns.