Officer Roles

Aston Students' Union is a student-led democratic organisation that represents, supports and provides opportunities to its members: all Aston students. We're led by a team of Officers who are democratically elected Aston students. Elections take place during Term 2 (usually March), and these decide who will run the Students' Union for the following academic year.

There are loads of reasons why you should think about becoming an SU Officer. Here are some of the best ones.

Image of Previous Officer Amna Atteeq

BECAUSE YOU ARE A LEADER.

Full-Time SU Officers are leaders of the Students’ Union in a very real way. As an Officer, you'd be a trustee and director of the Union. You'd oversee the daily running of the Union, to ensure it’s working in the interests of Aston students, and make real decisions that can change the whole direction of the organisation. In most placements and grad jobs, you start at the bottom: not as an SU Officer. You start right at the top. This is a truly unique opportunity.

Image of Previous Officer Amna Atteeq
Image of Previous Officers Annas Mazhar and Pawan Kumar Neglur

BECAUSE YOU INSPIRE CHANGE.

You understand students, and you know what needs to change to make the Aston experience better. Being an SU Officer is the most effective way to make change on campus. Think the library could be better? Be our next VP Education. Think mental health services could be improved? Be our next VP Welfare. Think you could run the best events in town? Become our VP Student Activities.

BECAUSE YOU STRIVE TO GAIN UNPARALLELED EXPERIENCE.

A year as an SU Officer is potentially the best thing you could do for your CV. You’ll gain experience in:

  • Project Management
  • Campaigning
  • Event Management
  • Governence and Policy
  • Research
  • Public Speaking
  • Attending High-Level Meetings
  • Stategic Planning
  • People Management
  • Partnership Work with Diverse Stakeholders
  • Diplomacy
  • Negotiation
  • Finance

And more!

You’ll benefit from extensive training, networking opportunities with university leadership, politicians, and business leaders, and the complete support of Union staff. Your opportunities after this are practically limitless. It’s a springboard to fantastic careers in business, charity, politics, or education – or pretty much anything else you set your mind to.

Image of Previous Officer Danielle Gallagher

BECAUSE YOU DESERVE A PLACEMENT LIKE NO OTHER.

Although people often think of Officer positions as something people do after finishing university, a lot of Officers get the idea of running in the election when they’re looking for a placement. It’s a great opportunity – the gross annual salary is over £18.5k, and offers a huge amount of options for ways to develop your professional skills. The elections are also all over by mid March – so if it doesn’t go to plan there’s still plenty of options to continue your placement search.

Image of Previous Officer Danielle Gallagher

What do the officers do?

The Officer team is made up of 15 Officers: four Full-Time (or Sabbatical) Officers, and eleven Part-Time Officers. The Full-Time Officers work in the Students' Union as a full-time, paid job. They're also trustees (external link) of the Students' Union, meaning they contribute to managing the Students' Union in accordance with Charity Law.

Part-Time Officers undertake their role alongside their studies. They're not paid, but they have access to a budget, and to SU staff and resources to help them plan and deliver their projects. As they need to be a student during their year in office, this means that you must be a student during the 2020-21 academic year to be able to run for one of these roles.

Full-time Officers

Part-Time Officers

NUS Delegate

  • President and Vice president roles are from 1st July 2021 until 30th June 2022
  • You will receive extensive training and support to allow you to excel in the role and complete your objectives.
  • The elected candidate will also be expected to undertake two weeks of training in June.
  • This can be a placement or graduate role.
President Role Information, Organising Events, Running Campaigns, Lead and manage the officer team, working with stakeholders in the University, Represent the student body to the University, Representing students on a national level
Vice-President Student Activities Information, organising events and ceremonies, running campaigns, representing students at a national level, working with stakeholders in the university.
Vice-president Education role information, organising events & ceremonies, running campaigns and projects, attend and chair key meetings, working with stakeholders in the university, key point of contact for student representatives, representing students on a national level
Vice-president welfare role information, organising events & ceremonies throughout the year, running campaigns and projects, representing students on a national level, working with stakeholders in the university.

Postgraduate Officer

Represents Postgrad Students at Aston

> Learn More

International Students' Officer

Represents Aston's International Community

> Learn More

Disabled Students' Officer

Ensures that students with disabilities have a voice in the Union

> Learn More

LGBTQ+ Students' Officer

Represents the interests of students who identify as LGBTQ+

> Learn More

Women's Officer

Promotes Women's issues at Aston

> Learn More

BAME (Black & Minority Ethnic) Officer

Represents BAME students at Aston

> Learn More

RAG (Raise & Give) Officer

Runs charitable activities at Aston SU

> Learn More

Commuter Students' Officer

Represents the interests of students who commute to Uni

> Learn More

Union Chairperson

Runs Union Council, and the Union Executive Committee

> Learn More

Sustainability Officer

Runs sustainability projects on campus

> Learn More

Mature Students' Officer

Represents the interests of older students during their education

> Learn More

What is the NUS?

The National Union of Students, known as the NUS, is the national voice of 7 million students across the United Kingdom. It exists to promote, extend, and defend student rights, which it does so through the 600 student unions, associations and guilds across the country.

Take a look at the NUS website to find out a bit more about the NUS.

What is the role?

We elect a number of conference delegates to attend the NUS National Annual Conference, alongside the SU President.

NUS Conference Delegates are super important because they represent Aston University students at a national level. As an NUS Delegate, you will discuss and debate issues that matter to students; you can submit motions to change things for the better and ensure the views of Aston students are heard loud and clear on a national scale.

The role of an NUS Delegate is three-fold; they vote on policy, elections and reports. For more information about being a delegate at NUS National Conference go to the NUS Connect website.

What happens at NUS Conference?

The NUS National Conference is a key decision-making body within the NUS. It brings together delegates from students' unions affiliated to the NUS UK to discuss, debate and vote on motions.

As the sovereign policy-making body of the NUS, National Conference brings together nearly a thousand delegates from students' unions across the country. As well as discussing and voting on motions; they also elect the political leadership of the NUS for the year ahead.

What are the dates of NUS Conference?

The next National Conference will take place in 2021. Candidates must be able to attend the conference.

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, National Conference may take place virtually. This will depend on how the situation develops closer to the time as well as the restrictions in place in April, and the decision to run a physical or virtual event is up to the NUS. If you have specific concerns about attending a physical conference next year, please get in touch with us at union.voice@aston.ac.uk

NUS Conference Date Location Delegation
NUS National Conference 12/04/21 – 13/04/21 The Arena and Convention Centre Liverpool
  • SU President 2020/21 (ex officio)
  • 3 "Open Place" Elected Delegates

STILL NOT SURE?

Get in contact with the SU if you'd like to have a chat with a current officer, or to find out more. Email union.voice@aston.ac.uk.