Kent Union Elections 2020: Everything you need to know

Image courtesy of: Emily Heath

The dates for Kent Union’s 2020 Leadership Elections have been finalised.

The elections, which will decide whom will undertake the Sabbatical Officer positions in Kent Union in 2020, will take place between now and the 21st of February 2020.

Nominations are now open to any University of Kent student, regardless of academic year or experience.

Voting will open on the 21st February 2020 for nominated candidates.

This is the second year that Kent Union is electing its newly revamped Full-Time Officer positions, after altering the positions in 2019.

The roles

These are the positions open to student nomination:

Vice President for Academic Experience. According to Kent Union’s website, this role is to ‘represent the undergraduate experience in an academic context and fulfilling the union’s education strategy.’

Vice-President for Welfare and Community. This position will ‘campaign to defend the rights of and improve the wellbeing of students’ and will also lead ‘local community-based projects’ and will be responsible for Kent Union’s work on the environment and sustainability.

Vice-President for Student Engagement. This is the ‘lead Officer for student groups, including sports clubs, societies, community action groups, RaG and student media.’ They will be working to develop both practical and recreational co-curricular activities and will work towards engaging students and alumni with the Union.

Vice-President for Postgraduate Experience. This position ‘will be providing the postgraduate perspective on issues’, including national, academic, welfare, and financial issues.

Students’ Union President – This position is responsible for leadership and acts as an important figure in student and university relationships. They manage the Chair of the Board of Trustees, the Chief Executives and senior university committees.

All Full-Time Officer positions offer an annual wage of £19,500.

The positions are considered by the university as an undertaking alongside students’ studies. Kent Union ensures that you can apply for extensions to university deadlines as a concession for the full-time work-load.

For all information regarding the positions, their features and how to apply, please follow the link to Kent Union’s webpage:

https://kentunion.co.uk/studentvoice/elections

The election process

The process takes place in several stages in which candidates will be trained and campaign for votes.

The nomination process will take place between 6th January and 3rd February. In this period candidates will apply for positions available this year.

On the 3rd February, applicants will be required to submit their manifestos within 3 days.

This will be followed by two events that will brief and train applicants. The candidate briefing will take place on the 3rd February between 6PM and 8PM. The candidate training will follow later that week on the 8th February from 11AM to 4PM.

This period will then be followed by campaign and debate week from 10th February to 21st February in which candidates will promote their manifestos and engage in organised debates run by Kent Union.

Voting will open on 17th February at 10AM and will close on the 21st February at 2PM.

The winners will be revealed in the evening of the 21st in the Result Night Event in The Venue.

Alongside the leadership campaigns, the University will also be conducting a referendum on membership in the NUS, the results of which will also be announced that night.

Election Schedule

6th January - Nominations open

3rd February 12 PM - Nominations close

6th February – Manifesto Deadline

3rd February 6PM – 8PM – Candidate briefing

8th February 11AM – 4PM - Candidate Training

10th February - 21st February - Online Campaign Week - Candidate Debates