Student Democracy: Representing YOU
The Executive Team
The Executive Team is made up of the 5 Sabbaticals elected by the student body. Sabbaticals have either taken a year out from their studies or stayed on for a year after graduating.
The Executive Team is as follows:
- President
- Vice-President Student Activities
- Vice- President Communications
- Vice-President Education & Welfare
- Vice-President Buxton
The Executive Team is responsible for the day-to-day running of the Union, in line with decisions and policy laid down by Union Council. Each member of the Executive has a specific area of responsibility, but the team also works as a whole in order to get things done more effectively. The s' are also the Trustees of the Students' Union and so have a large amount of legal responsibilities to ensure the Union is being run correctly.
If you want more information on a specific position within the Executive, ask the particular officer concerned or speak to the President.
Elections for the Executive positions are carried out in March and the Sabbaticals start their term of office on the 1st July and will hold their position for 1 year. Sabbatical Officers may only hold position for a maximum of 2 years if they are re-elected.
UDSU Constitution
The Students' Union is governed in accordance with the Union Constitution. The Constitution is mainly concerned with the running of the Union and the structures required in running it. It deals with such areas as Elections, Union Council and Union Committees and also stipulates the roles of Elected Officers. The Constitution comes in two parts; the main body, which lays out the general rules and guidelines and then Standing Orders which cover in detail how committees, Council etc actually function.
Standing Orders
Meetings of Council are run according to a set of rules known as the Standing Orders. These rules govern all Union meetings and their aim is to ensure that meetings work in a structured way and don't constantly degenerate into chaos.
1994 Education Act
The University and Students' Union are governed by the 1994 Education Act, which sets out how both institutions should be operated. There are several rules that the UDSU must abide by as law set out by the Act. These are included in the Constitution.
Ultra Vires
The Students' Union derives charitable status, like most other Students' Unions, by being linked to an educational establishment. This has many benefits to the Union, in that it means we are free from many taxes and have a degree of legal protection. However, this also means that the Union is restricted in how it spends its money by the rules laid down by the Charity Commissioners. A basic line which has developed over a number of years is that the Union can only spend its money campaigning on issues which directly affect students as students. Any money spent that does not conform to this is Ultra Vires (outside the law). If the Union makes Ultra Vires payments then the people responsible for that payment being made are personally liable to repay that money to the Union. Those people include the Executive Team, as trustees of the Union, to members of staff authorised to issue the money.
For more information about Union Council contact your President.
