True or false?

Sabbatical Officers are unpaid, voluntary roles.

Not only are the officers paid an annual salary of £28,098, there are also perks to being a full-time member of staff. These include 22 days of paid holiday (plus bank holidays and additional discretionary days of leave which are usually over Christmas), a pension scheme, a free TOTUM card, half days on Friday over the summer holidays, and your birthday off work.

The elections are just a popularity contest.

Elections are absolutely not about who has the most friends, and the most popular candidate isn’t always the one who’s been a part of every sports team on campus, has never missed a night out, or has been to 95% of all society meetings ever. Instead, the “popular” candidates usually earn this status over the course of the election, through campaigning, good policies, and attendance at election events. So no, it’s not the person with the most Instagram followers, it's the person who campaigns the best!

Nobody really cares about elections.

Well, you’re here reading about them, which says something, doesn’t it? Over the last few years we’ve really seen student engagement with politics surge, culminating in us achieving a record turnout of 30.7% in 2020. People have also been getting involved in all aspects of student politics, be that through attending Executives, getting involved in campaigns, or simply making their voices heard on social media. There have also been a range of student campaigns which have done a fantastic job at engaging the student population, and there is no reason for elections to be any different. On the whole, people are generally up for stopping and chatting for a bit, especially during the campaigning process. Thousands of votes come in every year, so honestly, that says enough in itself!

Standing for elections is incredibly intimidating.

While you might be nervous about standing now, it really isn’t as bad as it seems. Support is available throughout the campaigning process and the build up towards it, so you will be well-prepared for when voting opens. When it comes to standing, we’ve made it easy. You simply fill in your name and College Card number, hit submit, and you’re done. Manifestos, campaign planning, and marketing are all things that can come later, so nominating yourself is incredibly simple!

Elections are super stressful and no one ever has fun.

We’ll be up front with you and admit that at times elections can be stressful and campaigning isn’t always easy, but this shouldn’t put you off. It really can be a lot of fun, and it’s a great chance to stand up and campaign on issues that really matter to you. You’ll also be supported all the way through by the Union’s staff team, who will give you plenty of help and advice on anything from manifestos to campaigning strategies. We’re also here to chat if things get a little much over the campaigning period.

Being a Sabbatical Officer isn't a full-time job.

All sabbatical officers work Monday to Friday, 9 to 5, but what happens on each of those days varies dramatically. You could be doing anything from attending College Board meetings, to planning campaigns. You’ll likely be reading a fair few papers on various subjects, but there will be plenty of opportunities to get out and about, talking to students and lobbying the College for change. Outside of these hours, Officers will occasionally attend other events, including dinners, society events, and Executives.

You can’t be a sabbatical officer if you’re a postgraduate / international / not a final year student.

This is absolutely false barring one caveat – which is anyone who has already completed two years as an officer can’t run. Other than that anyone who is a member of the Students’ Union can stand for a role! The meaning of sabbatical is “taking a year out”, which means that you can run at any point during your student life. This means that if you’re a first or second year, you can take a year’s (or two years') break from your studies, hold office for a year, and then jump straight back into your course once you’re done. If you’re a postgraduate student, you can run too, exactly the same as if you were an undergraduate.

Many international students worry that they won’t be able to run due to issues with their visas. The truth is, it’s possible to gain a specific visa and the Students’ Union can assist you through this process. The UKCISA website provides a detailed breakdown on students who have Tier 4 immigration permission and are undertaking a sabbatical officer role.

You can only run for one role in the elections.

The only circumstance where you can run for more than one role is if you are a continuing student in your first or second year. In this instance, you can run for a School Rep role and an officer role. However, if you are successful in multiple elections, you would be required to forfeit one, as you can't hold multiple posts.

You can not run for multiple officer roles.