Could YOU be the next SU President?
As Students' Union President, no two days are the same. This year I have led not only the organisation but also the officer team through challenging and exciting times. From running campaigns to working with stakeholders, meeting students to reading papers, this is a unique experience. Never did I think that I would be a line manager or running a £10 million turnover organisation as a student. I have learnt so much in so little time, built networks across the UK and beyond and so much more!"
(Hannah Doe, SU President 2021/22)
Sabbatical Officer Roles are far from your typical job experience and will place you in a working environment which will encourage you to develop a new set of skills to engage an audience of 30,000 students, whilst also challenging and supporting university stakeholders.
The SU President leads the Students' Union and elected officer team, including being the Chair of the Board of Trustees of Cardiff Students' Union and Board of Directors of Cardiff Union Services Limited. They are also the public face of the Students' Union to local, national and international communities, and meet regularly with the University's Vice-Chancellor and senior members of staff to represent the views of Cardiff students.
We want to make sure that you are equipped with as much knowledge as possible to alleviate any doubts/queries you may have about running for this role, so please find below some FAQs which may answer some questions you have. If you have any more and would like them answered, please do not hesitate to contact us through Elections@cardiff.ac.uk
This is a full-time position, based at our Cathays Campus, and is fixed-term from 1st July 2023-30th June 2024. The annual salary is over £20k and newly elected Sabbatical Officers will be provided with a comprehensive induction and training, so don't worry if you don't know everything yet!
SU President FAQs
What is it like day to day as President?
I often arrive in the officer between 8:00-8:30am to prepare for a 9:00am meeting with the officer team. This allows me time to review my calendar and to do list for the day and prepare for the meeting. The officer meeting starts with a question of the day to get us all ready for the day, most recently 'if you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you be?'. Officer morning meeting provides us an opportunity to update one another on what's going on and I can inform them of any deadlines or upcoming events we need to prepare for. My day tends to be meeting heavy so in between I will be preparing. Meetings are mixed between Students' Union focused such as my 121s with the CEO, leadership (meeting with all sabbatical officers and SU senior management and University meetings.
When I make the time for lunch you will often find me in The Taf, reading a book or walking around campus. Throughout the day I will be checking my inbox however there is not much time to tackle this amongst everything else going on. I may also have 121s with members of the team or be picking up a media request such as an interview with a media outlet, photographs for socials or statements.
What do you do to lead the team?
As President it is key to support the team in the work they do. I meet with each officer fortnightly to talk about what they are working on and to provide support. Morning meetings are a great way to engage with them all at once and explore new ideas. Additionally, I look at ways to bring the team together and improve the work we do such as our recent trip to Students' Unions across the UK to explore what more we can do.
It is a essential to respect one another, keep us on track and make sure everyone is supported.
What is the workload like?
There is ALOT to do! I have found a good work life balance now but it takes time to find a way that works for you. Having previously been Vice President Education I have had experience of the sabbatical officer lifestyle and the way the organisation works which has prepared me immensely. I have been able to find ways to switch off! You do receive hundreds of emails (like daily!) and have many meetings which take preparation however there is flexibility to make the job what you want it to be.
If you have a vision of what you would like to achieve you can mold your work day around that, I have had to adapt to saying no!
How did you find taking an interruption of study to be a sabbatical officer?
I am currently on my second IOS as this is my second year as a sabbatical officer. I have had to pause my studies however this has allowed me the opportunity to focus on my role entirely and I feel as though I have developed my mindset to take on my final year!
Do you have to be a Vice President to run for President?
No, anyone can run for President. Despite the previous track record of Vice Presidents being elected, anyone can nominate themselves.