Voting was held between 9am Monday 10th November and 12pm Thursday 13th November with the results announced on the 14th.
STUDENTS’ UNION BY-ELECTIONS were announced last week for the positions of AU Part-Time Officers and NUS Conference Delegates. Voting was held between 9am Monday 10th November and 12pm Thursday 13th November with the results announced on the 14th. Stacie Ridley and Amina Babirye took the AU officer roles and Dan Derricott, Tom Haughton and Hayley Andrews fill the roles of conference delegates.
Student turnout in these elections increased four-fold from last year, with 320 individuals voting compared to 80 previously. Daniel Hutchinson, SU President, was happy with the potential that the winners offered. He said: “The new Officers will be welcome addition to the current Officers. As they are students right now, the most important aspect that they can bring to us is what is actually happening in reality. The delegates offer a very good diverse range of experiences. From first year students to a former Sabbatical Officer, I am confident they will bring a wealth of experience and ideas.”
The election of new NUS Conference Delegates is especially important . The NUS held an extra-ordinary conference on Wednesday 13th November to vote on proposals aimed at revamping the organisation. The current system is blighted with messy bureaucracy and financial inefficiency, and is in desperate need of change. The reforms aim to convert the NUS into a union able to react speedily, campaign when needed and “create more opportunities for involvement by students”.
The proposals, which passed with 82% of the vote, could be ratified early next year, meaning a new NUS by September 2009.