Class Rep Elections

UG NOMINATIONS EXTENDED!
Nominate yourself as a Class Rep or Sustainability Rep here.

The new nominations deadline is 5:00pm on Sunday, September 19th.

Learn more about the available roles here.

Nudge someone to run here!

Find out more about our system of academic representation here.

Any questions about running in the elections should be directed to your School President.

All matriculated students (UG or International Education Institute) are eligible to run and we encourage everyone to consider putting themselves forward!

Find out more and follow along:

Important Dates

Date	Event
Monday 13th September, 9am	Undergraduate nominations open
Sunday 19th September, 5pm	Undergraduate nominations close
Monday 20th September, 9am	UG voting opens
Tuesday 21st September, 5pm	UG voting closes
Friday 24th September, 5-7pm	Undergraduate Arts & Divinity Training (On Teams)
Saturday 25th September, 3-5pm	Undergraduate Science & Medicine Training (On Teams)
Thursday 7th October, 9am	Postgraduate nominations open
Wednesday 13th October, 5pm	Postgraduate nominations close
Thursday 14th October, 9am	Postgraduate voting opens
Friday 15th October, 5pm	Postgraduate voting closes

Nudge a friend to run! (now live)
Nominate yourself! (starting September 13th)
Vote using the Elections Portal! (starting September 20th)

Nominations

Students who want to stand in the Class Representative elections as a Class Rep or as a Sustainability Rep must nominate themselves in the Elections Portal. Candidates must submit a current headshot photograph, a brief statement describing their experience and goals for the position, a School Role preference, and their top priority if they were elected to be a class representative.

If you know someone who would make a great Class Rep or Sustainability Rep, you can encourage them to run by submitting a Nudge! Students who are nudged are notified anonymously, in order to encourage nominations without bias.

Undergraduate nominations for the 2021/22 Class Representative Elections will take place during Week 1, opening at 9am on 13th September 2021 (Monday) and closing at 5pm on the 19th September 2021 (Sunday).

If you are a student of the International Education Institute (IEI), your nominations and elections period is the same as for undergraduate students. You should use the same elections portal to nominate yourself for available positions between September 13th and 17th.
If you are interested in running to become a Sustainability Rep for your School, you should follow the same process as if you were running to be a Class Rep. You can contact the Sustainability Coordinator from the University Environment Team, Hannah Bowey (heb28@st-andrews.ac.uk), and/or the Director of Education (doed@st-andrews.ac.uk) for more information on serving as a Sustainability Rep.

Postgraduate (PGT and PGR) nominations for the 2021/22 Class Representative Elections will open at 9am 7th October 2021 (Thursday) and will close at 5pm on the 13th October 2021 (Wednesday).

Elections

As ordinary members of the Students' Association, all matriculated students are eligible to vote for candidates standing as Class Reps in their respective Schools. Students must cast their ballots through the centralised Elections Portal during the election period. Students will only vote on the candidates relevant to their level (UG/PG) and to their area of study (School).

Undergraduate Class Representative Elections for 2021/22 will open at 9am on 20th September 2021 (Monday) and will close at 5pm on the 21st September 2021 (Tuesday).

Postgraduate (PGT and PGR) Class Representative Elections for 2021/22 will open at 9am 14th October 2021 (Thursday) and will close at 5pm on the 15th October 2021 (Friday).

Elected representatives must attend the mandatory training session (hosted on Microsoft Teams) associated with their position (see key dates above).

Available Positions

Undergraduate Roles

Class Rep (Undergraduate)
- Find out more about the role here.
Take on an additional School Role.
Sustainability Rep
- This is a separate role in each School, line-managed by the University Environment Team.
Class Rep (International Education Institute)

Postgraduate Roles

Find out more about available positions here.

PGT Rep
PGR Rep
PGT President
PGR President
PG Officers (x4)
Sustainability Rep

Sustainability Rep Role Description

The School Sustainability Representatives (SSR) underpin a pillar in the University’s strategy to become net zero carbon by 2035. They bridge between the Environmental and Sustainability Board, the Environment Team, and the Student Association to promote, drive, and support sustainable change in their academic school. The SSRs are line managed by the School President and supervised by the Environment Team’s Sustainability Coordinator. The SSRs meet with the Environment Team monthly and report back to the School President to liaise about best implementations in the particular school.

SSRs are responsible for running sustainability themed events, campaigning for sustainability in the curriculum, and being an agent of change in their schools. Their work can include everything from panel events, to workshops, analysis on school energy efficiency, liaising with estates and the council, and creating green reading lists.

They have the chance to network with professionals, academic staff, and students from across the university and will gain experience in event organisation, campaigning, and become educated in being an agent of change for sustainability.

Eligibility

All currently matriculated students, registered for Academic Year 2021/22 are eligible to stand for Class Representative positions. Undergraduate students may only stand for undergraduate Class Rep roles. IEI students may only stand for roles specific to their programme or pathway. Likewise, postgraduate students may only stand for postgraduate representative roles.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does a Class Rep do?

Class Representatives serve as the voice for their peers on all academic matters. Class Reps work to gather and synthesise student feedback and work with staff to make changes within their programmes and schools. Class Reps are essential advocates for students on key issues such as lecture capture, extension policies, and teaching quality.

What does the workload or time commitment look like for being a Class Rep?

Class Representatives are generally expected to volunteer no more than three hours per week. Often, the time commitment is lower, around one hour per week. This time is built around representatives’ schedules and is not fixed on a weekly basis. Representatives serve until the conclusion of the academic year.

Who is eligible to run in these elections?

Ordinary members of the Students’ Association (i.e., students who have not opted out of the Students’ Association under the Education Act 1994) shall be eligible to stand and vote in these elections.

This means all matriculated students can run and/or vote in the elections.

How does being a Class Rep work if I am doing a Joint Honours Degree?

Students can run to be a Class Rep for any School/Programme they are enrolled in. For joint honours students, this means you can choose which role you want to run for, but you cannot run for multiple roles.

What materials will I need to nominate myself for the role of Class Rep?

The nominations portal will ask you to submit a recent photograph of yourself (preferably a headshot) as well as a brief description of any relevant experience and why you think you would be an effective representative. Candidates are asked to distinguish their top priority or issue they would like to focus on, if elected. All of this information is submitted via the nominations section of the Elections Portal.

Am I eligible to be a Class Rep if I hold another leadership role?

Yes! Class Representatives may hold other positions, in Societies, Union Subcommittees, and external organisations.

What support/training will I get as a Class Rep?

All elected Class Reps will receive a formal training session from the Students’ Association; this will include information about their role, about the meetings they attend, and how to escalate issues up to other people. Class Reps are also given access to a comprehensive Microsoft Teams area, where they can ask questions and interact with Academic Representation leadership, and collaborate on shared issues/events with other reps. Reps also receive a formal handover report from their predecessor to guide them in their new role. The Students’ Association also has several staff members, such as the Director of Education, the Academic Representation Coordinator, and the Education Advocate who are able to help prepare and guide Class Reps.