FE Elections FAQ
Here at the guild, we work to represent all students at UCB, of all levels of study.
You may be more used to seeing students that represent University students, but we feel FE students are a key part of student culture at UCB, and so we absolutely wish to have a role to play in the lives of our FE students.
There are certain rules and laws we have to follow around FE students in elections, so we’ve created this FAQ to hopefully break down some myths about elections.
“Is becoming an officer worth it?”
YES! for so many reasons.
1. Being an officer at a student union looks great on your CV. It gives you a chance to show off leadership skills and gain experience relevant to the things you and your fellow students care about.
Maybe you’re an Operations Manager: the Societies & Activities roles are a great place to gain experience leading social events and supporting student groups to communicate, strategise, and make their big ideas become reality.
Or maybe you’re an Education & Early Years student: the Education Officer roles are an amazing place to learn about education policies and government legislation and how they impact day to day student experiences at UCB.
2. You get a chance to have a hands-on impact on the lives at UCB – So many previous officers go on to do big things, and many say they learned to believe they could accomplish the amazing things they do thanks to their time as an Officer.
3. Student Unions have been forerunners of a lot of the biggest changes to the face of UK politics – they have lead the charge for equal rights, fair access to housing, workers rights, you name it! Whether you become a part-time or full-time role – you get to be part of a wider movement.
“I am an FE Student – Am i allowed to run for an officer role?”
The short answer is yes! FE students can absolutely stand for the officer roles. There are certain eligibility rules about age that will change eligibility for Full time roles, but please do not be discouraged – the part time roles are available to all ages.
“I’m a UCB Six student/Apprenticeship student, can I run?”
Yes, and please do! the same regulations around age and time requirements apply as all other FE students – any concerns or questions, please come talk to us.
“How do I know if I’m eligible for a role?”
This question is best broken down into two parts. For FULL TIME ROLES – you need to be 18 or older at the time the role starts, meaning your 18th birthday will need to be on or before July 1st 2025. Full Time roles are full time jobs, so you aren’t required to be studying in the 25/26 academic year, but if your studies haven’t concluded before the start of your role, you will need to pause your studies for the duration of your Officer term – this is something we help officers to do every year so please do not worry, but if you have any concerns about your future study plans, please get in touch with us.
For PART TIME ROLES – there is no minimum age requirement as these are part time voluntary positions. However, for a part-time position, you are required to be continuing your studies at UCB in the 25/26 academic year. The role is designed to fit round your studies, but you will need to still be a UCB student.
Again, if you have any concerns surrounding how being an Officer fits into your study plans, please get in touch with us.
“how do i know if i’m a good fit for a role?”
Well, if you are interested, passionate and ready to work hard to make student life at UCB better, that’s the first sign of a good officer!
On the Elections tab of our website, there are links to all the role descriptions – we recommend reading through those to learn the difference between the roles, and decide which you’re most interested in.