As a Students’ Union the voices of students are the most important aspect of the work we do, we are led by your views. Every year students apply for roles as full-time representatives (or Presidents) and the final decision on who is ultimately chosen is down to University of Plymouth students.

The roles available are; President Faculty of Health, President Faculty of Arts, Humanities & Business, and President Faculty of Science and Engineering.

Any registered University of Plymouth student can apply for one of the three 2025/26 President roles: it could be you.

Please note, you are only eligible to apply for the President role representing the Faculty you're in.

Student Elections 26/27

3 posts are up for election.

Nominations close at 12:00 on Monday 9 February 2026 (in 9 weeks and 5 days)

The polls open at 12:00 on Monday 9 March 2026 (in 13 weeks and 5 days)

Post List
Read more about the positions up for election and what each role entails.
What do the Presidents do?

Strengthen the student voice

The Presidents work to ensure that the opportunities for students’ voices to be heard are meaningful, valued and acted upon within the School, Faculty and University.

Listen to the views of students

The team engage with and listen to students, get to understand their experience, and receive their feedback in a variety of in-person and digital formats.

Present student feedback

They ensure that students' best interest are at the centre of decision-making by presenting their views, opinions, and insight.

Drive communication

Between students, the University and the Faculties, and the SU - they work to build a culture of collaboration and a united community.

Shape positive change

They influence positive change in relation to the academic and University experience of students.

Represent students at meetings

Your Presidents attend a range of meetings, committees, boards, and groups with key stakeholders from the University and local community.

Act as a spokesperson and ambassador

The team promote the value of the Union and its positive impact for students in finding community and accessing support.

Work in partnership with students

As well as in partnership with the Union and the University to deliver academic and non-academic engagement initiatives.

Contribute to the running of a charity

That's us! We, the Students' Union, SU or UPSU - whatever you call us - are a charity and the Presidents make up more than 50% of our Senior Leadership team.

What are the roles?

President Faculty of Health

The President Faculty of Health will work within their Faculty to represent the views of students in the following schools; School of Biomedical Sciences, Peninsula Dental School, School of Health Professions, Peninsula Medical School, School of Nursing and Midwifery, and School of Psychology.

To be eligible for this position you must be a current student in the Faculty of Health.

Job Description
Apply now
President Arts, Humanities and Business

The President Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business will work within their Faculty to represent the views of students in the following schools; School of Art, Design and Architecture, School of Law, Humanities and Social Science, and Plymouth Business School.

To be eligible for this position you must be a current student in the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business.

Job Description
Apply now
President Faculty of Science and Engineering

The President Faculty of Science and Engineering will work within their Faculty to represent the views of students in the following schools; School of Biological and Marine Sciences, School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics, and School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences.

To be eligible for this position you must be a current student in the Faculty of Science and Engineering.

Job Description
Apply now
Timeline & Key Dates

1st December 9th February 2026

Applications open

This is your opportunity to put yourself forward for one of the President roles for the 2026/27 academic year. All you need to do initially is put your name forward, you'll then be contacted with more information about completing your application.

9th 12th March 2026

Voting opens

Every current student at the University of Plymouth will be asked to choose who they want to represent them as their Presidents for the 2026/27 academic year.

Think you want to get involved?

Getting involved in the Elections is a fantastic way to shape your University experience. Or perhaps the role isn't your sort of thing but you know someone who'd be perfect? You can also suggest them and they'll receive an email telling them that someone thinks that they'd be great for the role.

Any registered University of Plymouth student can apply for a 2026/27 President role: it could be you.

Apply Now

Suggest a StudentHow to Apply

Applications open on Monday 1st December. Voting will open Monday 9th March 2026.

Your Elections team are on hand to talk you through the Elections process if you have any questions or just want to know more about how you can make your voice heard at the University of Plymouth.

elections@upsu.com

Submit a Query

Download Rules

FAQs

Any current registered University of Plymouth student apply for a full-time President role. You must be a member of the Faculty that you're applying to be President for. If you are on a UoP course and have not suspended or interrupted your studies at the time of the election you can go for it! Current Full-time Representatives can re-apply if they have only done one year, they are restricted to two years then must leave.

You must select the Faculty for which your current university course is in.

If you are unsure which Faculty you’re in, contact the Elections Team (elections@upsu.com), or visit the Memberships page on the SU website - upsu.com/memberships to find out these details.

As these are full-time, salaried roles you can only run for one position because if you were to undertake multiple roles you would not be able to fulfil all commitments. You are also only eligible to apply for the role representing your own Faculty.

University courses are organised into Faculties, each of which comprises a number of schools.

As a Faculty President, you will be working closely with the Faculty Dean as well as the Heads of School and School Reps within your Faculty to improve the experience of students within your Faculty.

The Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business consists of three Schools:
  • School of Art, Design and Architecture
  • Plymouth Business School
  • School of Law, Humanities and Social Science
The Faculty of Health consists of six Schools:
  • School of Biomedical Sciences
  • School of Health Professions
  • School of Nursing and Midwifery
  • School of Psychology
  • Peninsula Dental School
  • Peninsula Medical School
The Faculty of Science and Engineering consists of three Schools:
  • School of Biological and Marine Sciences
  • School of Engineering, Computing and Maths
  • School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

No, being a President is a full-time role which cannot be undertaken alongside your studies meaning that you will have to interrupt your studies if you have not finished your course. However, we do also have some part-time, paid opportunities for representation.

Our School Rep role is part-time (12 hours maximum per month) and gives you the opportunity to represent the students in your School to the university. Find out more here.

Our team of part-time Student Representatives play a vital role in making sure that the voices of students at the University of Plymouth are heard. The procedure of becoming a School Rep involves applying for the role and the best candidate will be selected by a panel after an interview.

Keep an eye out on our website and on social media channels for more information about applying to become a School Rep once the Elections period has finished.

Please note, that to be eligible for the School Rep role, you will need to be a student on a registered University of Plymouth Course from September 2025-June 2026.

All you need to do to show your interest is click the ‘Apply Now’ button above/ on the Elections homepage, and let us know the position you want to apply for. Please note, you are only eligible to apply for the Faculty President role for the Faculty you are studying in. You will be directed to a form to complete - you don't need to fill this in straight away, you will be directed to add a response for each answer to submit your application but you can edit this as much as you need to before Monday 9th February 2026. After this, you will receive information from the Elections Team about what information you need to submit to complete the process the deadline for this will come later but before the deciding period. Previously, past Full-Time Representatives have been asked to submit a list of their ideas to improve the student experience.

Once the applications period has closed, all students who have submitted an application will be invited to attend training to help you prepare for Elections Week with advice on speaking to students, encouraging them to vote for you and details on the rules for campaigning during the Elections period.

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