Nominations are open for the 2024 Student Elections!
Nominations Period: 8th January - 5th February. During this window is your opportunity to put yourself forward and submit a nomination if you would like to run in the 2024 Student Elections to become a 2024/25 Sabbatical Officer.
The four Sabbatical Officer roles are: President, VP Education, VP Activities, and VP Wellbeing & Diversity. You can find out more and download the role descriptions for each position on the Student Elections webpage.
If you think you might want to run in the elections, all you need to do at this stage is put your name forward. You will not be required to do anything else at this stage. Your name will not be made public at this time, and you can withdraw at any time if you change your mind.
If you are feeling unsure about whether or not to put yourself forward, please read some of the benefits of becoming a Sabbatical Officer, including career progression, self-development, and securing a professional, full-time paid position before your course has finished – not matter what your final grades are!
What are the benefits of becoming a Sabbatical Officer?
1. You can drive positive change and make a real difference.
First and foremost, the role of a Sabbatical Officer is to represent University of Plymouth students. If elected, you'll be responsible for representing each and every University of Plymouth student on a national level.
This means that you'll be responsible for listening to student feedback, finding out what's being done well and what could be improved. Your job is to work to make those improvements.
“So the reason that I ran for Sabbatical Officer is actually because I was angry at some of the injustices that I was hearing that students were facing… I wanted to use that anger to create positive change and to make sure that students in the future didn't have to jump through all these hoops and go through what we did.” – Emi Dowse, studied BSc (Hons) Animal Behaviour and Welfare - VP Education (2020/2021) and SU President (2021/2022)
2. You can secure yourself full-time, paid work no matter how well you do in your final exams/assessments.
Although a lot of graduate schemes require you to have achieved a certain grade from your exams/degree, this is not the case for applying to become a Sabbatical Officer - all you need is enthusiasm and a motivation to represent students and full training and support will be given. The only requirement for undertaking the Sabbatical Officer role is that you are not studying while you're in office - whether that's because you have completed your course or you decide to take a Sabbatical year.
“Putting myself forward in the Sabbatical Officer elections was possibly the best thing I could have ever done. Being a Sabb has made me experience so much. Some of the highlights include being a trustee of the Students' Union, sitting on the University Board of Governors, sitting on national meetings where we make decisions about sport, but genuinely just advocating for students, listening to students understanding their needs, and trying to make a difference to make the University experience all the better.” – Verity Lemm, studied BSc (Hons) Biological Sciences VP Activities (2019/20 and 2020/21)
Remember, anyone can apply for a Sabbatical Officer role, no matter what year of study they are in. You can either pause your studies for a year whilst you are in post and return to them after, or if you are coming to the end of your course you can start your Sabbatical Officer role once your degree is finished.
3. Supports your professional development and opens the door to new opportunities once your term in post comes to an end.
You don’t need to know it all when you start your role as a Sabbatical Officer. Throughout the Election process, you will be supported every step of the way by our Student Voice team and that support continues throughout your post. You'll have access to training opportunities throughout your term in office and members of full time SU staff who want to help you succeed.
Being a Sabbatical Officer is a fantastic example of paid work experience in a professional environment. This can be added to your CV, listed on your LinkedIn profile, and referred to in job interviews. Being a Sabbatical Officer also provides many opportunities to network with external businesses, build professional relationships, and discover new career pathways once your term in office comes to an end.
“My time as a Sabbatical Officer and the experiences that came with the role were vital to my personal development and ability to perform well in a professional capacity. I enjoyed every moment of my time in office, from pushing the sustainable agenda to being the voice for those that needed it. Without realising, I learnt how to confidently articulate myself in a way that I never saw possible for myself.” – Alex Doyle, studied MSc Digital and Social Media Marketing, VP Activities and Development (2017/18) and SU President (2018/19)
4. Being a Sabbatical Officer can help you discover what you love and shape your future.
Whether you’ve known all along what career you want to follow or you’re still undecided, this role gives you the opportunity to experience first-hand a whole range of different aspects within a multi-million-pound charity.
As a Sabbatical Officer, you will be involved in conversations and decisions relating to strategic development, democratic procedures, communications, finance, HR, welfare, marketing, commercial outlets, budgeting, development, and training.
“[An] aspect of the job that's really helped me is figuring out what it is I want to do after this year finishes. And I was convinced that finance was something I wanted to go into. And I've had the amazing opportunity of sitting on our Finance and Staffing Committee and looking at budgets, looking at the HR aspects, which has been so interesting.” – Charlotte Panchaud, studied BSc (Hons) Business Management, VP Activities and Development (2017/18)
Find out more about the Student Elections and nominate yourself for a role on the Student Elections webpage.
Nominations Period: 8th January - 5th February.