Your Voice: What is the Accountability Board and what does it do?

Nominations are now open for the role of Accountability Board Chair and for ten ordinary members of the Accountability Board.

But...what is it and what do these roles do?

What is the Accountability Board?

The Accountability Board is there to monitor the work of our elected reps and ensure that they are acting in the best interests of students and in accordance with our democratic processes.  

This can take place in a variety of ways, from meeting with reps face to face (or digitally), attending representative led meetings, via email or from reading reports/minutes of meetings etc. This could be relating to things the Accountability Board would like clarified or queries from students.  

The Accountability Board comprises of a Chair and up to ten other 'Ordinary Members' who work together to share responsibilities. 

The Accountability Board Chair  

The role of the Accountability Board Chair is crucial in holding elected representatives to account. As the Chair your role is to ensure all representatives are acting in the best interests of students and conducting the business of the union in a fair and democratic way 

Your primary focus will be to uphold the democratic principles of UPSU and ensure that due process is followed in holding representatives to account  

Commitment and duties 

This voluntary role will take on average 10 hours per month and includes attending the Union Council meeting, meeting with the Union Council Chair, meeting with Reps and reviewing minutes and liaising with the Student Voice Team about any concerns that have been brought forward by students. Their duties include:

• Attending the Union Council to monitor debate to make sure it is fair and unbiased. They can also make recommendations as to the appropriate course of action, for example, suggesting the matter in question goes to referendum of the whole student body or deferring voting pending further research. 
• The Accountability Board Chair, supported by the Student Voice Team, also has the responsibility to investigate any allegations of misconduct or unfair/biased decision making by elected representatives, should these arise.  

The Accountability Board Chair works closely with the Union Council Chair to identify and chase action points arising from Union Council 

For a full description of the role of the Accountability Board Chair, click here.

Ordinary Members of Accountability Board  

Up to ten students are elected as ‘Ordinary Members’ to make up the Accountability Board. The Accountability Board members work closely with students to ensure that elected representatives are acting in the best interests of students.

Commitment and duties 

Taking an average of 10 hours per month, this role supports the Accountability Board Chair in ensuring that relevant democratic processes are followed in relation to holding elected representatives to account. Their role is to:

• Engage with the student body and collate any feedback relating to the work of elected representatives. ·  
• Present student feedback to elected representatives in a constructive and professional way ·  
• To attend and actively contribute to Accountability Board meetings which will include; 
• Reviewing the progress of approved policy proposals  
• Making recommendations to union Council regarding lapsing policies and whether they need to be renewed or allowed to lapse  
• The delegation of who will review which reps activity, taking into account conflicts of interest and availability  

For a full description of the role of an Accountability Board Member, click here.

To find out more about this or any other representative role, please speak to our Student Voice team – studentvoice@su.plymouth.ac.uk 

Nominations for the Part-Time Elections are open until Tuesday 6th October at 12pm.