If you’re wondering what all the commotion about the upcoming Leadership Elections is about, this blog will help you understand the importance of these elections, why you should check out the candidate manifestos, and make sure to vote!
If you’re wondering what all the commotion about the upcoming Leadership Elections is about, this blog will help you understand the importance of these elections, why you should check out the candidate manifestos, and make sure to vote!
Who and what am voting for?
The 2025/26 Leadership Elections are where you can vote for the individuals who will represent your school, communities, and Student Union next year. With the launch of RHSU Priority 8, you can decide which issues and priorities matter most to you, and what the Students’ Union and Sabbatical Officers will work on next year.
RHSU Priority 8- Why should you vote?
Voting for your RHSU Priority 8 is a significant opportunity for you to speak up on where your student experience can be improved. By voting for these priorities, you’ll be having a direct say in what the Students’ Union should be addressing, and ensuring the work done by the SU is truly student-led. You’ll be choosing your top 8 priorities from a list of 20 based on results from Speak Week, Rate Your Union, NSS Feedback, and Student Executives. These priorities aim to tackle the most relevant issues, from improving campus facilities, supporting mental health services, enhancing academic experiences, or tackling sustainability. The most voted for priorities will be announced following the elections, and will guide the work of the elected sabbatical officers and Students’ Union.
Make your voice heard and improve student experience…choose your Priority 8.
So what do the Sabbatical Officers do?
The Students’ Union is led by four elected Sabbatical Officers who work full-time in the SU for a year. They are student representatives who are responsible for ensuring students are at the heart of everything the SU and University do. They are also trustees of the Students’ Union.
Sabbs get to run campaigns and lobby for changes that impact the lives of students, and these campaigns are based on what issues matter most to you (the RHSU Priority 8). This could be on various issues, such as cost of living, wellbeing and mental health, student safety, and accessible education.
They also sit on various University committees where they act as student representatives. The officers can then hold the University to account by ensuring decisions made are in the best interests of students. This includes some of the most senior University meetings such as College Council and Academic Board. As well as this, the Sabbs are trustees of the Students’ Union, alongside three student trustees and five external trustees. This means they are legally responsible for everything the Union does as well as setting out the SU’s strategic direction. The team also sit on subcommittees such as the Management Committee where they can feed into decisions made by the Students’ Union.
They are essentially the people actively working to make your student experience better.
School Reps
There are six School Reps that represent each of the Schools at Royal Holloway. These are voluntary roles that students take on alongside their studies and are there to represent the students belonging to their respective School.
School Reps work closely with the VP Education to ensure the experience within each School is the best it can be. They attend School Boards and other University meetings where they can feedback on any issues raised by students. They also support other academic reps by ensuring they feel confident in gathering feedback from their peers and taking this to the Staff-Student Action Meetings. This is also an opportunity to identify any issues that may be arising across multiple departments, so they can raise this at School level.
Still got questions?
You can find more information about Leadership Elections, or get in contact with specific questions via email to voice@su.rhul.ac.uk.
When can I Vote?
Voting opens at 10am on the 11 March. You can vote online via the SU website, or vote on campus at the library or one of our polling stations. All you need is your student ID number and 5 minutes to make sure your voice is heard next academic year!