NUS DELEGATE

Candidate Handbook

1
 Contents
Be part of something great...
3. Introduction
5. Important dates
6. Message from the SU President
7. What positions are available?
8. Campaigning and manifestos
10. The rules
15. Nomination form
17. Declaration of interest form
18. Equality and diversity form
2 3
Introduction
What is this pack for?
This pack is a guide for people interested in running in the NUS Delegate
elections. It should give you everything that you need to be a candidate,
including information about the positions and how to nominate yourself.
This nomination pack is for elections taking
place on 5th & 6th November 2019.
To nominate yourself, fill in the online form at
www.uwlsu.com/yourvoice/elections. You can also fill in the form at the end
of this pack, print it out and hand it in at the SU Reception at the St Mary’s
Road campus or email it to su.elections@uwl.ac.uk .
What are elections?
UWLSU is run by students for students. Every year, we have elections to
determine which students lead the Students’ Union.
In autumn every year you elect students to represent UWL at the National
Union of Students National Conference – these positions are called NUS
Delegates.
Every spring, we also run elections where students vote for the full-time
sabbatical officers – president, vice-president education and vice- president
student activities and participation. These are the people who decide what the
Students’ Union does on your behalf. They work full-time to make changes
that improve your education and overall university experience.
 Continued...

You have the opportunity to vote in every single one of these elections. This
Important dates
is where you use your power as a member of the Students’ Union to choose
the people who you think represent you the best. You could even choose to
stand for one of these positions – elections are open to all students at UWL. Key election dates...

Eligibility to run
Nominations opening date Monday 7th October 2019

10AM
UWLSU members, as defined by the UWLSU constitution, are eligible to
Friday 18th October 2019
run in the elections, including Further Education and International students. Nominations closing date
There will be three eligibility checks - first once nominations are submitted, 4PM
again if you are elected and finally at the start of your term in office. You
“How to win your election” Tuesday 22nd October 2019
have to be a UWLSU member throughout all checks. If you are worried
training session
about your UWLSU membership status, you are obliged to tell us - failure to 11AM
do so could be a breach of rules.
Wednesday 23rd October 2019
“How to win your election”
If in doubt, write to su.elections@uwl.ac.uk training session 11AM
Thursday 31st October 2019
Manifesto and publicity
final deadline 4PM
Publicity collection Tuesday 5th November 2019

12PM
Tuesday 5th November 2019
Voting opening date
10AM
Wednesday 6th November 2019
Voting closing date
4PM
Wednesday 6th November 2019
Complaints and expenses
final deadline 4PM

4 5
 Message from the
SU President
Jacob Pepper, UWLSU President
Hey!
I genuinely believe that UWL students are special. We come from
different backgrounds, different countries and have lived varied
experiences. The opportunity that we get to learn from people that are
different to us is what makes us stand out from many other universities
across the country. It gives us a well rounded perspective that makes
our role nationally, so important.
Running in the election this November will give you the opportunity to
share this perspective with people from across the UK. It will also give
you the opportunity to hop out of your comfort zone and have a pop at
campaigning in a really lovely environment. Good luck and give it your
best!”
Jacob Pepper
UWLSU President
6 7
What positions are
available?
NUS Delegates
NUS National Conference, Liverpool. Mon 30th- Thurs 2 nd April 2020
The election for NUS Delegate is to choose the students who represent the
UWL student body at the National Union of Students National Conference.
The conference brings together students from every university and college
in the country and it discusses and decides national policy.
The conference happens in spring every year. This year the elected
delegates will get to go to Liverpool to meet lots of students and decide
the direction of the National Union of Students. Zamzam Ibrahim will be
representing you as NUS national President. You might have seen her in
the news, talking on behalf of students in the UK. Delegates will get the
opportunity to vote for national representatives, including NUS national
resident.
Jacob Pepper, UWLSU President, gets an automatic place at the
conference. The other two spaces are open to all students and must be
elected by students at UWL. It’s a really exciting opportunity to represent
your fellow students and learn more about the NUS democratic process.
The role is not full time but you will have to be able to attend NUS National
Conference in Liverpool from 30th–2nd April 2020. We’ll pay for your transport
to Liverpool as well as food and accommodation.
Delegates will receive further training on the role after their election.
 Manifestos

Campaigning and When writing your manifesto make it one side of A4, but also think about

Manifestos
what qualities you would bring to the role and why you’d be a good fit for it.
Think about your stances on different issues like education and social policy,
and changes you’d like to see at UWL and across the nation. Manifestos are
about a page in length and aim to convince students to vote for you – but
make it realistic!
Campaigning

“How to win your election!” training session

Tuesday 22nd October SMR SU Conference Room and
Wednesday 23rd October Paragon SU Conference Room
Time: 11am
In this session you will gain skills and knowledge on how to win an election.
You will learn about the role you are nominating yourself for and you will learn
about what happens if you are elected. This session will be free, interactive
and helpful.

It is mandatory for all candidates to attend this training session as it will

give you guidance on how to run your campaign, how to win your elections
and it will cover all of the rules of the election you are running in.

Please confirm on the nomination form that you can attend this training
session. If you cannot attend this training session, please let us know by
emailing su.elections@uwl.ac.uk or calling 020 8231 2276. If standing as
NUS Delegate, you will receive further training in the role once elected.

8 9

The Rules
Keeping elections fair...
Keeping elections fair is our top priority, and these rules are designed to
ensure that no candidates get an unfair advantage and that voters have
an equal opportunity to elect their representatives. We’ve done our best
to make sure there’s no reason for anybody to feel discouraged from
participating in the elections.
Breaking a rule is very serious – if any of these rules are broken, the
Returning Officer and Deputy Returning Officer will act to ensure the
elections are fair, which can include disqualifying candidates or stopping
the election. We don’t want this to happen – please follow these rules, and
remember that winners have positive attitudes!
Please note, that this list of rules is not exhaustive, and it will be up to the
Returning Officer and Deputy Returning Officer to decide if candidates or
campaign teams have broken rules. Please make sure you campaign within
the spirit of these rules:
When & where you can campaign
You can only campaign between
12pm Tuesday 5th November and 4pm Wednesday 6th November
2019.
No campaigning inside voting zones, in the library or in Villiers House. The
SU office is a campaign free zone, however the SU conference room at SMR
is campaign HQ where the returning officer will be based and you can pick up
your material.
10
Be considerate when asking people to
vote for you and respect their choices
Always remember to:
- Let them vote in peace and decide for themselves.
- Don’t vote on their behalf.
- Don’t campaign to a voter who is in the voting area (note that being
inside the voting area may be considered campaigning activity).
- Don’t campaign to students who are using a computer or tablet device.
- Don’t campaign to students who are voting on their phones.
You may use your connections through student groups to support your
campaign, but you and your campaign team members cannot use any
committee positions or other positions of power to pressure students into voting
for you.
For example, you can message a Facebook group with a campaigning
message. However, if you are the President, a committee member or otherwise
have a position of power within the student group, you can’t command other
students in the group to campaign for you or vote for you.
Be considerate of other candidates
Always remember to:
- Respect their campaign materials
- Don’t make it personal
- Bullying & Harrassment are unacceptable
Stick to the budget (£15)
- Keep your receipts - you’ll need to hand them in by
4pm on Weds 6th November.
- If all candidates could get a material for free, it doesn’t cost you
anything.
11
 Access to resources must be University Rules and Regulations
open to all and the law apply, too!

- For example, any student who is a member of a student group (such as - Please ensure that you campaign within the university’s rules and
a sports team or society) must have fair and open access to the student regulations and that how you and your team campaigns is not illegal.
group’s resources to use for campaigning, including Whatsapp and
Facebook groups. - Be aware that the university do not want any posters or helium balloons in
the new Heartspace on campus. (Posters may be put up on pin up boards)
- Only UWLSU members (UWL students and current elected sabbatical
officers) are allowed to participate in the elections as candidates or
campaigners. Candidates may decide to support each other’s campaigns
and run as a ‘slate’ (a team). You may not have non-members (anybody Voting will be by alternative vote
who is not a current UWL student or sabbatical officer) on your campaign
team.
- This means voters will number their candidates by order of preference,
- You may use social networks such as Facebook and Whatsapp groups to
and candidates will need to meet the quota to win. For more information,
ask for support with your campaign or for votes, but respect the choice of all
please visit https://www.electoral-reform.org.uk/voting-systems/types-of-
students to not support you or vote for you.

Rules apply to campaign teams, too! Returning Officer

- Peter Robertson from the National Union of Students is the Returning
- A list must be provided stating the names of all campaign members that Officer in charge of making sure the election is fair, so their say will be
will be taking part in the elections. If anybody acting on behalf of your final. Matthew Myles-Brown is our Head of Membership and Deputy
campaign breaks a rule it means you have broken a rule. Returning Officer, so will be acting on NUS’ behalf in the first instance.

- You are responsible for making sure your team understand and follow the
rules. Campaign teams should attend training from the Deputy Returning
Officer, and if you need further support with this then you should ask the
Complaints
Deputy Returning Officer for help at the earliest opportunity.
- If you are worried that a rule has been broken by another candidate,
Bye-Laws email su.elections@uwl.ac.uk with the details of your complaint and you
will receive a reply within 24 hours.

- UWLSU Elections are reference in the UWLSU Bye-Laws and all rules For complaints about the election, the deadline is 4pm on Wednesday
from the Bye-Laws apply. Bye-Laws can be found online at uwlsu.com/ 6th November. Any requests for a re-count must be submitted within 24
about/find-us/ hours of the verbal announcement.

12 13
 Things that you don’t need to submit
receipts for... Nomination Form for NUS Delegate

- We want you to be able to spread the word about your campaign to

the best of your ability. So for the following items, which we feel no
candidates would have trouble accessing in reasonable quantities, Full name
we won’t need you to submit receipts and they won’t form part of your
budget.
- Cardboard, Paper, Paint
Student number
- Sheets (e.g. bed sheets), String, Sticky tape (not to be used on the
walls!)
- Cable ties, Glue (not to be used on the walls!), Pens UWL student email
- Blu Tack, Scissors, Paintbrushes
- 4 T-shirts for your campaign team
Any other reasonable craft materials (if in doubt, ask!) Alternative email

Mobile phone number

How you can campaign Course name

- No balloons on campus at all. Year of study (tick)

- Under no circumstances are posters, stickers or anything allowed on the
walls or floors. You can campaign there, but you need to keep the space 1st year undergraduate Foundation Year
new and fresh. You can put posters on the SU display boards we will have
there. 2nd year undergraduate Masters

- Do not interrupt a class with campaigning. You can ask the teacher if you 3rd year undergraduate PhD
can speak for 30 seconds at the beginning of classes. If the teacher says
no, you must not campaign to that class. 4th year undergraduate FE

- Do not put campaign material on fire exits, fire extinguishers or anything

that puts students’ safety at risk.

- Nothing permanent can be used. For example you cannot glue posters to
the wall, or put anything up that leaves a mark.

14 15
 I have read the nominations pack

I confirm that I have read the nominations pack

Declaration of
I have filled out all sections of this form Interest Form
I confirm that I have filled out all sections of this form
Information regarding the form
I can attend candidate training on 22/10 or 23/10
Before you run for election, we need to know about any interests you have.

Telling us won’t stop you from running in election or put you at any
YES on the 22/10/2019 disadvantage. Actually, we want to help you win your election within the
YES on the 23/10/2019 rules, so we want to make sure you understand how the rules apply to
your interests.
NO (please email su.elections@uwl.ac.uk immediately)

I am involved in/with/run...

Please be aware that “involved in/with” can mean employment, directorship,

committee positions, personal relationships, business relationships or any
type of membership.

UWL Local or national government

UWLSU UWLSU sports club or society

NUS Celebrity or well-known person

Signature Any other organisation or individual that may be relevant to

students (e.g. an events company)

Print name If you have ticked one or more boxes, please given details:

16 17
 A. Your age

Equality and What is your date of birth?

Diversity Form DD/MM/YYYY Prefer not to say

Information regarding the form
UWLSU is committed to ensuring that its services are accessible to
everyone regardless of race, gender, ability, religion, sexual orientation
or age. The information you give on this form will help us comply with our
policy of ensuring equality in our services to you.
B. Your disability
The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA) defines a person as disabled if
they have a physical or mental impairment, which has a substantial and long
term effect (i.e. has lasted or is expected to last at least 12 months) on the
person’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.

We recognise that some people may regard some of this information as Do you consider yourself to have a disability
personal and we have, therefore, included an option in most questions for according to the terms given in the DDA?
‘prefer not to say’. You do not have to complete all of this form but it will help
us improve our services if you can complete as much as possible and
Yes No Prefer not to say
return the form.

All information UWLSU collects around equality and diversity will be treated
If you have answered yes, please indicate the disability/disabilities that
confidentially in accordance with the Data Protection Act and will be stored
apply to you. If your disability does not fit any of these types, please mark
on the UWLSU database. Access to this information will be restricted to
“Other” and specify.
staff involved in the processing and monitoring of this data. It will be used to
provide statistical information only.
Physical/mobility impairment, such as a difficulty using
Please give your consent below for your information to be stored and used
your arms or mobility issues which require you to use a
in this way.
wheelchair or crutches

Visual impairment, such as being blind or having a serious

Signature visual impairment

Hearing impairment, such as being deaf or having a

serious hearing impairment
Print name
Please continue on the next page...

18 19
 Mental health condition, such as depression or Chinese, Chinese British, Chinese English, Chinese Scottish, Chinese
schizophrenia Welsh or Chinese Irish

Learning disability/difficulty, such as Down’s syndrome Chinese Other Chinese Background

or dyslexia or a cognitive impairment such as autistic
spectrum disorder Mixed

Long-standing illness or health condition, such as cancer,

White & Black African White & Black Caribbean
HIV, diabetes, chronic heart disease or epilepsy
White & Asian Other Mixed Background
Other (please specify below)
Other

Other (please state..............................................................)

Prefer not to say

C. Ethnicity
White

What is your ethnic group? White - English White - Welsh

These are based on the Census 2001 categories and are listed alphabetically. White - British White - Irish

Asian, Asian British, Asian English, Asian Scottish, Asian Welsh or White - Scottish White - European
Asian Irish
White Non-European Other White Background
Indian Pakistani Bangladeshi

Other Asian Background

D. Your sex
Black, Black British, Black English, Black Scottish, Black Welsh or
Black Irish
What is your sex?
Caribbean African
Male Female Non-Binary
Other Black Background
Prefer not to say

20 21
 Do you identify as transgender?
For the purpose of this question “transgender” is defined as an individual who
identifies as a gender different to that which they were assigned at birth.

Yes No Prefer not to say

E. Your religion or belief

Buddhism Christianity Hinduism

Judaism Islam No religion

Sikhism Other Prefer not to say

If you have ticked “other” please specify below:

F. Your sexual orientation

Bi-sexual Gay man Other

Heterosexual Gay woman Prefer not to say

If you have ticked “other” please specify if you wish:

G. Student status

FE HE Postgraduate Apprentceship

H. Fee status

Home EU International

22 23