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After much dedication from Loughborough Students’ Union following the general consensus that the role is needed, the election for a Postgrad EO for 2016-17 will be underway very soon.
The role description is currently being finalised and will see an expected election this May. Following a disappointing rejection a few months ago, the position will be funded for a year by the university with finer details and further monetary assistance to be confirmed in the near future.
Current VP: Union Affairs, Max Crawford seemed delighted that a Postgraduate representative would now be able to sit on the Executive Committee next year, and is looking forward to setting up the position for the first ever paid Postgrad EO. Max told Label:
“I’m really happy that this position is finally going ahead. It’s something we’ve been working for since before Christmas and I think it will be a huge step in representing postgraduates and giving them a better experience here at Loughborough.”
Label also heard from Jordan Dawson, current PGR President:
“A new position of Postgraduate Executive Officer would, from the perspective of both a PGT alumni and a current PGR student, be a huge step in the right direction. The LSU is making strides towards being ever more inclusive of the postgraduate community, this post would cement this desire for the long term. This post would allow the LSU to offer the outstanding experience that our undergraduates receive to a uniquely diverse student population with different needs and desires. It would also contribute towards the Students’ Union Executive Officer posts being seen in a much more positive light, and showcase the dedication to offering a world class experience to all of our students.”
The campaigning period is expected to run for a short time in May, and will be discussed and confirmed at the beginning of next week at a Union Affairs Committee meeting. Due to the nature of the role and the course lengths undertaken by Postgraduate students, the handover period in the future will be more fluid than it is for other Executive members. The role will effectively begin in July when all other EO’s begin their jobs, resulting in a summer long handover, spending a short amount of time each week in the process in order for the job to properly start in September once the elected EO has completed their Postgraduate studies.
The Postgrad role is currently an unpaid “Development Officer” (DO) role, sitting on the Executive Committee alongside four other DO’s. There will now be four DO positions available for next year, an election for which will take place in a dedicated Student Forum, in which candidates can share their manifesto and ideas before the group, and Forum will vote there and then. These positions include “Community”, “Global” and “Ethical & Environmental”, with a change being made from “Alumni and Employability” to “Enterprise and Employability”, with the Alumni responsibilities sitting under the paid Presidential role.
The Postgraduate Executive Officer will be appointed in a campus-wide ballot this term. Nominations will be sought from current Postgraduate Students passionate about enhancing the Postgrad Student Experience.
Label will keep you up-to-date with any further news.
