Students' Union democracy: how it works
05 Sep 2022
Understand how our Students' Union works, and ensure our students get involved
The University of Manchester Students’ Union is a charity independent from the University, that exists with one mission: to be the voice of students at Manchester, effecting change and enriching student life together.
The Students’ Union is led by its members – and to ensure this happens fairly and effectively, we have a number of democratic structures in place. These structures and processes enable students to affect the direction of our services, decide what issues we campaign on and decide what our political stances are as a Union.
In 21/22 we ran a democracy review, conducting lots of research to create a system that reflected our members’ changing needs and interests. Through this, we created a new process for students to tell us their ideas, as well as holding an all-student vote to ask students to decide their new Part- and Full-Time Officer structure.
Union Assembly happens three times a year, aiming to bring together a diverse group of students to deliberate and vote on the Students’ Union’s beliefs. Any student can attend, and they will have the opportunity to hear briefings from experts to learn more about the topic at hand and deliberate in small groups. Students don’t need to be seasoned debaters, keen on politics or well-versed in global affairs to take part - just an interest in what’s going on around them.
Union Assembly will take place at 6pm in the SU Theatre Lounge on the following dates:
- 5 October 2022
- 15 February 2023
- 19 April 2023
Why not come along as an observer to see what students are talking about?
Students getting involved in the democratic structures of their Union is an empowering, educational experience. If a student has an idea for something they’d like to see on campus, they can submit it to suggestions; if they would like to learn more about a hot-button issue, they’re invited to Union Assembly; if they’d like to start a campaign or talk about something in depth they can talk to their Association Chair or an Exec Officer. There are lots of ways for students to have their say, and words of encouragement from staff members they know and trust is vital to building the confidence to get involved.
- If you’d like copy for an email or newsletter, email the SU’s Campaigns & Democracy Manager, Stefanie at stefanie.cooper@manchester.ac.uk.
You can also check out our website and we’ll be posting updates throughout the year to keep you informed.