Who can run for a position in the SUBU Elections?
Any current student at Bournemouth University can run for the roles of SU President, VP Education, VP Student Opportunities and VP Welfare & Community.
To run for the Part-Time Officer roles (Asian, Arab & Ethnic Minority Officer, Black Students’ Officer, Disabilities, Accessibility & Neuro-Diverse Officer, LGBTQ+ Officer, Trans, Non-Binary and Gender Identity + Officer, and Women’s Officer), you must be self-defined as part of the relevant SUBU community. You can self-define here.
Only Postgraduate students can run for the role of Postgraduate Officer.
For the Faculty Officer roles, student can only run for the role which is relevant to their own faculty. For example, Business & Law students are only eligible to run for the Business & Law Officer role.
You must be opted into the Students’ Union to run for any of the Officer roles. Please contact subudemocracy@bournemouth.ac.uk if you are unsure if you are opted in.
When will the role start?
If elected, you will spend one year in your Officer position from July 2026 – July 2027.
What’s the different between a Full-Time and Part-Time Officer position?
Full-Time Officers work in a paid role at SUBU for one year. If your course won’t be finished by July 2026, you’ll need to take a year out and return to your studies once your year as an Officer ends – think of it as a placement!
Part-Time Officers volunteer alongside their degree, so there’s no need for you to pause your studies.
Can I run for more than one position?
You can only run for and hold one SUBU Officer position at a time.
What position should I run for?
It’s totally up to you! You can run for whatever position you feel best suits you and the issues that are most important to you.
You can read the full job descriptions for each role here.
How do I put myself forward?
You can submit your application to run as a SUBU Officer here. You will need to log into the SUBU website to complete the form.
You will need to submit:
- Your name as you would like it to appear throughout the Elections
- Your student number
- Your BU student email address
- A photo
- Your written pledge
What happens after I submit my application?
You will be contacted by a member of the SUBU Elections Team, who will chat through your eligibility for the role.
We will then invite you to a compulsory candidate briefing, where we’ll go over all the rules of the Election and help you get set up for campaign.
You’ll receive all the information you need via email, so make sure you check any junk or spam folders!
What is a pledge?
Every candidate will be asked to submit a pledge. These will help students decide who to vote for.
You may want to include the changes that you’d like to make within SUBU or BU, the issues you’re passionate about, what experience you’ll bring to the role and the impact you’ll have on students.
We’d recommend reading SUBU’s strategy before writing your pledge. This will help you align your goals with SUBU’s priorities and demonstrate how your ideas support the direction of the organisation. Click here to view our Strategy!
You will be asked to submit a full pledge (maximum 300 words) and a shortened version (50 words) for printed publications.
Your pledge must be submitted by 25th February 2026 at 12pm (midday).