Applying for a position in the HSU Election is just like applying for any job. In the application, you'll be asked a few questions about your skills and experience, and what you'd like to do if you're elected. It's your chance to tell students why you think you're the best candidate for the role, and what sets you apart from other candidates.

As with any application, you should spend time doing your research and drafting your ideas before you submit your final version. The more effort you put in, the more likely it is that your application will resonate with students.

The questions you'll need to answer vary depending on the role:

For the position of Student Trustee, there are two questions:

  1. How do you meet the criteria for being a Student Trustee?
  2. What do you think the Students' Union should focus on in the coming year?

For the position of NUS Representative, there is one question:

  1. What do you think the National Union of Students should campaign on in the coming year?

Your answers will be limited to 1,500 characters, so you may have to think about the main things you want to prioritise in your answer.

Remember, a large proportion of students will vote based solely on the strength of what you put in your application, so making sure it is engaging and well-written is the key to a winning election campaign.

Read on for more information about each question!

1. How do you meet the criteria for being a Student Trustee?

 

Student Trustees are part of the Board of Trustees of Hallam Students' Union. 

While any student is eligible to apply to be a Trustee, we're looking for students that meet the following criteria:

  • Experience of working as part of a team, and acting collectively as a group.
  • Ability to critically engage with complex issues and ask challenging questions.
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
  • Professionalism, punctuality and reliability.
  • Commitment to Equality, Diversity & Inclusion.

You should demonstrate how you meet these criteria in your application.

We're particularly interested in hearing from students who have an interest in Human Resources, Finance, Strategy, or Equality, Diversity & Inclusion. Don't worry if you're not an expert - being a Trustee is a great way to gain experience in these areas!

2. What do you think the Students' Union should focus on in the coming year?

 

One of the main jobs of the Board of Trustees is to ensure that Hallam Students' Union is delivering as much benefit to Hallam students as possible - therefore, it's important that Trustees know about the issues that are important to students. In this section, you should explain what you think the Union should be prioritising to help students - this will demonstrate to voters that you have an understanding of the Union's purpose.

1. What do you think the National Union of Students should campaign on in the coming year?

If you are elected as one of the NUS Representative team, you will attend the National Union of Students' National Conference in Spring 2025, where you will have the opportunity to vote on what the National Union of Students campaigns on over the coming year. It's important that our Representatives have a good understanding of student issues, so that you can hold the National Union to account and ensure it's working in a way that benefits students at Sheffield Hallam. 

If you're looking for inspiration, you can see the NUS' current policies on their website here.

Therefore, you should tell students about what you think is most important - this could be one, two, three or more things - but remember the character limit!

Slogan (optional, but recommended!)

You can also add a slogan which will be displayed alongside your name to students on the voting page. This isn't compulsory, but it's a great opportunity to add something memorable to your profile!

A slogan is a short and catchy message that should be memorable to students.

It can reflect your values and priorities, but it also doesn't need to be too serious - some of the best campaign slogans are a pun or a rhyme. You could include it your other campaign material as well to ensure it sticks!

Here are some example slogans that candidates in other SU Elections have used:

  • Together We Khan! - NUS Elections, 2020: Sarah Khan for VP Welfare and Liberation
  • Go With Joe - Queen Mary SU: Union Council Chairperson Joe Vension
  • Put the Ed in Education - Sheffield SU: Ed for Education Officer
  • Access Grows with Lily Rose - Cambridge SU, 2019: Access Officer, Lily Rose
  • Change is Pheasible - Nottingham SU: Joe Pheasey for SU President
  • Jos Do It - Nottingham SU: Josie for Sports Officer
  • Let's get GROOBY - Leeds Trinity SU: Chelsey Grooby, for SU President

Once you've thought out your responses to the three questions, and have come up with a good slogan, you're ready to fill out your application