Committee roles
We have three core roles in every society committee: President, Secretary and Treasurer. Our high-risk societies also have a compulsory Health and Safety Officer.
As our societies are student-led, there are some that choose to add additional roles to their committee to help carry out specific responsibilities and facilitate different events and activities. Examples of these additional roles include: Equality and Diversity Officer, Social Media Officer, Social Secretary and Vice President.
What is a committee member?
A committee member is a volunteer who is passionate about their society and wishes to volunteer their time to support the logistical running of the society.
A committee member also ensures that their society follows proper processes for activity so members can participate safely.
A committee member is not:
- In charge or holding a position of management over the rest of the committee or your membership. Committee members are elected to support the society, not rule over it.
- The ultimate authority within a society. Committee members cannot remove others from the committee or the wider society. This is solely the responsibility of the Students' Union.
- A committee is not a hierarchy. Each member plays a role in the wider functioning whole.
Shared committee responsibilities
All committee members have some shared responsibilities that support the wider running of the society and its activities. These include:
- Signing and following their society constitution and annual risk assessment
- Attending compuslory training and completing paperwork
- Ensuring that all society activity adheres to health and safety guidelines
- Listening to members
- Ensuring the financial sustainability of the society
- Ensuring the future sustainability of the society by making members aware of elections and giving a handover to new committee members
- Agreeing and setting a membership fee at the start of the academic year or when a new society has been created
Important committee dates
Certain times of year are particularly important for committee members. Please make a note of these!
- Committee Training (September)
- Welcome and Taster Sessions (September)
- Welcome Back and Taster Sessions (February)
- Society Committee Elections (March-April)
- SU Awards (April)
- Handovers (April-May)
How to create new committee roles
- The committee must decide what new role(s) the society needs and what responsibilities they will have
- Complete the Request a By-Election form in the Elections tile of the Committee Portal and detail what the responsibilities of the new role will include. Please note, societies can only request a maximum of 2 by-elections during an academic year.
Role specific responsibilities
Each role has its own specialist responsibilities, and the people in these roles will either be working to their strengths or working to develop skills while on the committee. Roles will sometimes have overlapping responsibilities so it's important to work together to ensure the society opperates smoothly.
The specialist responsibilities for the core roles are the same across all societies.
President
The President role suits a strong leader who is compassionate and willing to help other committee members with their responsibilities. The President is responsible for overseeing the society’s activities and hosting formal meetings both with the committee and the members. The role develops skills in leadership, organisation, and formal communication. Role specific duties include:
- Organise and attend regular society meetings.
- Uphold the society's aims and abide by SU policies and procedures.
- Represent the society to the SU and at official events and meetings.
- Ensure the society manages its finances in accordance with SU processes.
- Submit necessary paperwork and follow best practices as set out by the SU.
- Ensure all core committee roles are filled.
- Welcome new members and encourage inclusivity.
Secretary
The Secretary role suits an organised and communicative individual. They handle the administrative side of society operations, including booking rooms, organising transport, liaising with suppliers, and communicating with the Students’ Union. The role offers experience in networking, formal communication, and document management. Role specific duties include:
- Supports the President in arranging commmittee meetings.
- Makes room bookings on Resource Booker for the society.
- Ensures SU processes are followed when making room bookings or planning events
- Liase with the SU, external instructors, venues and proffessionals as required.
- Share updates from the Students’ Union with the committee and society members as appropriate.
- Welcome new members and encourage inclusivity.
Treasurer
The Treasurer role suits an individual who is passionate about removing financial barriers to participation and getting the best deals for their members. They will be responsible for sourcing suppliers, raising POs, signing off claims forms, and keeping the society financially sustainable. Treasurers gain experience in budgeting, financial reporting, and networking with suppliers. Role specific duties include:
- To be responsible for the financial affairs of the society and for ensuring adequate safeguards and controls are in place to protect the finances of the society.
- Submit funding requests by set deadlines.
- Liaise with the Students’ Union regarding society finances.
- Raise purchase orders and sign off expense claims.
- Welcome new members and encourage inclusivity.
Health and Safety Officer (high-risk only)
Our high-risk societies MUST have a Health and Safety Officer. The Health and Safety Officer role suits a conscientious and organised individual who has an eye for detail. The Officer will support the health and safety needs of the society by helping to fill in risk assessments, reviewing event planning and delivery, organising and/or fulfilling equipment checks, and attending relevant training. It also offers valuable experience in safety practices, teamworking and attending training. Role specific duties include:
- Ensure all society activity is risk assessed and the mechanisms to reduce risk are communicated to both the committee and the society members.
- Ensure society activities adhere to the safety mechanisms identified in the society activity risk assessment.
- Ensure that the emergency procedure for incidents and near misses is followed and reported through the incident report form, with submission to activitiesadmin@shu.ac.uk.
- Check all society equipment is fit for purpose, including the society first aid kit, and work with the rest of the committee to organise equipment servicing where required.
- Communicate any specialist training requirements for your activity with the SU.
- Welcome new members and encourage inclusivity.
Equality and Diversity Officer (Non-core role)
The Equality and Diversity Officer (EDO) plays a key part in ensuring the society is inclusive, accessible, and welcoming to all members. The EDO will lead the committee’s work on removing barriers to engagement and support the smooth running of the society, helping to build an inclusive Hallam community. Whilst the EDO is no longer a Core Role, societies are encouraged to have an EDO where possible. Role specific duties include:
- Ensure society activities are inclusive regardless of age, gender, orientation, race, faith, or ability.
- To ensure all committee and society members are not discriminated against on any grounds stated in 7.4.1
- To raise concerns and issues to the Societies Team..
- Review society partnerships for inclusiveness and ensure they follow SHSU guidelines.
- Welcome new members and encourage inclusivity.
For the specialist responsibilities of an additional role in your society, please refer to the society constitution where these responsibilities are detailed.
Annual core paperwork
Annual Constitution
Each society has a constitution detailing the aim of the society and how they intend to achieve their aims. These could include anything from a recruitment goal, to a raising and giving effort for a charity you care about. Please use the Annual Constitution template to complete and sign each year.
Annual Constitution template
Annual Risk Assessment
Each society has an annual risk assessment detailing what hazards and risks could pose a harm to society members attending their regular activity. Society activity cannot take place unless this has been completed and approved by the SU.
Annual Risk Assessment template
Example of completed Annual Risk Assessment
Annual External Speaker Form
An External Speaker is anyone external to your society (who isn't a current SHU Student or Staff member) that is given a platform to speak to students. If you have someone regularly attending your society activity who is an External speaker you only have to complete the External Speaker form once (indicating they will be regularly attending).
External Speakers Request Form
Coaches/Instructors: Coaches and Instructors no longer need to go through the External Speaker Process. They should still be registered with HSU via the form below.
Instructor/Coach Registration Form
Handovers
A handover is created by the current committee and given to those taking over for the new academic year. The better quality the handover, the better start the new committee has in hitting the ground running in the new year.
The handover must include:
- Logins and passwords for the email account and social media accounts.
- Any information about key contacts and suppliers.
- Information about equipment - what do you have, where is it kept?
Handover Template
Your commitment to us
As committee members, we expect you to make a commitment to your membership and to us that you will follow proper processes, complete relevant paperwork, and meet your deadlines. We expect you to support one another with kindness, respect, and understanding, and that you prioritise the positive experience of your members. We also expect you to champion zero-tolerance of bullying and harassment of any kind.
Our commitment to you
We commit to supporting you with all formal society processes, providing instruction and guidance to completing paperwork. We will support you as a committee and as individuals through development opportunities and guidance, and we will support you in championing zero-tolerance of bullying or harassment of any kind.
Society Support 'Drop Ins': Our Societies Team has 'Drop Ins' for committee members to come to the HUBs and seek support for specific queries for leading your society.
What Drop Ins are and aren't for
Our Semester 1 and 2 Drop Ins have finished for this academic year. If you need to meet with the Societies Team, please email activitiesadmin@shu.ac.uk with details of your request.