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Have Your Say ► Governance

NTSU is fundamentally a democratic, membership-led organisation. That means that you, the students of NTU, dictate exactly how the Union carries out its business by voting on Union policies, and electing representatives from amongst yourselves to carry out those policies.

The SU's membership is made up of the roughly 25,000 students currently attending NTU. Every member of the Union has the right to take part and vote in every democratic forum that exists within the Union - ranging from voting in Union elections, referenda, or UGM policy votes, to attending assemblies or contacting the Exec and Campus Committees directly.

NTSU’s governance means you have six main ways of having your say in your Union:

The entire student body votes for representatives from amongst themselves to fulfil seven roles on the following year’s Board of Elected Directors (a.k.a. the Exec), alongside three Campus Liaison Officer roles, in the annual Union elections. Any current student is eligible to stand for an elected position.

The Exec, led by the President, are responsible for carrying out all Union policies as directed by the membership during referenda, policy votes, and general feedback. Staff assist the Exec in running Union services and activities.

Union General Meetings (UGM) are held three times per academic year, and serve as formal decision-making meetings that any student can attend. The Exec, along with representatives from various committees, will propose and debate any and all Union policy changes. The Exec are also held to account, and may be questioned by students at UGMs.

The three Campus Committees, chaired by the Campus Liaison Officers, take suggestions from students on how to improve their campus. The Campus Committees take issues forward to the next UGM for debate, and will also take appropriate action (i.e. campaigning), as mandated by students.

Students attend any of the three assemblies (Union, University, and Nottingham), which are open forums for expressing their views. Issues discussed at the assemblies are taken forward to the next UGM for further discussion, debate, and voting.

The simplest way for students to give direct feedback to the Exec, as well as propose any ideas they have about what the Union should provide for its members, is by submitting their Big Ideas online here. All ideas submitted are taken to the next UGM for discussion, debate, and voting as applicable.

Referenda are ballots, usually (but not always) based on a single question with a yes/no answer. At any time, at least fifty students can petition the Union to hold a referendum on any topic they see fit. The membership is then polled to elicit their views, and action is taken by the Exec as appropriate based on the outcome.