Elections
What are the 2022/23 Autumn Elections?
To directly nominate yourself, please click here, which will direct you to the elections platform. You will need to first register an account using your University of York email address. You can also find more information on the elections homepage, here.
The Autumn Elections are one of the most important activities you can take part in during your time at York. There are three key roles you can run for: Student Trustee, Academic Representative, and Part-Time Officer. The Academic Reps look after their courses and represent their classmates; PTO’s create policy and change both your union and the university for the better. Both roles are voluntary and we only expect you to put in what time you can give. There is also an additional role of Scrutiny Officer available. Scrutiny Officers also sit on Council but have more formalised committee-like responsibliies. More information on all of these positions can be found below.
If you have any questions or need any support regarding the Autumn Elections, please contact our Representation Coordinator at representation@yorkgsa.org
All postgraduate students of the University of York are automatically members of the GSA and can nominate themselves for a role and vote in the election.
The Timeline
Friday 21st October – Nominations Open
Thursday 27th October – Nominations Close
Monday 31st October – Voting Opens
Thursday 3rd November – Voting Closes
Friday 4th November – Results Announced
The above timeline outlines key autumn 2022 election dates. Links to accessing the optional online drop-in sessions will be included in the GSA Newsletter.
The Positions
Academic Representatives
There are a LOT of positions available during the Autumn Elections. On one side of things, there are the Part Time Officer Roles. If you’re doing a Postgraduate course at the University of York, then you are can become an Academic Representative! You represent your fellow classmates and help improve your course. You act as the link between staff and students/PGRs, raising course, department or faculty-wide issues at Board of Studies Meetings and Staff-Student Forums
Part Time Officers
Council is the primary decision-making body of the GSA; it is run by Part-Time Officers from different departments and groups who oversee what the GSA does. They are democratically elected from the postgraduate community for a term of one year and hold a vote on Council; this determines what the GSA campaigns on, how the GSA creates policy and also holds the Sabbatical Officers to account.
Past campaigns have included the support for industrial action and safeguarding student sex workers. Would you like to represent students at an institutional level? More information about the roles below and full recruitment pack here.
Student Trustee
Become a Student Trustee! Stand to be elected to the Trustee Board. This is an exciting opportunity to gain experience working ‘behind the scenes’ in a charitable organisation.
The Trustee Board is responsible for ensuring the financial stability of the GSA; it ensures that none of the decisions made by the Council or Sabbatical Officers are illegal in nature. The board meets at least once every academic term unless certain issues require otherwise.
The Board is responsible for overseeing the administration and management of the GSA, including its budget (subject to approval of the University if required under the Education Act 1994), management, and staffing. More information available here.
Scrutiny Officers
Scrutiny Officers are responsible for holding elected GSA officers to account, by ensuring officers are working towards their manifesto priorities, role descriptions and objectives, as well as implementing GSA policies. This will include ensuring officers attend meetings, submit progress reports and the scrutiny of submitted reports via the Accountability Committee
Scrutiny Officers are expected to attend training events, Accountability Committee meetings and Association Council meetings. Find out more here.
How do I nominate myself?
Nominations are to be submitted directly via the election platform and the relevant link will be available here from October 17th and also shared via the GSA newsletter that week.

What is an Academic Representative?
Find out more about what the life of an Academic Rep is like
Click here for more infoPostgraduate Academic Reps are students/PGRs who represent your academic voice to the University at all levels. They act as the link between staff and students/PGRs, raising course, department or faculty-wide issues at Board of Studies Meetings and Staff-Student Forums. By resolving course-related matters, you can champion long-lasting change to the academic experience of students/PGRs.
Academic Reps:
- Seek out opinions from fellow students/PGRs in advance of committees.
- Contribute to discussion in committees.
- Provide feedback to their cohort.
Academic Reps also:
- Seek the opinions of students/PGRs in advance of committees.
- Promote participation in surveys.
- Support, where reasonable, departmental community-building initiatives.

Part Time Officer Roles
Please find a list of Part Time Officers and a link to our PTO recruitment pack
Click here for more infoFull Part Time Officer Recruitment Pack available here
Full List of PTO Positions below
Chair of Council
Participation Officer
Sports Officer
Volunteering Officer
Colleges Officer
Religions/Faith Officer
Sustainability Officer
GTA Officer
Postgraduate Taught Students’ Officer
MRes Students’ Officer
LGBTQ+ Students’ Officer
PhD Students’ Officer
Disabled Students’ Officer
BAME Students’ Officer
International Students’ Officer
Student Parents, Guardians, and Carers Students’ Officer
Women and Non-Binary Students’ Officer
Distance Learning Students’ Officer
Working Class Officer
Online Learning Students’ Officer
Part-Time Students’ Officer

Election Officials
Click here for more infoThe Returning Officer (RO) ultimately responsible for this election is Peter Robertson (National Union of Students). Any communication addressed to the RO will be via the Deputy Returning Officer (DRO).
The DRO responsible for the operational aspects of this election is Martin Marko (York Graduate Students’ Association). To contact the DRO regarding this election, please email research@yorkgsa.org with ‘Autumn Election 22’ in the subject line.
For further information regarding the role of election officials in this election, please see the Election By-laws.

Election Rules
Click here for more infoThis election is primarily governed by the GSA Election By-laws, with these additional rules and interpretations:
- Manifesto word limit is 100 words
- Candidates are not permitted to spend any money on their campaigns
- There will be no compulsory candidates’ briefing before nominations are officially confirmed
- A levelled approach to complaint resolution will be adopted
- The vote count will take place automatically at the close of voting, but potential complaints will be accepted until 24 hours after the close of voting