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.