► What is the SU?

Although part of the University, Huddersfield Students' Union is an independent, student led and student focused and passionate to ensure that your time at University is as awesome as possible.

We are here to represent you, offer you support and advice and provide you with unique opportunities.

How the Union is run

The Union is headed by 5 full time Sabbatical Officers, known collectively as the Executive Team, who have been elected to run the Students’ Union on behalf of you, the students. There are also 10 elected part time officers whose role it is to represent the many diverse groups within the student community alongside full and part time permanent staff and around 50 student staff.

The full and part-time officers are representative of all areas of student life and can be contacted via email, details of which you will later in this guide.

The Union receives funding from the University to support its student membership and supplements this with income from the commercial service areas – The Students' Union Bar, Café and Shop. Any profits go back into the SU to give better services and facilities for its members.

It's your Students' Union

When you enrol you are automatically a member of your Students’ Union (unless you choose to opt out) which means you get access to all our facilities and services.

Join one of the many clubs and societies or start a new one; and have the opportunity to join one of our many diverse sports club or societies. All members of the Students’ Union are also entitled to run for and vote in the annual Elections.

We host amazing events throughout the year starting with the brilliant Freshers Fortnight followed by a variety of fun activities, including regular events such as a pub quiz and live comedy.

We run campaigns on national issues as well as local concerns, and fight on a range of issues alongside a diverse group of students for the benefit of all students.

What the SU can do for you

By now we hope you know a little of what the SU is all about; that is we represent YOU, we listen to YOU, we support YOU, as well as providing YOU with plenty of fun stuff! Hopefully you have also learnt that you can get involved with the Students’ Union and have YOUR say and leave YOUR mark for future students.

The governing body of the SU is the Union Council which meets monthly in the SU Meeting Room. Union Council is responsible for the policies adopted by the Students’ Union on any issues which may affect the students. It has the power to debate policy, scrutinise budgets and hold your elected officers to account. If you don’t agree with any of the Students’ Union’s decisions then come along to make your voice heard.

Students should always have the opportunity to make themselves heard. During your University experience there will be many opportunities to speak out, influence change and involve yourself in democratic institutional structures.

The Student Representative Programme is one such opportunity. A Student Rep is as it say’s on the tin; a student enrolled on a University of Huddersfield course who is elected by his/her peers as a representative of their interests. A student representatives’ role is to make sure student concerns are raised and issues resolved at course level. So, if you want some experience in dealing with real issues and you want to make a difference then why not become a student representative.

As well as having the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to your department, you can really change things that affect you and your fellow students. If there are aspects of the course which students’ are not happy with, you are there to represent their concerns and voice ideas for change – speak up, stand up and be heard.

YOU could get yourself elected to become a full time sabbatical or part-time officer and have your say on Union Council, be a Student Rep - there plenty of ways to be an integral part of the SU.