Do you want my job?  

The Students’ Union is a democratic organisation with a membership of over 30,000 students. In February of every year, students are elected as representatives for the following academic year. This means that you or one of your friends could be one of the candidates for an elected position this year!

What is a VP Postgraduate Students?

As the Vice President Postgraduate Students, I represent all 12,500 postgraduates at Cardiff University whether that is on academic policies that affect taught or research postgraduate students, raising welfare concerns and reviewing the support structures that are currently in place, or simply helping to promote and expand on the vibrant postgraduate community at Cardiff.

What’s a typical day like in the life of a VP Postgraduate?

Firstly, one of the fantastic things about this job is that every day is different! The remit of the VP postgrad is incredibly vast so you will have the opportunity to focus on areas that you have a particular passion for as well as what the postgraduate students here at Cardiff really care about. These are just some of the things I do as part of my job:

  • Speak to current students!
  • Sit on Academic committees in the University and build relationships with members of staff throughout the University.
  • Sit on Cardiff University Students' Union Board of Trustees.
  • Liaise with the postgraduate academic reps to find out the grass-root problems which I can then lobby the university on to shape your student experience.
  • Chair the PGR rep forum and the PG Exec.
  • Induction talks in schools, Open Day talks in the University and Graduation speeches.
  • Attend conferences and training days.
  • Work with the Postgraduate Association to expand on the social opportunities available for our postgraduate students.
  • Postgraduate bi-monthly newsletter and the postgraduate page on cardiffstudents.com.
  • Postgraduate Welcome Booklet and Events Guide during Welcome Week.
  • Work on manifesto points! Check out my Officer page to see what I’m currently working on. 
  • Respond to developments in Welsh higher education policy relating to postgraduate study.

Why should I run?

Being a Vice President of the Students' Union is an incredibly challenging but rewarding experience. As an elected representative, you will be directly helping to make a difference to the student experience at Cardiff. You will have the opportunity to act on the ideas and feedback of current students, feed into crucial decisions on how the Union is run and work with and challenge the University to have a positive impact on the lives of thousands of students.

The role also provides fantastic opportunities from a personal development perspective. As a Sabbatical Officer you will be a trustee of a multi-million pound organisation and over the year you will develop your skills in leadership and management. The variety of experiences you will encounter will help you to acquire a diverse range of skills which will definitely strengthen your CV.

Who can run?

Every student irrespective of degree program, mode of study, age, or nationality has the right to stand for election to any of the available positions and all students get to vote on who of all the candidates they think is the right person for the job.

Can I take time out of my studies/research?

The simple answer is yes! I am currently taking a sabbatical year out before returning to my masters degree in Public Policy. The University and the Union will work with you to come up with a solution that works for you – whether that is an extension for your dissertation, an interruption of study or a plan of action so that you don’t feel like you will be disadvantaged in your degree programme if you take a year to be a Sabbatical Officer.

If you are thinking of running to be the next VP Postgrad or if you have any questions, please come and see me in the Students’ Union or drop me an email as I am more than happy to answer questions or give some more advice! My email is: VPPostgraduate@Cardiff.ac.uk