Annually in Spring, students from the University of Strathclyde elect six full-time sabbatical officers, including our very own Sports President.
Also in Spring at the Sports Union AGM, eight voluntary Sports Executive postitions are elected, more details of thes positions can be found further down on this page.
SPORTS PRESIDENT
Becoming a sabbatical officer means working full-time for a year, with a salary of around £20,000, leading on Strath Union or Sports Union campaigns, and representing the interests of the Strathclyde's 25,000 students. It's a fantastic opportunity to really shape students' lives as you work to influence the University, managing your own projects and developing existing work of the Sports Union, all while gaining valuable leadership experience.
If you are a current student, becoming a sabbatical officer would mean taking a year out of your studies. You can also stand to become a sabbatical officer in your final year, meaning you would take up the role after you graduate.
The role of Sports President is essential to the smooth operations of the Sports Union and its member Clubs. The Sports President is also a member of the Strathclyde Students' Union trustee board which carries other responsibilities, such as student representation.
No two days in the role will be the same. The Sports President leads on the creation, development and delivery of Sports Union policy as well as supporting the organisation of general sport activities, primarily those involving sports clubs.
A good President will be a strong advocate for Sport and Physical Activity and specifically of the Sports Union itself. Good organisation and strong communication skills are essential to the role. The role holder will also gain first hand experience of planning and managing a large budget alongside the Finance Committee. You must be able to work with and lead fellow students, while also being part of the Sports Union staff team.
This truly is a diverse, yet highly enjoyable role, offering fantastic experience straight out of university. Previous role holders have moved on to positions across a range of industries, such as Sport Management, Business, Marketing, Events, Engineering, Teaching, Finance and many more (we're still waiting on our first Astronaut).
Becoming Sports President is a fantastic opportunity to have your say on the issues that really impact students' live, gain valuable industry skills and experience that will enhance your CV, and get more involved in the University community.
To stand for Sports President, you must stand in the Strath Union elections. Find our more information from Strath Union on the nomination process.
KEY DATES
The below schedule details when to expect each step of the 2024 Strath Elections. Dates will be updated for 2025 once confirmed.
| Date |
Description |
| Mid-January |
Nominations Open |
| 19th February, 12:00 |
Nominations close and campaigning begins |
| 26th February, 12:00 |
Voting opens |
| 27th February. 17:00 |
Sports Union Hustings |
| 29th February, 12:00 |
Voting closes |
| 29th February, 17:00 |
Results announcement |
Sports Executive
Becoming a member of the Sport Exec will give you great work experience operating in student sport alongside our four full time staff members. There are various roles to choose from where we expect students to bring existing skills, and we will provide opportunities for skills and experience to be developed further. Volunteering is not only a way to contribute to the running of the Sports Union, but it will look great on your CV when applying to future opportunities such as further studies, internships, or careers. See below for the roles & reponsibilities of each Sports Executuve position. All Sports Exec officers are expected to attend all Sports Executive Committee meetings throughout the academic year, deputising for the Sports President where required.
Candidates must:
- Hold a current years membership of the Sports Union
- Be a current student during the academic year in office (e.g. 2024-25)
- Be nominated for one role
- Be nominated and seconded by two current Sports Union members
- All member Sports Clubs of the Sports Union will receive one vote for each of the positions.
- The use of proxy votes in any Sports Union election shall not be permitte
- Withdrawals must be submitted to the VP Sport by email using only the candidate's University of Strathclyde student email account.
All election specific information such how to apply, confirmed candidates and maniefestos can all be found within the Student Union's Elections page.
Please see the below roles & responsibilities for the Sports Executive positions:
Vice Sports President
- Deputise for the Sports President in their absence. Support the inclusion agenda by undertaking advocacy and representation work, such as providing feedback on policies and procedures for consideration of the General Committee and Annual General Meeting.
- Lead volunteers during Welcome Week to ensure promotion of Sports Union activities and participation opportunities for new students at the University.
- Chair or Vice Chair the Sports Union Discipline Committee, overseeing collation of case notes, availability of panel members and corresponding with participants.
- Support Sports Union staff and other volunteers on the Sports Executive with the general planning, organisation and delivery of key events as and when called on.
Publicity Officer
- Support the Sports Union staff with the publicity and media of all facets of the Sports Union, through a number of channels, including social media platforms.
- Work with sports clubs, in particular media officers, to improve student sport promotion of any club activity, such as coordinating social media ‘takeovers’.
- Contribute to and support the publicity of various events and campaigns throughout the year, such as Welcome Week.
- Support Sports Union staff and other volunteers on the Sports Executive with the general planning, organisation and delivery of key events as and when called on.
Inclusion Officer
- Drive forward the Sports Union EDI agenda by undertaking advocacy and representation work.
- Liaise with key Sports Union and University representatives with a view to breaking down barriers for all students looking to engage with sport at the University.
- Work with sports clubs, sports executive committee, and relevant partners to deliver key EDI events and campaigns, such as LGBTQ+ and Black History Month.
- Support Sports Union staff and other volunteers on the Sports Executive with the general planning, organisation and delivery of key events as and when called on.
Governance Officer
- Oversee the administration of the Club Score initiative, promoting the values of good club development and ensuring data submitted is accurate to calculate club health scores.
- Act as a liaison between sports clubs and the Executive Committee regarding club development and sport programme matters.
- Work with sports clubs to ensure a smooth handover of committee groups by ensuring relevant governance documentation is submitted and up-to-date.
- Support Sports Union staff and other volunteers on the Sports Executive with the general planning, organisation and delivery of key events as and when called on.
Wellbeing Officer
- Support the Sports President to drive forward the Sports Union wellbeing agenda by defining and facilitating the role of Welfare Officers within member sports clubs.
- Work with the Sports President, internal partners and external organisations to arrange relevant wellbeing, welfare and mental health training for the Sports Union membership, and Wellbeing Officers in particular.
- Work with sports clubs and relevant partners to deliver key wellbeing events and campaigns, such as November Charities Month.
- Support Sports Union staff and other volunteers on the Sports Executive with the general planning, organisation and delivery of key events as and when called on.
Events Officer
- Chair the Events Committee, providing leadership to the planning, organisation, and delivery of key Sports Union events, such as Captains Dinner.
- Contribute to the Sports Union calendar of events and campaigns by supporting the interests of the sports club membership, working with appropriate members of the Sports Executive Committee to fulfil these, and aligning with the Events Budget ensuring a breakeven/profit within the financial year (Aug 1st – Jul 31st).
- Work closely with the Sports Union office and sports clubs to attract new, added value sponsorship deals with suppliers, as well as maintaining close relationships with existing partners.
- Support Sports Union staff and other volunteers on the Sports Executive with the general planning, organisation and delivery of key events as and when called on.
Finance Officer
- Chair the Sports Union Finance Committee, working with other members to administer committee meetings, funding requests and club budgets.
- Oversee the financial arrangements of all affiliated sports clubs by working closely with club treasurers on a 1:1 basis, assisting and troubleshooting where necessary by holding drop-in clinics on a regular basis.
- Process funding applications on behalf of sports clubs and communicate outcomes of all related decisions to sports clubs across a variety of digital platforms.
- Attend all Sports Executive Committee meetings throughout the academic year, deputising for the Sports President where required.
Awards Officer
- Chair the Sports Union Awards Committee, by recruiting panel members, coordinating and conducting all meetings, and ensuring committee functions are carried out in accordance with governance By-laws.
- Act as the principal point of contact for all enquiries relating to Sports Union awards, hall of fame and colours recognition frameworks.
- Support the publication of marketing materials for the Sports Awards Ball, proactively sourcing content for editing purposes.
- Support Sports Union staff and other volunteers on the Sports Executive with the general planning, organisation and delivery of key events as and when called on.
KEY DATES
The below schedule details when to expect each step of the 2024 Sports Executive Elections. Dates for 2025 will be published onces confirmed.
| Date |
Description |
| 6th March, 12:00 |
Nominations open |
| 22nd March, 12:00 |
Nominations close - candidates and manifestos published |
| 26th March, 17:00 |
Voting takes place during Sports Union AGM |
QUESTIOnS
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to get in touch with us. We recommend attending one of the election workshops run by Strath Union to get an idea of what to expect, covering topics such as how to run a campaign.