Would you like to become a Director of multi-million-pound charity, helping us to make big decisions about the future of the LSE Students’ Union? If so, we’re looking for a Student Trustee to sit on LSESU’s Trustee Board. Could this be the role for you?
About the Trustee Board
The Trustee Board is ultimately responsible for making the big decisions about the running of the students’ union. The Board is comprised of 12 people including Sabbatical Officers, lay trustees and fellow students – all of whom bring different types of experience and expertise to the role.
About the Role
Being a Trustee is a voluntary role and involves attending 5 Trustee Board meetings each year, plus some preparation time before each one. Our Trustees are an incredibly important part of our governance and play an integral role in the continued running and development of the students’ union.
Previous experience of being a trustee is not required and we would welcome applications from all students including undergraduate, postgraduate, part-time and international.
As a £6m turnover charity that supports, empowers and represents 12,000 students, we have significant resources, but we need your support. We are looking for a student trustee with the drive and knowledge to ensure that we remain ambitious whilst also utilising our resources effectively. As well as sitting on our Trustee Board, which meets at least 5 times a year, our student trustees will each sit on one of our sub-committees.
We are proud to have a diverse and inclusive student body, staff team and board of Trustees. We encourage applications from people from all walks of life, whether you identify as a person from an ethnic minority community, come from a working-class background or have overcome systemic challenges. We recognise that Board diversity is key to effective decision-making, as well as ensuring that LSESU Trustees have the trust and confidence of our diverse student body.
LSE Students’ Union
LSE Students' Union (LSESU) is a not-for-profit organisation led by LSE students, for LSE students. Our aim is to help LSE students make the most of all the life-changing experiences open to them during their time at university. We've been part of LSE since 1897, and all LSE students automatically become LSESU members when they enrol. Our members join one of the UK's most active students' unions and make it whatever they need it to be.
Our primary services include:
- Student Voice - supporting our students with representation, campaigning, policy change and elections
- Student Communities - supporting over 250+ clubs and societies, managing the gym and the sports and arts facilities in the Marshall Building
- Social - running our Union events, student bar (Three Tuns) and our cafe
- Student Advice - providing free, independent and confidential advice to our student membership
The process
All student trustees at LSESU must be elected by a cross-campus ballot. All applications received will go to the Appointments Committee of the Students’ Union, where they will either be approved to go ahead in the elections, or removed from the process.
If your application is approved by the Appointments Committee, you will then be entered into the Lent Term elections as a candidate. The timeline for the application and approval process is as follows:
Applications close: Tuesday 27th February, 23:59
Appointments committee meets and approves potential candidates: 28th and 29th February
Candidates are notified if their candidacy has been approved: On or before 1st March
Lent Term campaigning begins: Monday 11th March
Lent Term elections voting: 18th to 19th March
How to apply
To apply for this role, please follow this link. You will be asked to submit your covering letter, CV and Equal Opportunities form. Your covering letter should answer the following 4 questions:
- The Trustee looks over the finance, compliance and strategy of the SU rather than representation or campaigning. What skills do you have that you think will make students want to vote for you?
- The board works as a team, making decisions together and discussing things to reach consensus. How would you approach a situation where another board member disagrees with you?
- Student Trustees are expected to communicate with the student body. What steps would you take to do this?
- What other information would you like students to know about yourself that is relevant to being a trustee board member?
Please see the link above to find the job description for more details on this role.
If you are inspired by this opportunity, we would love to hear from you. Please contact Ben Whittaker, LSESU’s Chief Executive, via email at b.whittaker@lse.ac.uk if you have any questions about the role.
Applications close at 23:59pm, Tuesday 27th February.
As stated above, please do note that this role is voluntary and unpaid