Every year hundreds of committee positions are contested for our clubs and societies. Whether you want to run as a candidate or discover more about the elections, find everything you need on this page.
Club and Society Elections
Student Leader Elections
In the last term of every academic year, clubs and societies take part in the Student Leader Election (SLE) to vote in the committee for the following academic year. The SLE is entirely online, via the SUBU website, and is your chance to have your say! Only members of a club/society can run for roles on committee; so, you need to make sure to purchase your society membership via the club page! The dates for these elections will be released around the Winter Break.
By Election
By elections are a chance for your society to fill roles they were unable to in the last election or to fill roles that have become vacant since. New clubs will also take part in the by election if they were exempt from the Student Leader Election. If your Society will be participating in the by election you will be contacted in advance of Freshers to enable you to promote your upcoming roles.
The dates for the 24/25 by election are:
- Applications open: 10:00am, 07/10/24
- Applications close: 23:59pm, 13/10/24
- Voting opens: 10:00am, 14/10/24
- Voting closes: 23:59pm, 20/10/24
- Results will be released on the 22/10/24 from 16:00pm
Applications for the 2024/25 By Election open in...
Elections FAQ's
Why do clubs/societies have to do elections?
Elections give you the voice to elect who you want to run your club/society and SUBU is obligated (through the by-laws) to facilitate those elections for clubs and societies. As a Student Union, it is our duty to make sure democratic processes are upheld and everyone is given a fair opportunity to be involved in clubs and societies from members to committee.
I'm an associate member of a society, can I still vote?
Only current BU students can vote in SUBU Elections.
I'm an associate member of a society, can I run for a committee role?
Current BU students must hold the core committee roles (President. Communications/ Secretary and Treasurer) but any member of a society can run for additional roles.
What are the mandatory roles for SUBU societies?
The mandatory committee roles are President, Communications/Secretary and Treasurer. High-risk societies have a fourth mandatory role of Health & Safety Officer.
What happens if our society doesn't elect a core committee in the elections?
Any society that doesn't elect the core committee roles will be added to our Adopt a Soc programme. The Adopt a Soc programme exists for times when interest in a Club or Society dies down and/or when you can'''t elect a committee to run it as part of the Elections. A Club or Society in this programme would sit dormant for up to one academic year and gives you the opportunity to come together with other BU students and 'adopt' the group you're interested in and get it back off the ground.
Handover
Ready to handover your society to the new committee? Download the template below, fill it out with all the must-know information to run your society, and pass it on to the new committee!
Club and Society Constitution
Every club and society must have a signed constitution to be registered with SUBU. This constitution is completed annually to ensure that your club is recognised by SUBU. Use this template to create yours and once it has been completed, send as a PDF to suclubs@bournemouth.ac.uk.