Apply To Be a School Officer

APPLY TO BE A SCHOOL OFFICER 2023/24

Applications are OPEN! Apply here.

Role Description

What is a School Officer?

School Officers represent the student voice for each undergraduate department at Heriot-Watt University. There are 24 School Officers in total, who represent the views of every year group in their department and work together to tackle issues that are faced by students across the whole of their School. To do this, School Officers act as team leaders for all the Class Reps for each year group in their department and work closely with staff in their School and the Student Union.

What do we look for in a School Officer?

The role of School Officer is an important one, but we don’t expect you to be able to do everything straight away! You’ll have lots of support throughout the year from Student Union staff, University staff and other School Officers and School MPs to find your feet and become an amazing leader!

You will learn a lot in the role, but we are looking for a few key qualities that are essential to being a successful School Officer.

You will need to be able to gather the opinion of a wide range of students on your course through leading the Class Reps in your department. This means you should be a confident communicator, approachable and friendly, and be able to actively listen to a range of views and decide what appropriate action to take.

You will need to be organised and able to manage your time well around multiple commitments. You should be able to analyse information, see the bigger picture and present thoughts clearly verbally and in written reports. The Union will help you develop confidence and negotiation skills during School Officer training.

You will be attending a wide range of meetings including some with senior university staff. Change can come slowly in universities and there are always many things to consider when making a decision, so you must be able to strike a balance between advocating for students, while being patient and diplomatic to ensure you come to realistic and achievable solutions.

Overall, the biggest quality we are looking for is a clear passion and enthusiasm for improving academic life at Heriot-Watt by working in partnership with students and staff!

Why apply to be a school officer?

The role is a big responsibility and can take up to 40 hours a semester to fulfil. However, the University acknowledges that this is a substantial commitment and pays £150 twice a year as an honorarium.
Develop essential transferable skills through training and ongoing support; including meeting skills, policy development, negotiation, problem-solving, team working, volunteer management and communication skills.
Be one of the first to find out what is going on in your School and become familiar with senior University staff.
Help to make things better for your fellow classmates and students in general. BE THE CHANGE!
Be part of the decision-making processes of the Union and in particular helping to shape the policies on academic issues.
Be part of the wider volunteer team within the Union and benefit from its Volunteer Support Programme – this includes exclusive events, merchandise and the Volunteer Awards.

APPLICATIONS CLOSE ON THE 14 TH APRIL 2023 AT 9AM

HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT SUBMITTING A GREAT APPLICATION?

If you have any questions regarding the application or the role, please don't hesitate to reach out to Alba, our Representation and Democracy Coordinator.

ROLE DESCRIPTION

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Apply To Be a School Officer