About the elections

On this page you can find out what a Sabbatical officer is, why you should become one, and how you can become a Sabb.

What?

Each year, there are six jobs on offer to students at the University of Portsmouth. These are known as 'Sabbatical' positions and can be taken either during your studies or after you have graduated.

Why?

If you are lucky enough to land one of these sought-after jobs, you will get a healthy salary and a complete training package which will prepare you to make decisions and operate at the highest level of the University administration.

You will also get the chance to make changes to ensure that current and future students get the best possible experience both socially and academically.

Who?

You will be supported in your time by a team of permanent staff who can show you new skills and management techniques as well as basics like first aid, managing budgets and using business software.

How?

The thing is - you can't just apply for these jobs! Since you are essentially working on behalf of the 18,000 students at Portsmouth, you have to convince them that you are worth it. You will have to undergo an election process to demonstrate that you have got what it takes to survive in politics.

You will need to decide which area you want to specialise in, then come up with a manifesto detailing why you are the best candidate. You will be questioned on your proposals alongside your opponents, and asked to demonstrate some of the skills that you will certainly require to be an effective Sabbatical Officer.

When?

If you think you have what it takes to represent, support, communicate and fight for the rights of students - read on. Make sure you register by Monday 19th February for the elections this March - it could change your life.

At this stage, we are just giving notice of the elections; the official launch date is Monday 29th January when the whole election pack will be available to pick up from the Union or download from here.

Between then and now, we will be releasing some of the documents to give you a chance to consider which of the six sabbatical positions you might be interested in.

Explore

All the details can be found here on the Union's website. Browse this Elections mini-site using the menu to the left to find job descriptions, download the candidate pack, and to memorise all the dates.

Not a fan of the interweb? You can also pick up a printed candidate pack from the Copy Shop.

Work

Once you get all the info, you will need to compose your manifesto, design your campaign and complete a list of questions. A £10 returnable deposit will register your intention to run as a candidate, and the closing date is Monday 19th February.

Perform

A lot of your job will be carried out under the gaze of public scrutiny - question time will test your ability to handle speaking in public and introduce you to the voters.

Be seen

Once voting starts, being visible makes all the difference in getting those crucial votes. Voting takes place between Wednesday 14th and Friday 16th of March - best of luck.