On this page

• Introduction
• What is a manifesto?
• Writing a manifesto
• Candidates' Question & Answer session
• Example manifesto
• Manifesto additions
• Questions
• Word associations
• Favourite quote & most-admired person
• Position-specific questions and word associations
• President
• Media & Publications Officer
• Sports Officer
• Education & Representation
• Student Support Officer
• Student Activities & Development Officer
• Submitting your manifesto

Introduction

So, you know which position you wish to run for, what it’s like to work at the Union and the schedule of events for the election. The next thing to figure out is what you wish to achieve in the role you have chosen.

As a democratically elected representative of the student population, you have a great deal of freedom to shape the future of the Union and the student experience at Portsmouth – so time to get thinking about what you would like to achieve.

What is a manifesto?

A manifesto is simply a brief summary of your ambitions - this will set out what you want to achieve in your term of office. To make your goals achievable there are a couple of considerations you will need to take into account.

Time

If you are elected you will have just 12 months to achieve your objectives, but the most effective time to make an impact on the student population is during the first few weeks of term in October.

Bearing this in mind, some of your most important objectives will need to be achieved with the first 3 months of your employment, which begins in August.

Money

By the time you are elected, the budgets for the forthcoming year will have already been set and approved by the previous year’s officers and the permanent staff.

There is a degree of flexibility in the budgets and you will be able to shape the activities within your role. However because money will have been allocated into specific areas, you will need to appreciate these when forming your goals.

Writing a Manifesto

The manifestos for all candidates will be collected together and published into a candidate profile booklet, which voters will use to decide who to vote for.

Manifestos must be 400 words MAXIMUM in length – additional words will be removed without further consultation.

Each entry will also hold a picture of the candidate, the answers to some simple questions and your word associations (see section 5) that are designed to give the voter an insight into you.

Each position is very different from the next. Compose your manifesto carefully as it will help you greatly if you are passionate about the area in which you are standing. In section 4 of this document you will find an example manifesto that will help to get you started - please treat this as a very loose example; if you try and emulate it too closely voters will spot it.

Make your manifesto your own, and try and remember what you would want to read if you were a voter.

For example, what would you want your President to do for you? What would make you vote for President X over President Y?

Candidates' Question & Answer Session 

There will be an informal question & and answer session with the current Sabbatical Officers which will enable you to test out your ideas for a manifesto, either publicly or privately.

There will also be a compulsory candidates briefing, with the University Vice Chancellor in attendance, which should answer any remaining questions you may have that hasn’t been covered in this pack and introduce you to the wider range of responsibilities (see the elections dates page for details).

Example Manifesto

This manifesto below (indicated in italics) was used several years ago to campaign for the position of General Secretary, a position which is now defunct since a re-organisation (so there's no point copying it!).

Study the requirements for the position you are interested in instead, and gear your manifesto around that:

Hi, my name is XXXXXXXXXX I'm a final year XXXXXXXX student and I'm running for the position of General Secretary. I have been a member of several clubs and societies and the treasurer of the XXXXXXXXXXX team. I am currently liaising with coaches from the Royal Navy for help in producing a 7's team and possible clash of the codes matches. 

Why me?

I am passionate about student life and I believe that your days at University should be some of the best days of your life. I aim to be open and be able to keep you informed with what is happening with your union.

The next year or so is going to be an exciting time with the beginning of the construction of the new student union. I hope to see that the transition to the new student union runs as smoothly as possible.

If elected as General Secretary I intend to:

• Be approachable and open to suggestions and comments by all.

• Make sure that with all the changes that are coming that you stay in control.

• See a greater input of ideas from a broader range people so that your union is run in the fairest way possible.

So What Now?

All you have to do now is go down to the question time listen to the speeches and make up your mind and on XXXXXX go to one of the polling stations and cast your vote. Make a difference, vote XXXXXX.

Manifesto additions

Your manifesto will be published in a ‘Candidate’s Profile’ alongside all the other candidates so that voters have chance to compare you side by side.

In addition, you need to answer a series of questions, complete a word association and list a well-known person you most admire. The lists specific for each position can be found below.

Questions

When answering your questions remember that some voters do take your answers seriously so try not to make all your answers funny.

Remember that you need to stand out amongst all the other candidates that may be running against you so use your initiative.

Answers to questions must be a maximum of 50 words each.

Word Associations

For word associations, be creative. You have the freedom to come across however you see fit: witty, creative, intelligent, honest.

Word associations are strictly one-word answers.

Favourite quote and most-admired person

Space is tight – please keep quotes down to a sensible level, and try not pick someone too obscure for your most admired person, or you may come across as a bit odd!

Position-specific questions and word associations

President

Questions

• What do you see as the primary role of the Students’ Union President to be?
• What do you see as the main purpose for the Students’ Union?
• What role does NUS play in Students’ Unions?
• Why do you want to be President?
• How would you guarantee that the voice of the students is always heard and acted upon?
• When representing students you must…
• As a sabbatical networking is essential and important, what is you rbest ‘networking line’?

Word association

• Union
• Freshers
• Meetings
• Accounts
• Management

Media and Publications Officer (MAPO)

Questions

• What do you envisage the role of the Media and publications Officer to be?
• Communication with the student body lies solely with this position. 
• What in your opinion is the best way to communicate with the student body?
• Why are you attracted to Media?
• How would you expand on the success of Pugwash, Pugwash News, Pure FM and upsu.net?
• Who is the best communicator of all time and why?
• This position becomes much easier with student participation.  How do you plan on getting students involved in your ideas?
• What experience have you gained so far in Media?
• As a sabbatical networking is essential and important, what is your best ‘networking line’?

Word association

• Media
• Communication
• Paper
• Design
• Funding

Sports Officer

Questions

• What do you envisage the role of the Sports Officer to be?
• The most important part of this role is to manage to sports budget, how would you decide how to divide the money and ensure that it’s done fairly?
• Our AU is one of the best in the UK when it comes to participation and commitment.  How would you continue to improve this?
• To be a great Sports Officer you need to be…
• Which club most resembles you and why?
• What experience do you have that might suit you to this role?
• As a sabbatical networking is essential and important, what is your best ‘networking line’?

Word association

• Budget
• Songs
• Naked
• Tour
• Sportos

Education And Representation

Questions

• What do you envisage the role of the Education and Representation Officer to be?
• Do you believe that meetings are the most efficient way of achieving things and why?
• What qualities do you have that would aid you in the role of Education and Representation?
• As the Education and Representation Officer you will be responsible for Course Reps. What ideas do you have that will enhance this structure?
• Part of your role is dealing with disciplinaries for the Students Union. 
• What would be your top three rules for behaviour?
• What experience do you have that might suit you to this role?
• If you could invent a course what would it be and why?
• What is the most useful thing you have been taught during your education?
• As a sabbatical networking is essential and important, what is your best ‘networking line’?

Word association

• Course
• Problems
• Committees
• Paper work
• Discipline

Student Support Officer

Questions

• What do you envisage the role of the Student Support Officer to be?
• Why should students vote for you as their Student Support officer?
• What is the most important thing to remember when supporting students?
• What do you think are the most important issues that you would have to fight for as the Student Support Officer?
• As the Students Support Officer it's your responsibility to run the Union campaigns. What would be your top three campaigns and why?
• Part of your role is to organise Union Council. How do you intend to improve and enhance this so that more students attend?
• What would be your main agenda item at the Unions AGM?
• A major part of your portfolio is Raising and Giving (RAG). What ideas do you have for building upon the RAG foundations?
• As a Sabbatical Officer, networking is essential and important; what is your best networking line?

Word association

• Support
• Welfare
• Campaigns
• Elections
• RAG

Student Activities and Development Officer (SADO)

Questions

• What do you envisage the role of the SADO to be?
• What experience do you have that might suit you to this role?
• This position becomes much easier with student participation. How do you plan on getting students involved in your ideas?
• Why is volunteering important and why should students get involved?
• Societies are also another huge part of this role. If you could invent your own society what would it be and why?
• What qualities do you have that make you the best Union SADO?
• As a Sabbatical Officer, networking is essential and important; what is your best networking line?

Word association

• Charity
• Volunteering
• Development
• Diversity
• Funding

Submitting your manifesto

Your manifesto, question answers, word associations, favourite quote and your most admired person should be submitted as a single document in both printed and electronic format.

• All original hardcopies must have the candidates name, position, and type clearly visible on the front. E.g. “Joseph Bloggs, President, Manifesto”
• Electronic documents should likewise be titled with the candidate's name, position and title, e.g “Joseph Bloggs Manifesto.doc”.

Only Microsoft Word and plain-text documents can be accepted. Should you choose to type your answers in a different word processor, please save your file as plain text. Such documents should then be titled “Joseph Bloggs Manifesto.txt”.

Submission of electronic documents should be made on a CDrom that is readable by a PC. Macintosh users should ensure that a correct format is selected, and that file extensions are added to document names as above.

Floppy disks and USB sticks are acceptable if access to a CD writer is not available.