Student Elections
Student elections for positions on University Council, Academic Senate and the Faculty Boards are conducted by the University Secretary as Returning Officer. The University has a range of opportunities for students to become involved in committees that contribute to the teaching, learning and the business of the University.
The student voice is an important voice in University matters and ensures that students are able to have a say in important decisions. The University seeks students for membership on committees who want to:
- meet new people;
- learn new skills; and
- effect change at the University.
Student who are elected to a committee need to attend meetings, read the meeting papers and be prepared to discuss items at meetings and share their perspective as a student.
Student representatives serve for a period of one year from 1 January to 31 December.
Joining such groups allows you to expand your network and is a great environment in which to learn the various skills which are invaluable once in the workforce, such as:
- team work
- negotiation
- leadership
- organisation
- financial management
- committee processes
- understanding of the importance of good governance for the effective running of an organisation
- understanding your role and responsibilities as a director or member of a board or Council
The long‐term benefits of the student governance experience have been proven in various studies that show:
- the positive impact of student involvement is evident in overall student excellence, leadership, job placement and potential job success
- the more a student gets involved in the academic life of an institution, the greater the acquisition of knowledge and development of skills
All students eligible to nominate for open positions are sent an email to their student email account at the beginning of each nomination period outlining the nomination process. You will need to fill in a nomination form and send it to the Student Elections team. The process is specified for each election period.
You will be advised of any elections in which you are eligible to vote via email. In the majority of cases, voting occurs through the 'Surveys' function in the myUON portal. This will be confirmed in each election. Your vote is always confidential.
Nomination Forms
Nomination forms are created for each election and can be found under the 'Current Elections' section.
Rules, Legislation and Resources
- University of Newcastle Act 1989
- University of Newcastle By-law 2017
- Governance Rule
- Council Charter
- Constitution of the Academic Senate
- Faculty Board Terms of Reference
- Code of Conduct
- University Annual Report
- NeW Futures Strategic Plan 2016-2025
Generation Governance
Generation Governance is an online resource for student leaders. It offers a free online governance course, and tips and tools for running a successful student organisation.
Current Student Elections
OUTCOME OF NOMINATIONS
NOTICE OF BALLOT
Nominations were called to elect students of the University to the Academic Senate for a one year term from 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2021.
At the close of the nomination period, a number of valid nominations were received and an electronic optional preferential ballot will be conducted to elect one student for the below position.
One undergraduate student to Academic Senate
The candidates in this election are (in alphabetical order):
- Ellie Fisher
- Ujjwal Singh Tanwar
- Emily Strauss
Candidate Statements
Candidate statements will be included as part of the electronic ballot and are available to view here.
Voting
All currently enrolled undergraduate and postgraduate students of the University are eligible to vote in this election. Students who are eligible to vote in this election will receive an email containing instructions on how to access the electronic ballot during the voting period.
Voting is open and will close at 5.00pm Friday 30 October 2020.
Publication of Results
The results will be available to view under the 'Recent Election Results' web page on the 2 November 2020.
Questions?
If you would like more information or have questions, please contact the Deputy Returning Officer, Council and Records Management.
Recent Election Results
Nominations were called for the student position to the University Council for a term of office from 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2021.
A ballot was held and the successful candidate is:
- Mr Lucas Dowling
Nominations were called for student positions on the Academic Senate for a term of office from 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2021.
The election results are below:
Academic Senate
| Position | Successful candidate |
|---|---|
| 1 x undergraduate student (Callaghan) | To be announced on 2 November 2020 |
| 1 x undergraduate student (other location) | Mr Kyle Johnson |
| 1 x postgraduate coursework student | Nil nominations received |
| 1 x postgraduate higher degree research student | Mr Evan Gibbs |
Nominations were called for student positions on the Faculty Boards for a term of office from 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2021.
The election results are below:
Faculty of Business and Law (FBUSL)
| Position | Successful candidate |
|---|---|
| 1 x undergraduate student | Mr David Kolarovski |
| 1 x postgraduate coursework student | Ms Jessica Duck |
| 1 x postgraduate higher degree research student | Nil nominations received |
Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment (FEBE)
| Position | Successful candidate |
|---|---|
| 1 x undergraduate student | Ms Sakshi Mehta |
| 1 x postgraduate coursework student | Ms Leya Joseph |
| 1 x postgraduate higher degree research student | Nil nominations received |
Faculty of Education and Arts (FEDUA)
| Position | Successful candidate |
|---|---|
| 1 x undergraduate student | Mr Ian Parsons |
| 1 x postgraduate coursework student | Nil nominations received |
| 1 x postgraduate higher degree research student | Mr Shakeel Mahmood |
Faculty of Health and Medicine (FHEAM)
| Position | Successful candidate |
|---|---|
| 1 x undergraduate student | Mr Jaskaran Bains |
| 1 x postgraduate coursework student | Nil nominations received |
| 1 x postgraduate higher degree research student | Ms Olivia Carroll |
Faculty of Science (FSCI)
| Position | Successful candidate |
|---|---|
| 1 x undergraduate student | Nil nominations received |
| 1 x postgraduate coursework student | Nil nominations received |
| 1 x postgraduate higher degree research student | Ms Catherine Dawson |
Questions?
Do you have questions relating to elections? Read the Student Elections – Frequently Asked Questions fact sheet.
Contact
Contact the Deputy Returning Officer, Council and Records Management for further information on elections@newcastle.edu.au