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Candidate pack So you’re thinking of standing for election?
Info and tips!
NUS Scotland Conference 2015
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NUS Scotland Candidate pack 2015
Contents
Introduction from NUS Scotland Director ........................................................ 02
Scottish Executive Committee role profiles ..................................................... 03
President .......................................................................................... 03
Vice President (Education) .................................................................. 04
Vice President (Communities) ............................................................. 05
Executive Representatives .................................................................. 06
Asylum and Refugee Officer ................................................................ 07
Scottish Procedures Committee ........................................................... 07
So what do I do now .................................................................................... 09
Key deadlines ............................................................................................. 09
Conditions of employment (full-time positions) ............................................... 10
Volunteer expenses guidance ........................................................................ 13
Campaigning tips from outgoing officers ........................................................ 16
Manifesto tips ............................................................................................. 17
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NUS Scotland Candidate pack 2015
Introduction
Thanks for showing interest in standing for election to NUS Scotland's President and Vice President
positions, and wider Scottish Executive Committee and Scottish Procedures Committee positions.
And thanks for taking the time to read this pack too. I hope you get the information you need, but
if you have any questions, please do get in touch and we'd be really happy to help.
NUS Scotland is without question one of the most influential voices in Scotland, ensuring that the
student voice is heard loud and clear by those with power. Our influence has delivered hugely for
students and students' associations in Scotland over the last few years, and NUS Scotland's elected
positions are absolutely crucial to continuing and building on that record, particularly with a Scottish
Parliament election in 2016.
The responsibility to keep that record going is clear, but also with that responsibility comes a great
opportunity to shape the country in which we live and to improve the world we live in. And you
won't be alone in doing so. NUS Scotland has some of the most talented staff of any organisation in
Scotland, and we will be here to support you in helping you to shape and deliver on your, and on
NUS Scotland members' priorities.
Before you go ahead and get your nominations and write your manifesto I'd suggest that you do
two things. Firstly, please read this document in full. Secondly, please get in touch and come in and
see the NUS Scotland office and staff. We're here to help you and will be more than happy to chat
to you about your plans and how they could be delivered.
Good luck and we hope to see you at Scotland Conference in March!
Russell Gunson
NUS Scotland Director
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NUS Scotland Candidate pack 2015
Scottish Executive Committee
Role profile descriptions
President
Role type: Full-time position with travel and reasonable expenses paid. Allowance of £22,837.
Duration: One year from 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016 with handover of two weeks from Monday
15 June.
Purpose: The NUS Scotland President is the chief spokesperson on issues that affect students in
Scotland students and will represent Scottish students to government ministers, national and local
media and the national and international communities.
The President leads on the NUS Scotland Priority Campaign, which is determined at NUS Scotland
Conference in March. In previous years the Priority Campaign has included issues such as access to
college and university, college and university funding, student finance, and how colleges and
universities are run.
Specific Responsibilities
Lead NUS Scotland’s Priority Campaign work, engaging with both internal and external
stakeholders
Provide accountability reports to Scottish Executive Committee
Provide reports to the National Executive Council and National Conference for note
Chair meetings of the Scottish Executive Committee
Attend meetings of NUS Scotland Charitable Services Board
Attend meetings of NUS UK National Executive Council
Member of a number of external committees
Engage with students’ associations and visit them regularly to maintain strong relationships
with members.
What do we expect from you?
Given the level of responsibility of the Full-Time Officer role, it is important that candidates are:
A positive advocate for NUS and the student movement, whilst constructively challenging
NUS to be a more effective organisation
A strong leader, committed to demonstrating and role-modelling the values of NUS
A credible, knowledgeable, and trustworthy voice on current trends and themes affecting
students
Dedicated to developing and maintaining strong working relationships with fellow NUS Full-
Time Officers, NUS staff, and external stakeholders
Proactive in engaging and interacting with the membership.
Please note that regular travel and out of hours work is also required in this role, however support
from NUS is available. Please also be aware that the successful candidate will be required to
undergo a DBS check (criminal records check). If you would like to discuss this further, please
contact [email protected].
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NUS Scotland Candidate pack 2015
What can you expect from us?
NUS provides an excellent package of support for Full-Time Officers, including:
A fully paid compulsory induction into your role, taking place 15 June to 1 July
A full-time allowance of £22,837
27 days of annual leave
A supportive environment to develop knowledge and skills, as well as professional
development opportunities
A buddy in the Senior Leadership Network to support you through your time with NUS
Flexible working conditions to support you in your role.
Current Post-holder
Gordon Maloney is the current NUS Scotland President and he can be contacted on
Vice-President (Education)
Role type: Full-time position with travel and reasonable expenses paid. Allowance of £22,837.
Duration: One year from 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016 with handover of two weeks from Monday
15 June.
Purpose: The NUS Scotland Vice-President (Education) supports the work of the NUS Scotland
President and will represent Scottish students to government ministers, national and local media
and the national and international communities.
Their portfolio of work is decided by the policies of NUS Scotland Conference. The Vice-President
(Education) takes the lead on NUS Scotland’s Education Campaign. This is all about the educational
part of the experience at college or university. They work to improve students’ experiences
throughout their education and to make sure students’ views can make a real difference to
decisions in their colleges and universities.
The NUS Scotland Vice President (Education) will work with NUS’ leadership network to input into
organisational strategy throughout their year in office.
Specific Responsibilities
Lead NUS Scotland’s Education Campaign work, engaging with both internal and external
stakeholders.
Provide accountability reports to Scottish Executive Committee
Attend meetings of the Scottish Executive Committee
Member of a number of external committees
Engage with students’ associations and visit them regularly to maintain strong relationships
with members.
What we expect from you?
Given the level of responsibility of the Full-Time Officer role, it is important that candidates are:
A positive advocate for NUS and the student movement, whilst constructively challenging
NUS to be a more effective organisation
A strong leader, committed to demonstrating and role-modelling the values of NUS
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NUS Scotland Candidate pack 2015
A credible, knowledgeable, and trustworthy voice on current trends and themes effecting
students
Dedicated to developing and maintaining strong working relationships with fellow NUS Full
Time Officers, NUS staff, and external stakeholders
Proactive in engaging and interacting with the membership.
Please note that regular travel and out of hours work is also required in this role, however support
from NUS is available. Please also be aware that the successful candidate will be required to
undergo a DBS check (criminal records check). If you would like to discuss this further, please
contact [email protected].
What can you expect from us?
NUS provides an excellent package of support for Full-Time Officers, including:
A fully paid compulsory induction into your role, taking place 15 June to 1 July
A full-time allowance of £22,837
27 days of annual leave
A supportive environment to develop knowledge and skills, as well as professional
development opportunities
A buddy in the Senior Leadership Network to support you through your time with NUS
Flexible working conditions to support you in your role.
The current NUS Scotland Vice-President (Education) is Robert Foster, and he can be contacted at
Vice President (Communities)
Role type: Voluntary unpaid with travel and reasonable expenses paid
Duration: One year from 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016
Purpose: The Vice-President (Communities) leads on the NUS Scotland Communities Campaign,
which is where NUS Scotland works to improve the lives of students as members of society.
Housing, the environment, health, unemployment, and social justice are examples of areas that
affect students, but that also offer opportunities for NUS Scotland and its members to directly affect
the country, or even the world, more generally.
For more information, contact this year’s Vice-President (Communities), Kirsty Haigh on
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NUS Scotland Candidate pack 2015
Executive Representatives
Role type: Voluntary unpaid with travel and reasonable expenses paid
Duration: One year from 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016
Purpose: The Scottish Executive Committee is responsible for overseeing the political work of the
organisation in between meetings of NUS Scotland Conference, scrutinising the work of the full-time
officers and making decisions that affect NUS Scotland as a whole.
Membership: There are eight Executive Representative members, elected in two blocks of four.
One block is reserved for women and two places in each block are reserved for delegates studying
at a college.
What’s involved?
Attend all Scottish Executive Committee meetings throughout the year
Produce work reports for Committee meetings as required and take an active part in
meetings to represent students
Prepare for committee meetings and read circulated papers in advance
Visit your assigned contact students’ associations throughout the year and update Full-Time
Officers and NUS Scotland staff on these visits
Attend associations’ freshers’ weeks and events as and when required
Attend NUS Scotland events throughout the year
Act as ambassadors for NUS Scotland and work with membership to create lasting and
robust relationships
Support NUS Scotland campaigns and activities through involvement and promotion to
membership
Attend SEC induction training
Abide by all NUS Group policies and regulations.
What does NUS expect of you?
NUS expects all volunteers to read and agree to follow the terms of:
NUS Code of Conduct
NUS Equality and Diversity statement
NUS Staff Protocol
NUS Social Media policy
What level of commitment is expected of me?
Activity Frequency Date/month
Attend all SEC meetings
throughout the year
At least six per year To be confirmed
Visit your assigned contact
students’ associations
No more than 2 per month.
Communicate by email no less
than once a month
Ongoing throughout the year
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NUS Scotland Candidate pack 2015
Attend associations’
Fresher’s Week and events
as and when required
No more than 4 Fresher’s fayres
over the period
August-October
Attend NUS Scotland events
throughout the year
Three core events per year The Gathering: August 2015
Zone Conference: November
2015
NUS Scotland Conference:
March 2016
Attend SEC induction
training
Once a year 2 day residential in June/July 2015
Asylum and Refugee Officer
Role type: Voluntary unpaid with travel and reasonable expenses paid
Duration: One year from 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016
Purpose: To represent students who are asylum seekers or refugees at NUS democratic events; to
campaign for the rights of asylum seekers and refugees; to challenge misleading or racist
information which may be circulated about asylum seekers or refugees wherever possible; and to
work with external bodies to improve the lives of asylum seeker and refugee students as required.
What does NUS expect of you?
NUS expects all volunteers to read and agree to follow the terms of:
NUS Code of Conduct
NUS Equality and Diversity statement
NUS Staff Protocol
NUS Social Media policy
Scottish Procedures Committee
Role type: Voluntary unpaid with travel and reasonable expenses paid
Duration: One year from end of NUS Scotland Conference in March 2015 until end of Conference in
March 2016.
Purpose: The Scottish Procedures Committee is responsible for running NUS Scotland Conference
and the policy process, and has the power to govern and interpret all matters relating to democratic
procedures except elections.
There are four members of Scottish Procedures Committee and they are elected at NUS Scotland
Conference by voting delegates.
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NUS Scotland Candidate pack 2015
What does NUS expect of you?
NUS expects all volunteers to read and agree to follow the terms of:
NUS Code of Conduct
NUS Equality and Diversity statement
NUS Staff Protocol
NUS Social Media policy
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NUS Scotland Candidate pack 2015
What do I do now?
If you decide you want to stand for a position at NUS Scotland Conference you should:
Note the key dates and deadlines
Read CD6 Election rules as well as the nomination form. These can be found on the Conference webpage here
Collect your nominations (as per the rules!)
Prepare a manifesto (Full-time officer positions have two A4 sides, volunteer positions have
one side)
Get your nominations and manifesto to the NUS Scotland office by the deadline
After close of nominations you will:
For full-time officer positions
Have your candidacy confirmed by Monday 16 February
Have your manifesto and nominations put online and circulated to delegates
Be invited to a candidates’ briefing, which you are expected to attend
Be invited to record a video manifesto
Be asked to give a speech at Conference
Take part in a question time for that position at Conference
For volunteer positions
o Have your candidacy confirmed by Wednesday 4 March
o Have your manifesto and nominations put online and circulated to delegates
o Be invited to a candidates’ briefing which you are expected to attend
o Be asked to give a speech at Conference
o Take part in a question time for that position at Conference
Key dates and deadlines
Monday 5 January Nominations open
Friday 13 February at 17:00 Nominations close – President and Vice President
(Education)
[Nominations and manifestos to be submitted by this
deadline]
Monday 16 February Confirmation of candidacy (by this date)
Monday 2 March at 17:00 Nominations close – Vice President (Communities);
Executive Representatives; Asylum and Refugee Officer
[Nominations and manifestos to be submitted by this
deadline]
Wednesday 4 March Confirmation of candidacy (by this date)
Date to be confirmed Full-time officer candidates’ briefing
Volunteer positions candidates’ briefing
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NUS Scotland Candidate pack 2015
Conditions of employment – Full-time positions
All new full-time officers are required to sign the following agreement outlining all the conditions of
employment:
It is agreed:
You will hold office as a person elected under the Constitution of NUS and throughout tenure of
office will subject to the Regulations, Standing Orders and Byelaws for the time being in force.
As an NUS Full Time Officer you will have the following entitlements and responsibilities and be
subject to the following terms and conditions:
1. Remuneration
a. NUS will pay a sum of (Officer Allowance) per annum inclusive of Inner London
Weighting on 21st of each month to NUS Full Time Officers for services rendered and
pay expenses as agreed by Finance Committee.
b. This remuneration will be paid subject to Tax and National Insurance.
c. NUS may deduct any amount lawfully owed to the NUS from any payments due to the
officer, being remuneration or otherwise.
d. A formal induction period of two weeks will take place, and you will receive two weeks
equivalent allowance for this.
2. Mobile Phone
a. As an NUS Full Time Officer you will provided with an NUS work mobile phone (Windows Lumina Phone) to be used for all NUS Business. The mobile package includes free calls to landlines and other NUS mobiles. Mobile users who need to take their NUS mobile abroad for work purposes, must inform IT so that an appropriate data bundle can be applied to reduce international call/data costs to NUS.
b. You will be expected to adhere to the NUS Group Mobile phone Use guidelines.
3. Induction
a. An induction will take place during the initial period before and during office for all NUS Full Time Officers. The aim of the induction will be to induct NUS Full Time Officers into the organization and their roles.
4. Mentors
a. NUS may offer staff mentors to new NUS Full Time Officers. Mentors should help new NUS Full Time Officers to become familiar with the procedures and processes of NUS. The mentor should answer queries and assist in the induction and orientation of the new NUS Full Time Officer.
5. Holiday Entitlement a. You will be entitled to 27 days leave a year. The holiday period for NUS Full Time
Officers is from 1st July to 30th June. You will not be reimbursed for unused holiday.
Christmas closure
b. NUS Offices close for 4 days over the Christmas period. 6. Sick Pay entitlement
a. You will be entitled to up to 1 months paid sick leave a year. After 4 weeks, you will receive 2 months' half pay, and then revert to Statutory Sick Pay unless you are a
second year officer in which case this rises to 1 months full pay and 2 months half pay 7. Pension
a. In line with statutory requirements, NUS will designate a Stakeholder Pension Scheme for which you will be eligible for membership.
8. Maternity, Paternity and Parental leave a. Maternity, Paternity and Parental leave will be granted in line with the relevant statutory
provisions, except that:
Where the statutory qualifying conditions are met, the first sixteen weeks of maternity leave will be paid in full, followed by twelve weeks at 50% before reverting to statutory.
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NUS Scotland Candidate pack 2015
Where the statutory qualifying conditions are met, the first two weeks of paternity
leave will be paid in full followed by two weeks at 75%. 9. Season Ticket Loan
a. This is an interest free loan repayable on such terms agreed when the loan is granted. Forms are available from the finance department.
10. Childcare Allowance a. Allowance per child under 5 yrs = £120pcm; per child 5 to 12 yrs = £35pcm. Payments
will be at pro-rata for part-time staff. Clearer information will be provided to staff regarding the use and benefits of Childcare Vouchers. A process will be introduced to
ensure that where staff can benefit from utilising vouchers they must do so, and can then claim Childcare Allowance to ‘top up’ their benefit to £120pcm.
11. Expenses a. All expenses will be in line with NUS’s latest rates. b. All expenses and campaign expenditure must be budgeted for the year ahead, and
agreed by the NEC. Payment will be authorised when expenses are presented in accordance with procedure and payment is conditional upon production of such receipts
within two months from the date the expense is incurred. c. If expenses of whatever description are incurred on behalf of NUS without authorisation,
express or implied, and without following the due financial procedures, NUS reserves the right to recover such sum from you personally.
12. Disclosure and Barring Service Check a. As part of this agreement, and prior to you taking office, this post requires an enhanced
Disclosure and Barring Service Check disclosure in accordance with the attached
polices. All convictions (spent or otherwise) must be declared. 13. Officer Code of Conduct
a. NUS expect that NUS Full Time Officers abide by the Code of Conduct: Act in accordance with the policies, codes and protocols set out in Clause 16 of this
agreement. Conduct themselves in a dignified manner.
Respect the confidentiality of NUS. Be responsible for carrying out the policy and mandates of NUS and work with NUS
when planning events and campaigns where NUS name is used. Acknowledge that NUS Full Time Officers may be required to work unsociable
hours including evenings and /or weekends. Abide by NUS rules regarding working time, the use of office premises and use of
equipment.
Be bound by any byelaw the Executive may enact the Constitution governing the execution of its duties.
Acknowledge that the office holder may be removed from office under the provisions of the constitution.
14. Employment within NUS a. Elected NUS Full Time Officers are not eligible to apply for staff posts for a period of 5
years from the end of their term of elected office.
15. Copyright a. Copyright, database rights, design rights and any other intellectual property rights in
any materials in any medium produced by you in your capacity as an elected NUS Full Time Officer shall belong to NUS and you must return all such materials and any copies in your possession to NUS on request. You shall only use the NUS logo when authorized in line with NUS brand guidelines in respect of NUS and NUS-related matters.
16. Policies, Codes, Protocols a. By virtue of your election, the following policies, codes and protocols, as administered
by NUS, outline your responsibilities and rights (copies attached):
NUS Mission, Vision and Values Code of Conduct Safeguarding Policy Recruitment & Selection Policy
Staff Protocol Health & Safety Policy Car Fleet Policy Expenses Policy Homeworking Policy Alcohol and Drugs Policy
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NUS Scotland Candidate pack 2015
Staff Volunteering Policy
Social Media Policy Staff Protocol
Events Protocol Press and Public Affairs Protocol
17. Equal Opportunities and the No Platform Policy a. The No Platform Policy ("the Policy") adopted and revised from time to time by National
Conference in pursuance of these clauses, no elected officer may Advocate racist or fascist views; or
Be a member of any racist or fascist organisation (as defined by the NUS) ("the Policy prohibitions")
b. By signing this agreement, you confirm that you are not in breach of either or both of the Policy prohibitions. A false confirmation, or any subsequent breach of either of the Policy prohibitions, will have the effect of bringing this agreement to an end and lead to your removal from office by the appropriate procedure. For the avoidance of doubt, while any such procedure is being implemented, you will be suspended from office.
18. Internet Profiles (“Blogs”) a. It is the expectation of NUS that the terms of this Agreement will include, but are not
limited to, the content and administration of elected officers' blogs. NUS reserves the right to delete blogs which are contrary to the terms of this Agreement or which expose NUS to any form of legal liability.
19. Breach of Agreement a. Any substantial breach of this Agreement may constitute a disciplinary offence and may
result in removal from office. NUS has the right to terminate any or all entitlements under this agreement, as a result of such breach, as well as the use of NUS facilities and equipment, following the due process procedures and codes for the time being in force.
b. Such disciplinary action will not affect your elected office unless you are democratically removed from office.
20. Cessation of office a. If, for any reason, you cease to hold office, all entitlements under this agreement will
automatically cease at the same time. 21. Return of NUS property
a. Upon leaving office or termination of this agreement (or any part thereof) for whatever reason, all NUS property including (but not limited to) documentation, materials,
papers, keys and security fobs in your possession must be returned to the National
President. 22. Legal responsibility and financial prudence
a. By signing this agreement, you are agreeing not to bring the organisation’s reputation into disrepute, act illegally in your capacity as a full time officer, and will act with financial prudence.
23. Jurisdiction a. This agreement shall be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the law of
England and Wales and shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts for the settlement of any disputes arising in relation to this agreement whether in respect of its validity, interpretation, application, termination or otherwise
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NUS Scotland Candidate pack 2015
Volunteer Expenses Guidance
[May be subject to amendment for 2015-16]
We recognise that many of our volunteers have to make financial outlays for NUS purposes. We are grateful for this and don’t want you to be out of pocket for longer than necessary so have set out our expenses procedure below.
Following the guidelines below will prevent any inconvenience and make sure you get your
reimbursement as quickly as possible.
It’s up to you to complete expenses claim regularly and within three months of the expenditure
being incurred. Claims of more than 3 months old will not be processed and you will lose the right
to reclaim.
You will need to provide original VAT receipts or invoices to support each expenses claim (except
where non-receipted claims are accepted). You may also be asked to provide more information to
validate your claim. If you don’t manage to provide all the documentation requested your
reimbursement might not be processed.
Expenses payments will be paid into the bank or building society account you have provided details
for on the 17th or 30th of every month. The dates are subject to change due to weeks or bank
holidays. Our finance team will email you to advise you when the payment has been processed.
If you have any questions regarding expenses, please get in touch with your staff point of contact in
the first instance.
Travel Expenses
Travel by public transport
Travel by public transport should be booked through the NUS system. Please visit
http://www.nusconnect.org.uk/travel/
You can claim back any local transport fares by providing the ticket/ticket receipt for your journey.
Travel by taxi
You can claim back any taxi fares, provided you attach a receipt.
Travel by privately owned car
Where a volunteer uses their own car for work purposes they must ensure that their personal car
insurance policy included cover for business use.
If an individual’s own car is used, a mileage rate of 45p will be paid for the first 10,000 miles. After
this, 25p per mile will be paid. Please note that the total claim for any journey made by car
(including mileage rate, parking, toll fees, congestion charges etc.) should not exceed the standard
class rail fare. If it does, the payment will be limited to the standard class rail fare.
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NUS Scotland Candidate pack 2015
You may claim an additional 5p per mile for each passenger carried, where the passenger is a fellow
volunteer making the same business trip.
Where volunteers incur parking costs away from their normal office whilst travelling on NUS
business, NUS will reimburse all expenses. All claims must be fully receipted. NUS will not
reimburse parking fines for other motoring-related offences.
Motorcycles and bicycles
NUS will also pay allowances for business journeys undertaken using motorcycles (24p per mile)
and bicycles (20p per mile).
Accommodation & subsistence
Accommodation
Accommodation should be booked through the NUS system. Please visit
http://www.nusconnect.org.uk/travel/
If you organise your own accommodation (for example, you stay with a friend), you can claim back
a £25 allowance from NUS.
Subsistence
You are entitled to claim reasonable expenses for refreshments which may include meals, snacks
and drinks (non-alcoholic). Before 6am, you can claim up to £5 for breakfast. After 8pm you can
claim £20 for dinner with receipts or £15 non-receipted.
Our daily amounts set out the maximum you can claim if you are on NUS business during the day.
If you are at an NUS event for between 5-10 hours (including travel), you can claim up to £8 with
receipts or up to £5 without receipts. If you are at an NUS event for more than 10 hours (including
travel), you can claim up to £17.50 with receipts or up to £10 without receipts. If you are
claiming a non-receipted amount, please only claim for what you have actually spent.
Expenses claim form
You’ll need to complete an expense form to claim back your expenses. You should attach any
associated receipts to the form and then send it to your volunteer manager. Below are some tips
on completing the form – you’ll find an example of a completed form on the next page:
Please ensure that this form is completed fully and clearly, in BLOCK capitals Please ensure that all receipts associated with the expense claim are securely
attached to the form Please ensure that you fill in the department number of your expense claim (a list
of all codes can be found on the form) – for example, if you are a member of the International Students’ Committee, you would claim under the code 300 or if you are a member of the Society & Citizenship Zone Committee, claim under the code 160. If you are unsure of which code you should claim under, please contact your staff point of contact before returning the form.
Please provide the details of the bank account you would like the money paid into Please ensure you sign the form and provide your name and email address in case
we need to contact you regarding the expense claim Please ensure that you return your completed form as soon as possible after the
expenditure has occurred. Claims made after 3 months will not be processed.
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NUS Scotland Candidate pack 2015
Rates table (for year 2014-15)
Type of Expense Rate
Mileage – car < 10,000 miles £0.45
Mileage – car > 10,000 miles £0.25
Mileage – motorbike £0.24
Mileage – pushbike £0.20
Breakfast <6am Up to £5
Late evening meal >8pm (no receipt) Up to £15
Late evening meal >8pm (receipted) Up to £20
Out of office 5-10 hours (no receipt) Up to £5
Out of office 5-10 hours (receipted) Up to £5
Out of office >10 hours (receipted) Up to £17.50
Organised own accommodation £25
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NUS Scotland Candidate pack 2015
Campaigning tips from outgoing officers
Put loads and loads of thought into your manifesto!
You won’t win an election by just being everybody’s mate, you need to present a clear vision for
what you want the organisation to do. No waffle, no buzz words, no empty promises – you need a
clear strategy for what you want to do, and what you want to do needs to be good!
Speak to as many delegates as possible
Be really, really bold!
NUS is a phenomenal organisation with an incredible record of success, remember that when you’re
working out what we do. Don’t think “let’s see what compromises we can get” and do think “how
can we blow the balloons who are in our way out of the water”.
Don’t panic and breathe when giving speeches!
Say what you really think!
If you just try to fill your manifesto with promises you’ve made to get elected, it will be rubbish and
so will you. Work out what you believe and commit to that, then go about persuading people that
that’s what we should do. By all means, be collaborative and chat to people, but you need to
present a coherent vision, not a mish-mash of lip-service.
Know your facts, as you’ll be asked to back up your claims with proof
Make good use of Social Media
(But not too much that you become a pain!)
Have 2-3 big campaign issues
(Don’t try and please everyone with lots of small issues) ENJOY YOURSELF!!
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NUS Scotland Candidate pack 2015
Your name
The position you are running for
Who are you – where are you studying/are you an officer at your institution?
What skills you have
Any relevant experience
Why you think you are the best candidate
What will you aim to achieve if elected?
Be concise and use clear language
Be relevant
Don’t promise things you won’t be able to achieve
Be positive
Be respectful to other candidates
Use easy to read font
Keep to two A4 sides for full-time positions, and one side for volunteer positions
Submit it on time!!
Vote for me because.......
Experience
Skills
Aims
Policies
Your manifesto should include:
National Union of Students Scotland
1 Papermill Wynd
McDonald Road
Edinburgh EH7 4QL
t: 0131 556 6598
w: www.nusconnect.org.uk