Big Student Elections coming up
Over the next few weeks there will be elections in the city to find a new batch of student leaders in the Big Student Elections.
Student leaders and MSPs came together to launch the biggest-ever campaign to be held in the capital.
Around 70,000 students from Edinburgh College, Edinburgh Napier University, Queen Margaret University and Heriot Watt University will each vote for their choice of future student leaders in the Big Student Elections. Launching the elections campaign with the student officers from each college and universities’ students’ associations and unions were Cara Hilton MSP from Labour, Colin Beattie MSP from the SNP and Liam McArthur MSP from the Liberal Democrats.
Edinburgh College’s student president, Jeroen van Herk said: “It was fantastic to have the support of MSPs at the launch of the Big Student Elections. With the groundswell of democratic participation we’ve seen over the last year, I’m sure our students will be champing at the bit to vote.”
“As our institutions are responsible for spending hundreds of millions of pounds, it’s vital that we have strong student representation to ensure that these funds are used in the best interests of students. When students cast their vote, the Student Officers they elect will have a massive impact on the students’ time in education – whether it’s negotiating with management, campaigning with other colleges and universities, or lobbying the government and MSPs.”
The nominations process for sabbatical officer candidates to put themselves up for election at each college or university opened following yesterday’s launch event, and polling will open on Monday 9 March. Students will have the opportunity to vote for their representatives up to the 13th March, and the results will be announced at a party in Edinburgh’s ‘La Belle Angele’ that evening.