You have been elected as a student representative, congrats! You might be a class representative on the Student Representative Team or a Curtin University student representative!
What does it genuinely mean to be a representative? You shouldn’t take it lightly. You’re not there to further your own interests or enhance your own image. It is your responsibility to express the concerns of the students you represent and work towards achieving their goals. You must have a clear idea of what you want to accomplish in the position, a strategy for doing so, and the time to achieve it. Your schedule should include opportunities to interact with the students you represent, attend meetings, gather information, and report back.
A good representative should be able to spot problems in the classroom and be always alert for matters that should be brought to the Student Council’s attention. Being a competent representative entails staying in touch with what the students want at all times. It also occasionally entails defending decisions and negotiating them with the heads.
Being a member of the Student Representative Team involves more than just occasionally getting together to brainstorm. In order to accurately portray various points of view and perspectives, you should endeavour to maintain an impartial perspective on what is significant to all students. The most effective method to achieve this is to regularly ask students what they want to happen at your University.
How to win a student election?
The best way to win a student election is to follow the advice of previous successful candidates. But remember that the more demanding roles will require greater preparation.
- Believe that you’re the best person for the job – Have confidence in yourself and truly believe in what you stand for if you want people to vote for you. If you don’t believe you can win, nobody else will.
- Organise your manifesto – Know in advance what your campaign will focus on. This involves combining your personal beliefs with those of your peers. Figure out your ‘brand’ and capitalise on your unique selling points. Keep the message simple and recruit a good support team.
- Practice public speaking – You’ll be doing plenty of this before and during your tenure, so it’s important to hone your communication abilities. Take up every opportunity to practice speaking in front of an audience – be this through course assignments, work presentations, or hobbies.
- Be visible – If you want to win an election you need to be recognisable to student voters. Get out and about on campus – chat with students face-to-face.
- Don’t overpromise – Be realistic and honest throughout the campaign and avoid making promises that can’t be kept. If you need a bit of guidance on what’s plausible speak to current union officers.
If you are interested in becoming a student representative or would be interested in talking to one of the committee members and officers at Curtin, then visit the link below to learn more!
