By Beds SU
Wednesday, 19 March 2025
What a fortnight it has been in this year’s Student Elections! We saw eight students in the running for our two Student Campaigns Lead roles and 22 students campaigning for your votes and the opportunity to take on one of four part-time Student Champion roles, focused on supporting the needs of students within their faculty.
The candidates worked hard alongside members of the SU to ensure students had the information they needed to vote and the know how to do so. And vote you did! We are delighted that 1,302 students turned out to vote,16% of our student members and a total of 8,776 votes were cast. We also welcomed a 2% voter turnout increase in Bedford up from 9.4% to 11%.
By voting, students alone decided the outcome of the election. You have chosen the 2025/26 Student Affairs Committee and the initial priorities they will work on throughout their time in office.
Please welcome and congratulate your elected team for 2025/26:
Student Campaigns Lead 2025/26
Caius Hamilton (Home)
Hauwa Ataja (International)
In these full-time positions Caius and Hauwa will focus on working for students across the institution to lead on student interests and deliver on the Student Priorities.
Student Champions 2025/26
Representing students across the four faculties are:
Shrook - ESS
Nifemi Ogundola - HSS
Sabiha Fatima – UBBS
Mohan Malik – CATS
Each of these students will take on the responsibilities of working for students in their course, department and school experiences*. Each Student Champion will work in a part-time capacity alongside their studies, working as a collective and with the Student Campaigns Leads to deliver against the needs of students across all campuses here at UoB.
The team will take up the mantle from your current Sabbatical Officers (Seyi Lowo and Chidera Umeh) and Faculty Officers (Ayesha Chowdhury, Cleo Morris, Loredana Ancutei and Benedicta Ekwoh Mbum) with your Student Campaigns Leads starting in July and Student Champions from September.
Until then don’t forget you can reach out and keep up to date with your officers here.
*Note: the University has announced proposals to merge faculties. The role responsibilities may be adjusted to reflect any changes, however they will remain as student representatives working on behalf of the Students’ Union, responsive to student interests within the faculties of the University and in support of student priorities set in the election.
Student Priorities
For the first time we put it to our student members, to decide on which issues you most wanted to see your elected team work on. There were 11 to rank and below are the initial three your Student Affairs Committee will be working on. These issues received the highest number of votes in order detailed below. There were also a number of other priorities very close in their scoring and these will be discussed by your scrutiny committee with a decision on which other priorities your elected team will focus on this coming year in due course.
- Developing Skills in the Student Experience
- Student Wellbeing and Belonging
- Living Conditions for Student Renters
This work will also be conducted alongside other projects or campaigns as they arise.
Prize Winners
As a thank you to everyone who voted we entered all participants into a random number selection system and the following student Alishba Maqsood won the top prize of £250 with Maria Samreen, Tendai Jaravaza and Valentin-Florin Beraru each winning £150 each. Huge congratulations to each of you!
Student Campaigns Leads
Student Champions - Faculties
