Network Leads

Every Keele SU student network is run by its members, for its members. The people who hold that together are the network’s Co-Chairs.

There is no single Chair and no hierarchy. Three Co-Chairs of equal standing share the work: one focused on communications, one who takes members’ issues into Union Assembly, and one with no fixed brief who picks up whatever the network most needs.

Being a Co-Chair is voluntary, counts towards your volunteering hours, and is open to any member of the network.

Applications for 2026/27 are open now. Nominations close on Friday 2nd October.

• Co-Chair (Communications)

  This role is for someone whose strength is making the network visible rather than running meetings.

  You will run or support the network’s communication channels, promote events and campaigns, keep language accessible, and make sure members know what is happening and how to take part.

  In a typical few weeks, you might post about upcoming activities, share how an event or campaign went, and keep the network visible to members in between.

  How you take it on: appointed or co-opted. Can be shared between two people.

• Co-Chair (Union Delegate)

  This is the role through which members’ issues enter the Union’s democratic decision-making.

  You will lead the network’s campaigns and sit at Union Assembly as your network’s Delegate, which means the issues your members raise can go straight into the Union’s decision-making. You will also work closely with your Elected Officers.

  In a typical few weeks, you might gather the issues members are raising, shape them into a campaign or a proposal for Union Assembly, and follow them through.

  How you take it on: this is the one role the network does not fill itself. You hold it by being elected as your network’s Union Delegate in the Union’s elections .

  Usually one person holds the seat. Where the Bye-Laws give a network more than one Delegate seat, each Delegate is a Co-Chair of equal standing.

• Co-Chair

  No specialism is required.

  You will be a full member of the leadership team with no fixed brief, sharing the work of holding the network together and taking on whatever the network needs capacity for that term.

  By default this role also looks after the network’s money: monitoring the budget, keeping simple records, and making sure spending on events and campaigns is approved correctly. No finance background is needed, and looking after the money can move to another Co-Chair if your capacity changes.

  How you take it on: appointed or co-opted. Can be shared between two people.

The work below is shared across the three of you. Some of it sits naturally with one role, and we have said where, but none of it is one person’s job alone. How you divide it is up to your team.

• Representation

  • Speak for your network in Keele SU meetings and forums.
  • Gather what members are telling you: their feedback, concerns and priorities, and carry it forward on their behalf.
  • Work with your Elected Officers to escalate the issues that need it.

• Campaigning and advocacy

  • Identify the issues affecting your members, and decide together which ones your network will act on this year.
  • Plan or support campaigns: an awareness week, an accessibility issue on campus, safety after dark.
  • Keep campaigns within charity law and Keele SU policy. You are not expected to know those rules yourself.

• Community building

  • Organise or support events, socials and forums that bring members together.
  • Create spaces that are inclusive, safe and welcoming.
  • Work with the other networks. Many students belong to more than one, and they should never be asked to choose.

• Policy and decisions

  • Contribute to Keele SU policy as it is written and reviewed.
  • Keep members informed about the decisions that affect them, at the University and nationally.

• Working with others

  • Work with Keele SU staff, and with outside organisations where that helps your network.
  • Come to training and development sessions.
  • Work respectfully with the Co-Chairs of other networks on joint campaigns and shared work.

• Communication

  • Keep members up to date by email, social media or group chat.
  • Ask members for their involvement and feedback rather than waiting for it.
  • Share the Keele SU events, services and opportunities that are relevant to your network.

Alongside the three Co-Chairs, a network can create additional roles on its subcommittee where there is appetite for them. These are optional, and no network is expected to fill them all.

• Training before you start, and ongoing support from the Student Voice team.
• Hours logged towards your volunteering record.
• A monthly catch-up with the other networks and the Student Voice team.
• Experience of representation, campaigning and committee work that employers recognise.

Co-Chair roles that are appointed or co-opted can be filled at any point in the year. If you have missed the deadline, get in touch and we will tell you what is still open in your network.

If you want your network to be visible, heard and active this year, this is how you make that happen.

Not sure which role fits, or which network you belong to? Email the Student Voice team and we will talk it through with you.