ARE WE
BREAKING UP?
Over the last six months, we've asked students across UAL about how you interact with your union and your representatives. Now, we’re proposing a new structure for the way we represent you at Arts Students’ Union. By breaking up the CCW officer into separate Chelsea, Camberwell and Wimbledon roles, we’ll have a simpler model: one full-time organiser for each college at UAL.
The proposed changes aim to make representation more visible and local, focused on your top priorities, while making it easier for you to get involved. You'll vote separately on three motions:
The nomination period will close in:
Motions for Referendum
Change to Elected Officers
Voting YES for Changes to Officers will cast your approval for splitting the CCW role into three individual positions for Chelsea, Camberwell, and Wimbledon, and rename the current College Officers to College Organisers.
This will take the current Union Affairs Officer (responsible for UAL-wide governance, communications, and external contacts) and the Student Communities Officer (responsible for clubs and societies) and split their responsibilities across the entire team.
The purpose of this change is to provide equal representation to all Colleges while also strengthening the link between elected representatives and students. Supporting our groups and communities will no longer be one officers' responsibility and governance workloads can be better shared across the team.
Change to Democratic Spaces
Voting YES to Changes to Democratic Spaces will replace the current UAL-wide Forums with termly, campus-based meetings, allowing more direct and flexible student spaces by retiring the Idea's Platform and giving meeting structure ownership to students and their elected representatives.
The purpose of this change is to respond to student feedback around a system detached from student needs, and to increase engagement by giving ownership of the unions democratic spaces to students. Outside of democratic processes, these meetings also aim to provide a structure for community at colleges and provide opportunities for student connection in an increasingly disconnected world.
Voting Yes to Changes to School Reps will replace the current structure of two school reps per UAL school, to college reps that have portfolios of Academic, Community, and Employability. CSM, LCC, and LCF will have two per portfolio, totaling six, and Chelsea, , Camberwell, Wimbledon, and Pre-Degree will have one per portfolio, totaling three.
The purpose of this change is to provide representation on colleges instead of schools, where students tell us they identify with most, while also better defining how they support their college and which reps students should engage with for issues.
You can read the full proposal here
Are we breaking up?
Arts SU is holding a referendum on a number of proposed changes to how you experience democracy with your union.
You need to decide on if we should split our CCW Officer, Democratic Spaces, and School Reps along college lines, resulting in us asking the question... are we breaking up?
Changes to Elected Officers
Voting YES for Changes to Officers will cast your approval for splitting the CCW role into three individual positions for Chelsea, Camberwell, and Wimbledon, and rename the current College Officers to College Organisers.
This will take the current Union Affairs Officer (responsible for UAL-wide governance, communications, and external contacts) and the Student Communities Officer (responsible for clubs and societies) and split their responsibilities across the entire team.
The purpose of this change is to provide equal representation to all Colleges while also strengthening the link between elected representatives and students. Supporting our groups and communities will no longer be one officers' responsibility and governance workloads can be better shared across the team.
Changes to Democratic Spaces
Voting YES to Changes to Democratic Spaces will replace the current UAL-wide Forums with termly, campus-based meetings, allowing more direct and flexible student spaces by retiring the Idea's Platform and giving meeting structure ownership to students and their elected representatives.
The purpose of this change is to respond to student feedback around a system detached from student needs, and to increase engagement by giving ownership of the unions democratic spaces to students. Outside of democratic processes, these meetings also aim to provide a structure for community at colleges and provide opportunities for student connection in an increasingly disconnected world.
Changes to School Reps
Voting YES to Changes to School Reps will replace the current structure of two school reps per UAL school, to college reps that have portfolios of Academic, Community, and Employability. CSM, LCC, and LCF will have two per portfolio, totaling six, and Chelsea, Camberwell, Wimbledon, and Pre-Degree will have one per portfolio, totaling three.
The purpose of this change is to provide representation on colleges instead of schools, where students tell us they identify with most, while also better defining how they support their college and which reps students should engage with for issues.
How do I cast my vote?
During the voting period, you can visit our website at arts-su.com/vote, sign in with your student account, and have your say.
Voting opens - 10:00, Monday 9th November 2026
Voting closes - 12 noon, Friday 13 November 2026
What happens after the vote?
Each motion will be decided separately.
If students vote YES to a motion, the changes covered by that motion will take effect from the 2027/28 academic year, including roles available in the next spring election.
If students vote NO, the existing structure for that area, whether officer roles, School Reps or democratic spaces, will remain in place.
We will need 2.5% of our members to vote for the result to be valid.