Your Team

The Students’ Union is operated by three groups of people:

The Elected Officer Team
Full-time Staff
Board of Trustees

In practice, your elected Officers are responsible for the overall direction and activities of the Union during their year in post. The full-time staff team help support these Officers in what they set out to achieve and also provide specialist help to students or ensure the day-to-day smooth running of the SU. The Board of Trustees takes ultimate responsibility for the Union’s strategy and work as a charity.

Sabbatical Officers

Sabbatical Officers (Sabbs) are elected by students at Surrey to represent all students at the University. The five Sabbs are responsible for the daily running of the Students’ Union, and work alongside a dedicated team of permanent staff to make sure that your student experience is the best it can be.

Supporting the Sabbs are part-time Officers:

The student officers are students who take a specific interest in a particular issue or section of the student population. Most importantly, they are part of a team of representatives and they are here to make sure the Union keeps a high profile around campus, communicates properly with students and takes everyone’s interests into account.

Full Time Staff

The Union is also staffed by a dedicated team of permanent employees. The staff may help by providing specialist advice, managing events or venues such as Rubix, and by ensuring the smooth running of day-to-day operations.

Central Zone

Activity and Community Zones

Support and Voice Zones

Board of Trustees

The Students’ Union is a registered charity and so we’re required to have a group of people that take responsibility for the smooth running of the Union’s operations: the Board of Trustees.

The Board of Trustees is led by your elected President, plus all 4 Vice-Presidents, the Union Chair, one trustee from the University, and several external trustees.

The Board’s Chairpeople And External Trustees

Union President, Chair of the Board

The Students’ Union President is responsible for the overall strategic direction of the Students’ Union whilst they are in office. The President is elected by students at Surrey and is always the election with the highest turnout, and so they run meetings of the Board of Trustees.

Amanda Massie, Bsc Hons, FCIS, External Trustee / Deputy Chair

‘I have been elected as Deputy Chair of the Board for 2021/22 – a role covering chairing the board in the absence of the Chair and to provide year-to-year continuity in the CEO’s annual review.‘

Amanda joined the Trustee Board in May 2016 and was appointed as an independent external Trustee on 1st September 2018. She was previously both Group Company Secretary and a member of the Group Executive Management Boards of Mouchel Group plc, WS Atkins plc, Hyperion Insurance Group Ltd and Indemnity Management Services Ltd. She is an experienced commercial Company Secretary and director, with a strategic and listed company background.

Amanda has spent over 24 years advising directors, particularly the Chairman and independent directors, on governance and board matters, and advising Audit, Remuneration and Nomination Committees, as well as holding executive roles on management boards and leadership teams, and managing various support areas.

Amanda is a Charted Secretary and Chartered Governance Professional and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators.

Martine Carter, University Trustee

Martine became a Trustee in October 2019. As the University Trustee she was nominated by the Chair of the University Council, having worked for the University in a number of roles since 2011. Martine’s current role in the University involves facilitating the annual and strategic planning processes – working with the Board on how it distributes its resources against the many competing priorities. She is also responsible for overseeing risk, monitoring performance, and providing high quality data and information to support decision making, including what students say in surveys and in MEQs. In 2017 Martine completed an MBA part time in the Surrey Business School so has first hand experience of being a student here too. Before joining Surrey she worked at the Universities of Bristol and Southampton and in the voluntary sector.

Matthew Dutton, External Trustee

Matt has lived in and around the Guildford area for 20 years, having finished his A-Levels in Farnborough 6th Form in 1993. Matt has spent the last 10 years doing a degree in Computing, IT and Business and achieved a 2:1 in 2018. Matt has worked in a number of industries, but primarily in Insurance and Government. While attempting to gain a degree with the Open university, he has had to balance work and study as both a remote and a part-time student. Matt is committed to professional development within Information Technology and is experienced in supporting early entrants into the IT profession. Matt is a member of the British Computer Society and a Chartered IT Professional. Outside of work Matt enjoys Sailing with his young family and is an instructor in the Scouts, an organisation he has supported for over 20 years.

Rt. Hon. Anne Milton

Anne was the MP for Guildford from 2005 – 2019, and was Minister of State at the Department for Education from 12 June 2017 to 23 July 2019. Anne was appointed to the Health Select Committee, serving until December 2006, following her appointment as Shadow Minister for Tourism. In summer 2007 David Cameron appointed her Shadow Minister for Health. Between 2010 and 2012 she served as a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Public Health), Department of Health and was appointed to the government as a whip with responsibility for HM Treasury and HM Household. Anne trained as a nurse at St Bartholomew’s Hospital in London and worked for the NHS for 25 years, as a district nurse and for people requiring palliative care.

Elected Members

In addition to the Union President who is Chair of the Board, all four Vice-Presidents and the Union Chair are trustees for the Union:

Staff in Attendance

The Board also includes three full-time staff who are employed by the Union. These staff are ‘in attendance,’ meaning that they do not vote, but may join the discussion if permitted by the Chair.

Student Trustee

What is a Student Trustee?

Student Trustees sit on the Board of Trustees and have the same rights and responsibilities as the other members of the Board (including full-time officers). Student Trustees are not involved in the day to day running of the Students’ Union but take an overview of how the Union is performing, both financially and in delivering services to students.

Student Trustee Role

As a Student Trustee you will work alongside the rest of the Board of Trustees.

You will be expected to:

Attend approximately 5 Trustee Board meetings across the academic year
Attend any sub-committee meetings to which you may be appointed
Read through materials and papers in advance of Board of Trustee meetings
Keep in regular contact with the Chair of the Board of Trustees (USSU President) and other Trustees to be able to provide real-time feedback when queries and issues arise
Participate in Board of Trustee meeting debate and discussion, using your knowledge and experience to represent the views of the student body. At these meetings you will:
Contribute to the strategic leadership of the Students’ Union
Ensure USSU is operating in the best interests of the students
Monitor USSU’s progress against strategic aims and objectives
Monitor the financial performance of the USSU to ensure it remains financially secure and accountable
Promote the role of Student Trustee throughout the year and the recruitment period

Student Trustee Responsibilities

Being a member of a charity board of trustees is an excellent opportunity to have oversight of the organisation and take on some key responsibilities.

As a Trustee, you must ensure the USSU is carrying out its purpose for the public benefit.
Trustees must ensure the USSU complies with its governing document (Articles of Association) and any regulations and laws that apply, such as Charity Law.
Trustees must always act in the best interests of the USSU, they need to ensure that:
They make balanced and adequately informed decisions
They avoid putting themselves in positions where there is a conflict of interest
They do not receive any benefit from the charity unless it is properly authorised and clearly in the interests of the charity

Trustees must act responsibly, reasonably, and honestly to ensure that:

The USSU’s asses are only used to support the work of the charity
No inappropriate risks are taken that may negatively affect the USSU’s assets or reputation
The USSU is not over committed in terms of resources
The USSU carefully considers any investment or borrowing
The USSU complies with any restrictions attached to its funds

USSU Trustees should use their skills and experience and take appropriate advice where necessary. They should ensure that they dedicate enough time, thought and energy to the role.

USSU Trustees must ensure that the USSU is accountable:

Be able to demonstrate that the USSU is complying with the law, that is it well run and effective
Ensure that it is accountable to its members
Maintain responsibility for any authority delegated to staff, volunteers, or sub-committees

What is the Time Commitment?

Although a key commitment within a charitable organisation, being a Student Trustee won’t take up too much of your time. We estimate that you’ll need to commit around 30-40 hours throughout the year.

The role lasts for one academic year. A Student Trustee may be re-appointed for a maximum further term of one year. A student may serve a maximum of two years as Student Trustee which may be consecutive or non-consecutive.

What Skills do I Need to be Successful?

The successful candidate will have an interest in getting involved in the higher education or student union movement. They will also have the following skills and outlook:

High level of integrity and a thorough understanding of confidentiality – at times you will have access to confidential information that cannot be shared beyond the Board.
Ability to put your own views aside and a willingness to put the charity’s interests above any other interest
Excellent verbal communication skills – you will need to be able to share your ideas/views when discussing issues in a small group
Strong interpersonal skills be friendly and willing to listen to views of others, take expert advice when appropriate
Remain professional and able to work well with others
Willingness to deliberate and able to come to a shared understanding and agreement even at times when there are differing views at the outset
Reliable and well organised with meeting skills

This role may be of particular interest to students who hope to work in the charity sector as you will gain invaluable understanding of charity law and issues affecting charitable organisations.

It may also be of interest to students who are interested in representation; or thinking of standing for a role in the USSU Leadership Elections as you will gain insight into the work of full-time officers.

What’s In It for Me?

It is a career-enhancing opportunity to oversee a multi-million-pound charity representing University of Surrey students
Amazing experience for any career, but especially for management, law, politics, finance, business, consultancy, accountancy, human resources, and public relations
You’ll develop invaluable skills to increase your employability whilst working with students and other professionals. It is a unique opportunity to gain experience within a charitable organisation.

You will also:

Make a positive impact in the USSU and contribute to decisions that will create a better experience for University of Surrey students
Develop and improve your transferrable skills such as time management, communication, and meeting skills
Demonstrate your ability to understand complex information and take responsibility for key decisions affecting the Students’ Union
Have the opportunity for personal development and training and receive support from the senior management team
Develop an excellent understanding and knowledge of the organisation’s work and an insight into the work undertaken within the zones
Understand and learn about organisational governance, such as strategic planning, account management and Charity Law
Opportunity to network and work with the USSU staff, elected representatives and students

Any Questions About the Role?

If you are interested and want to discuss the role, get in touch through ussu.information@surrey.ac.uk.

University Staff

If you are a member of University Staff, please visit this page for more information – https://surreyunion.org/aboutus/university-staff/

Sabbatical Officers

Supporting the Sabbs are part-time Officers: