Student Leadership Roles

Student Voice Project

We want to ensure you have a strong student voice that is effective in advocating and campaigning for change that will positively impact your experience.

This is why we ran the Student Voice project and after listening to your views we have expanded your Student Leadership team meaning that we have new leadership roles this year helping to grow your voice.

Why we have new roles Student Voice Project

Full-time Student Leaders

Full-time Student Leaders are elected by students and employed by Arden University on a 12 month fixed term contract.

Available Roles

Student President


Your Student President leads and supports your student leadership team to get the best results for students. They act as the most senior student leader, working closely with senior leadership at the university, ensuring your voice is at the heart of major decisions, projects and growth. They also represent you to organisations outside the university, such as local government, to lobby for the student interest in the communities we live.



Learn more about the role

Vice President Education


Your Vice President Education takes the lead on representing and advocating for your academic interests. They act as the most senior student representative on educational matters from curriculum design to learning resources. They know that education can transform the lives of our students and so they work with your other student representatives to ensure you get the most out of your educational experience.



Learn more about the role

Vice President Student Needs


Your Vice President Student Needs takes the lead on advocating for services and initiatives that support your fundamental needs. They act as the most senior student representative on wellbeing, student community and equity, diversity and inclusion. They know the importance a sense of belonging plays and that there are things, such as the cost of living, that will impact your progression inside the classroom.



Learn more about the role

Recruitment and Eligbility

Student Leadership roles are recruited through an election process administered by the Students' Association where all student members shall be able to vote for who will fill the position.

To be eligible to participate (nominate yourself to stand) you must: be a fully enrolled Arden University student who has not opted out of being a member of your students' association or currently in a student leadership role at the students' association at the time of the election.

To be eligible to take office you must:

  • Have the right to work in the United Kingdom or Germany (Learn more)
  • Not in the process of being withdrawn from their studies (Learn more)
  • Be able to start a 12 month contract of full time employment from october 2025 (Learn more)
  • Provisionally approved for a break in learning where relevant (Learn more)

This information will be collected at the point of nomination and any candidate who does not meet the criteria will not have their nomination approved. These criteria are not in place as a barrier but to ensure that who students elect are able to take the office, they are being elected to.

Role descriptions

Role Overview

The role of Student President is the senior representational leader of the Students’ Association and plays a fundamental role in advocating for the needs of students, championing key challenges and providing a student-focused voice in various committees or with senior colleagues. They also play a substantial role as the Students’ Association continues to develop their operation and services, to meet the needs of current and future students, no matter where or how they study.

Working with the Managing Director, the Association Advisory Board, and staff across Arden University, you’ll have the chance to shape and grow the opportunities for students, in this exciting role. As figurehead of the Student Representative Network, you will also work closely with our volunteer student leaders and staff across all areas of the University, to ensure that the Association fulfils its purpose to support student success throughout their academic and onward journey.

The Student President role is also the leader of the full Sabbatical Officer team, which includes two new roles focusing on education and student needs. These new roles come from the findings of the Student Voice Project which asked students and staff what student leadership they would want to see at the university, to make the best change for all students. As these new roles will be introduced in October 2025 for the first time, the President role plays a key part in leading the team to make effective decisions on behalf of students and supporting the additional Sabbatical Officer roles to actively champion their respective focused areas (Education & Student Needs).

Salary

£27,000, plus London weighting (if relevant)

Contract

Fixed term 12-month full-time contract, based flexibly across all Arden Campuses.

Start Date

October 2025

Travel

The role requires travel between all campuses to meet students and staff. Arden has 8 campuses within the UK and a campus in Berlin, Germany. All reasonable work travel will be paid by Arden University Students’ Association in accordance with university policies.

Benefits

To learn more about all University staff benefits, which this role will be entitled to click here.

About You

We are looking for someone who is keen to represent the student voice, provide new ideas and work as part of a team to support the student experience at Arden. The role is varied and there is no similar day to day, so being flexible to change and aware of the various people you will meet, is important to know. The role also has opportunities to lead a team and support strategic decision-making.

As part of the induction for the successfully elected candidate, you will be provided with various developmental opportunities to build your written and verbal communication skills, time-management, campaign planning and various other skills. It’s important to remember that our student body is extremely diverse, with our students having a range of lived experiences, so it’s important to have a consideration of equality, diversity and inclusion.

You would make a great candidate for Student President if you are passionate about making changes for other students, enjoy providing feedback to different colleagues across the University and want to contribute to how Arden University can keep developing in the student interest. Additionally, if you enjoy learning about a broad range of new topics, working with lots of different people who do different things at the University and flourish having challenging conversations with diverse opinions.

Duties and Responsibilities

We’ve outlined the key responsibilities and activities that the role will undertake;

General

These duties and responsibilities apply to all full-time student leadership roles.

  • Work closely with the Managing Director, staff team and Student Representatives to enhance the student experience, advocate for positive change and represent the voice of students across the University.
  • Gather, collate, and represent students’ opinions and feedback on all aspects of Arden University, through our various committees’ meetings. In addition, provide verbal and written presentations of this, alongside recommendations.
  • Represent students and the Association at Arden University committee meetings such as Academic Board and Academic Standards & Ethics Committee.
  • Contribute to regular meetings and communication with student volunteers to help them share feedback, engage in activities and support them in their roles helping students.
  • With support, create communications and opportunities to update all students at Arden on the ongoing work of the Students’ Association, and opportunities to connect with them directly to understand their experiences or ideas.
  • Be actively involved in key student journey opportunities such as Graduation and StartSmart
  • Work alongside fellow members of the Students’ Association Advisory Board and Managing Director, to agree strategic plans and development of the Association.
  • Actively contribute to ongoing work of the University and Students’ Association, through attending meetings, planning sessions and development opportunities
  • Regularly visit all Arden campuses and engage in comparative opportunities for distance-learning students.
  • Be actively involved in the Students’ Association Advisory Board and provide support for all student members of the Board
  • Be transparent, honest, accountable and uphold the Nolan principles
  • Engage in training and development opportunities provided by the University or Association, that will impact & benefit their roles and students.

The full-time (sabbatical) officer roles shall be the Major Office Holders of the Association and as such shall meet the requirements and provisions of the Education Act (1994).

Role Specific

These duties and responsibilities are specific to the role of the Student President.

  • Lead the full Student Leadership (Sabbatical Officer) team in the best interest of students to support effective decision making and advocacy
  • Act as the principal representative for institutional priorities that are non-portfolio specific including campus growth, international strate
  • Work closely with the Managing Director to contribute to strategic decision-making for the Students’ Association
  • Provide support to the Vice President Education & Student Needs to enact their roles leading specific portfolios on behalf of students
  • Attend relevant academic committees, meetings, and working groups, representing students’ academic interests and seeking positive changes where required.
  • Build effective relationships with Senior University colleagues to influence decision-making and provide student perspective at an institutional level
  • Contribute to institutional plans, strategies or reports to the regulator for the benefit of students
  • Organise and lead on campaigns and initiatives that are designed to enhance the academic experience and address the educational needs of students.
  • Develop and lead the associations priorities, working closely with staff and other student leaders using or developing data and insights.
  • Be actively involved in the Students’ Association Advisory Board and support student members in their understanding and participation.

Role Overview

The student journey is unique and broad for each student but at its core is an impactful educational experience. Students want good quality learning and teaching, assessments that are relevant, and knowledge and skills that will transform their lives and future careers. This is why the Vice President Education will lead on campaigns and initiatives to ensure every student can get the most out of their academic journey and are able to access, progress and succeed.

The Vice President Education represents and advocates for the academic interests of all Arden University students. Being the primary student leader on the educational experience of students they will organise and support students engaged in academic representation to make impactful changes for their students. They will also get actively involved in relevant university committees, meetings, and working groups ensuring the education needs of students are at the heart of academic decisions and improvements.

This is a new role which has been established from the findings of the Student Voice Project, which asked students and staff what student leadership they would want to see at the university, to make the best change for all students. This role will work alongside the new Vice President (Student Needs) and the Student President role, which leads the Sabbatical Officer team.

Salary

£25,000, plus London weighting (if relevant)

Contract

Fixed term 12-month full-time contract, based flexibly across all Arden Campuses.

Start Date

October 2025

Travel

The role requires travel between all campuses to meet students and staff. Arden has 8 campuses within the UK and a campus in Berlin, Germany. All reasonable work travel will be paid by Arden University Students’ Association in accordance with university policies.

Benefits

To learn more about all University staff benefits, which this role will be entitled to click here.

About You

We are looking for someone who is keen to represent the student voice, provide new ideas and work as part of a team to support the student experience at Arden. The role is varied and there is no similar day to day, so being flexible to change and aware of the various people you will meet, is important to know. The role also has opportunities to lead a team and support strategic decision-making.

As part of the induction for the successfully elected candidate, you will be provided with various developmental opportunities to build your written and verbal communication skills, time-management, campaign planning and various other skills. It’s important to remember that our student body is extremely diverse, with our students having a range of lived experiences, so it’s important to have a consideration of equality, diversity and inclusion.

You would make a great candidate for Vice President Education if you are passionate about the academic experience and want to use data and insights to ensure that the educational journey is transformational for the lives of every student that chooses to study at Arden. You will enjoy learning about new topics and a broad range of issues from curriculum design, learning and teaching and the quality of education. You will flourish working as part of a team and working with a diverse range of individuals from different disciplines.

Duties and Responsibilities

We’ve outlined the key responsibilities and activities that the role will undertake;

General

These duties and responsibilities apply to all full-time student leadership roles.

  • Work closely with the Managing Director, staff team and Student Representatives to enhance the student experience, advocate for positive change and represent the voice of students across the University.
  • Gather, collate, and represent students’ opinions and feedback on all aspects of Arden University, through our various committees’ meetings. In addition, provide verbal and written presentations of this, alongside recommendations.
  • Represent students and the Association at Arden University committee meetings such as Academic Board and Academic Standards & Ethics Committee.
  • Contribute to regular meetings and communication with student volunteers to help them share feedback, engage in activities and support them in their roles helping students.
  • With support, create communications and opportunities to update all students at Arden on the ongoing work of the Students’ Association, and opportunities to connect with them directly to understand their experiences or ideas.
  • Be actively involved in key student journey opportunities such as Graduation and StartSmart
  • Work alongside fellow members of the Students’ Association Advisory Board and Managing Director, to agree strategic plans and development of the Association.
  • Actively contribute to ongoing work of the University and Students’ Association, through attending meetings, planning sessions and development opportunities
  • Regularly visit all Arden campuses and engage in comparative opportunities for distance-learning students.
  • Be actively involved in the Students’ Association Advisory Board and provide support for all student members of the Board
  • Be transparent, honest, accountable and uphold the Nolan principles
  • Engage in training and development opportunities provided by the University or Association, that will impact & benefit their roles and students.

The full-time (sabbatical) officer roles shall be the Major Office Holders of the Association and as such shall meet the requirements and provisions of the Education Act (1994).

Role Specific

These duties and responsibilities are specific to the role of Vice President Education.

  • Be part of the full Student Leadership (Sabbatical Officer) team to support advocacy across all areas of the student experience, and contribute to the effective teamworking in the student interest.
  • Act as the primary student leader on representing the academic interests of students.
  • Work closely with the Managing Director to contribute to strategic decision-making for the Students’ Association.
  • Effectively represent students on academic quality matters, ensuring students interests are considered in academic decisions.
  • Work closely and build relationships with key university departments and senior leaders to address issues and advocate for the academic interests of students across all Arden campuses and online.
  • Provide support to the Vice President Student Needs & Student President to enact their roles leading specific portfolios on behalf of students.
  • Support, harness, and lead the academic representation structures at Arden ensuring effective student representation on academic matters.
  • Organise and lead on campaigns and initiatives that are designed to enhance the academic experience and address the educational needs of students.
  • Attend relevant academic committees, meetings, and working groups, representing students' academic interests and seeking positive changes where required.
  • Develop and lead the association’s educational priorities, working closely with staff and other student leaders using or developing data and insights.

Role Overview

Every student is unique with each student having a variety of needs and lived experiences that may impact their journey at Arden University. Students need the right support at the right times so that they can access, progress and succeed without barriers to unlocking their potential. This is why the Vice President Student Needs will lead on campaigns and initiatives to ensure that every student has an effective support eco-system that will allow them to succeed and be their true selves.

The Vice President Student Needs represents and advocates for the basic needs and interests of students that fall outside of their academic studies. These needs, when met, will allow them to access and participate to their fullest. Being the primary student leader on community, belonging and the wellbeing of students, they will organise students to make impactful changes for their student community. They will get actively involved in relevant university committees, meetings, and working groups, advocating for the functional needs, inclusivity and belonging at Arden. They will play a substantial role as the Students’ Association continues to develop services and campaigns that look at the whole student journey and not just their educational experience.

This is a new role which has been established from the findings of the Student Voice Project, which asked students and staff what student leadership they would want to see at the university, to make the best change for all students. This role will work alongside the new Vice President (Education) and the Student President role, which leads the Sabbatical Officer team.

Salary

£25,000, plus London weighting (if relevant)

Contract

Fixed term 12-month full-time contract, based flexibly across all Arden Campuses.

Start Date

October 2025

Travel

The role requires travel between all campuses to meet students and staff. Arden has 8 campuses within the UK and a campus in Berlin, Germany. All reasonable work travel will be paid by Arden University Students’ Association in accordance with university policies.

Benefits

To learn more about all University staff benefits, which this role will be entitled to click here.

About You

We are looking for someone who is keen to represent the student voice, provide new ideas and work as part of a team to support the student experience at Arden. The role is varied and there is no similar day to day, so being flexible to change and aware of the various people you will meet, is important to know. The role also has opportunities to influence decision-making into positive change to support students throughout their academic journey.

As part of the induction for the successfully elected candidate, you will be provided with various developmental opportunities to build your written and verbal communication skills, time-management, campaign planning and various other skills. It’s important to remember that our student body is extremely diverse, with our students having a range of lived experiences, so it’s important to have a consideration of equality, diversity and inclusion.

You would make a great candidate for Vice President Student Needs if you are passionate about the diversity in our student population, advocating for positive change to enable and empower students to succeed, and enjoy using insights to proactively campaign for all students at Arden. You will enjoy learning about new topics and a broad range of issues from the Access & Participation Plan, cost of living, inclusive services and what belonging could look like in a university of 40,000+ students studying in different ways and locations. You will flourish working as part of a team and working with a diverse range of individuals from different disciplines.

Duties and Responsibilities

We’ve outlined the key responsibilities and activities that the role will undertake;

General

These duties and responsibilities apply to all full-time student leadership roles.

  • Work closely with the Managing Director, staff team and Student Representatives to enhance the student experience, advocate for positive change and represent the voice of students across the University.
  • Gather, collate, and represent students’ opinions and feedback on all aspects of Arden University, through our various committees’ meetings. In addition, provide verbal and written presentations of this, alongside recommendations.
  • Represent students and the Association at Arden University committee meetings such as Academic Board and Academic Standards & Ethics Committee.
  • Contribute to regular meetings and communication with student volunteers to help them share feedback, engage in activities and support them in their roles helping students.
  • With support, create communications and opportunities to update all students at Arden on the ongoing work of the Students’ Association, and opportunities to connect with them directly to understand their experiences or ideas.
  • Be actively involved in key student journey opportunities such as Graduation and StartSmart
  • Work alongside fellow members of the Students’ Association Advisory Board and Managing Director, to agree strategic plans and development of the Association.
  • Actively contribute to ongoing work of the University and Students’ Association, through attending meetings, planning sessions and development opportunities
  • Regularly visit all Arden campuses and engage in comparative opportunities for distance-learning students.
  • Be actively involved in the Students’ Association Advisory Board and provide support for all student members of the Board
  • Be transparent, honest, accountable and uphold the Nolan principles
  • Engage in training and development opportunities provided by the University or Association, that will impact & benefit their roles and students.

The full-time (sabbatical) officer roles shall be the Major Office Holders of the Association and as such shall meet the requirements and provisions of the Education Act (1994).

Role Specific

These duties and responsibilities are specific to the role of Vice President Student Needs.

  • Be part of the full Student Leadership (Sabbatical Officer) team to support advocacy across all areas of the student experience, and contribute to the effective teamworking in the student interest
  • Act as the primary student leader on representing the community, wellbeing and needs agenda of our students.
  • Work closely with the Managing Director to contribute to strategic decision-making for the Students’ Association
  • Provide support to the Vice President Education & Student President to enact their roles leading specific portfolios on behalf of students
  • Attend relevant committees, meetings, and working groups, representing students interests and seeking positive changes where required.
  • Work closely and build relationships with key university departments and senior leaders to address issues and advocate for the basic needs of students across all Arden campuses and online.
  • Champion positive change, removing barriers and developing accessible services, practice and policy developments.
  • Develop and lead the association’s wellbeing and advocacy priorities, working closely with staff and other student leaders using or developing data and insights.