Scrap democracy and postgraduate officers, Warwick SU told

Warwick Students’ Union (SU) should abolish the paid positions of Democracy and Development Officer and Postgraduate Officer, and cut down on ASVs, according to an independent review.

The report, produced by an external consultancy firm, recommends a range of reforms it says aim to improve student representation and simplify the SU officer system.

It was presented to Student Council on Tuesday 3 June, and to Full-Time Officers late last week. Warwick SU is yet to indicate whether it would implement its proposals. 

The report described the [Democracy officer] current portfolio as a “largely operational role” in opposition to the “traditionally political” nature of SU sabbatical officers

The review’s suggestions include reducing the frequency of All Student Votes (ASVs) to address, as the report puts it, a perceived “election fatigue” among students. Although intended to be held every term, no ASVs have taken place at Warwick since Spring 2024.

As part of its recommendation for abolishing the position of VP Democracy and Development (DDO), the report described the position’s current portfolio as a “largely operational role” in opposition to the “traditionally political” nature of SU sabbatical officers.

It mooted that such responsibilities should instead be handled by “professional staff”, which would focus the officer structure on “deliverability” rather than governance.

The role of VP Postgraduates, according to the review, should be downgraded to a part-time, and therefore unsalaried, position. If implemented, the proposals would see total spending on FTO salaries reduced by over £70,000 from £253,258 to £180,898.

The report also proposes renaming the role of Ethnic Minorities Officer to ‘Global Majority Officer’ alongside shortening VP Welfare and Campaigns to ‘VP Welfare’ with the office-holder to take on campaigning responsibilities “informally”.

Further recommendations comprised combining the two part-time International Students’ Officer roles into one and the reimagination of the SU’s forum system into what it calls “open Student Assemblies”. 

Whilst not part of the recommendations, the notion of a potential merger of the Sports and Societies Officers into VP Student Activities was also floated in the report.

The answer to [the SU’s] problems does not come from abolishing the only role directly accountable for our democratic process

James Varney, DDO-elect

The proposed changes have been met with strong opposition from some amongst the Student Council, who have criticised what they claim will be a loss of student input for critical SU processes.

James Varney, current DDO-elect, told The Boar: “With the SU experiencing significant democratic challenges, the answer to its problems does not come from abolishing the only role directly accountable for our democratic process.

“Instead, we should be properly supporting our PTOs and enacting culture change, not rushing through a major set of changes halfway through exam season.”

Incumbent VP Postgraduates and SU President-elect Alijah Taha expressed similar concerns over the proposals for Postgrad Officer: “Personally, I believe postgraduate students deserve representation that matches both the scale and complexity of their experience. They contribute massively to research, teaching, and the intellectual life of the university, and they face unique challenges – from isolation to academic pressures.

“For me, it’s not about titles or structures alone, but about ensuring postgrads feel genuinely seen, heard, and supported. In that spirit, I think it’s important that we maintain strong, visible leadership in that space.

My view is that unpaid, part-time representation would struggle to meet the needs of our PG community in the way they deserve

Alijah Taha, VP Postgraduates

“Having been in this role, I can say with confidence that it’s incredibly demanding – not just in hours, but in emotional labour, policy depth, and the kind of relationship-building that takes time and consistency. While passion is never in short supply among our students and student leaders (both FTOs and PTOs), the volume and seriousness of the work really does require dedicated capacity. So my view is that unpaid, part-time representation would struggle to meet the needs of our PG community in the way they deserve.”

Some postgraduate students have reacted negatively to the proposed change. Charlotte Lawrence, the outgoing Postgraduate Society President for 2024/25, said: “The University of Warwick has a student population of over 28,000, of which over 10,000 are postgraduates. Postgrads can hardly be considered a minority and yet we’re always left wondering, why are we so underrepresented in the SU?”

She continued: “Postgrads occupy a unique position in the university, many of us straddling the line between student and staff, and to neglect the representation and specific needs of this group will affect not only our studies and welfare, but also those of the communities we’re a part of and undergraduates we support.

“To dissolve the Vice President for Postgrads position would be a shortsighted decision, and we strongly urge the SU against this.”

Current Vice President for Democracy and Development Sasha King-Smith was contacted for comment.