Roehampton Students' Union (RSU) is the representative voice of students at the University of Roehampton and we are honoured to be part of a diverse, vibrate and supportive community.
As a values-driven charity, RSU works incredibly hard to ensure students are at the core of everything we do. From the delivery of Student Voice and Academic Representation, Student Opportunities via societies and our unique Growhampton project, through to Student Advice, ensuring students know their rights and have support when they need it most.
Politically, the Union is led by students in the form of our Sabbatical Officers while the Chief Executive Officer - under the direction of the Board of Trustees - oversees the day-to-day management of the organisation.
We are at the start of an ambitious turnaround process to improve our performance and impact. As part of this we are seeking a lay trustee with financial expertise to provide rigorous oversight of our financial management, ensure we have a sustainable long-term approach to our finances and help steer the development of our income generation.
This voluntary role provides a great opportunity for an innovate, passionate, and values-driven leader to support our student community in getting the most out of their University experience. It’s also a fantastic opportunity to get an insight into the unique world of Students’ Unions and Higher Education in the UK.
How to Apply
As part of your application you’ll need to provide a CV and you’ll be asked to provide responses (max 300 words) to the following questions:
- Tell us why you’d like to join RSU as a Trustee - how do your personal values align with RSU’s?
- What knowledge, abilities, and experience can you contribute to our Board’s collective skills?
- Tell us about your knowledge and experience of overseeing finances and budgets at a senior level. How would you use this to add value to RSU’s Board and support the staff team in maintaining an effective and sustainable finance strategy?
Eligibility
In order to apply for a Lay Trustee position, you must meet the Charity Commission’s eligibility criteria. You must also agree to RSU’s Trustee Code of Conduct. It is recommended that all applications read the Charity Commission’s guide to being a trustee: The Essential Trustee: What you need to know, what you need to do.
Diversifying Our Board
In order for us to be able to make sure every student is able to celebrate who they are, shape their university experience, and feel connected to a community, we need to continue to innovate and make sure we champion diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in everything that we do.
This means having a commitment to supporting a diverse and inclusive Board of Trustees. The ACEVO and Voice for Change Home Truths report in 2020 highlighted a significant lack of representation of Black and Asian individuals in senior roles within the charity sector and the huge lack of opportunity for Black and Asian individuals to begin, develop, and succeed in their careers in the sector, including as trustees.
We would therefore particularly welcome applications from Black and Asian candidates, those who identify as women or non-binary, and disabled candidates.
We are committed to ensuring that people with a diverse range of skills and experience are encouraged to apply and contribute fully as Trustees.
We will strive to remove the barriers that prevent people from applying to become trustees and ensure that our application and selection processes are inclusive of, and accessible to, people with a wide range of skills and lived experiences.