Discover how applied social sciences student Avis (they/them) was elected liberation and activities officer at Sheffield Students' Union (SU), and learn about their priorities for their term in office
I worked at the SU as a part-time liberation facilitator (previously a part-time officer role) and volunteered as a representative councillor on the SU Council.
There are many things the SU does to help students, but there were still some recurring issues I struggled to address due to time or my position. Being an SU officer would remove those barriers.
A lot of time and energy. I'm lucky that I have wonderful friends who helped with the campaign.
It involved:
Aside from the practicalities, it was stressful, but also a wonderful opportunity to talk to so many students and hear their thoughts and feelings about what they wanted for this academic year.
My campaign highlighted issues such as a lack of financial aid marketing and accessibility, and the absence of a direct voice system between students and their representatives, which I felt it was important to tackle. I also prioritised flexibility within my role to actively listen to students throughout the year and keep up with any new issues that may arise.
More generally, being an SU officer involves representing students in meetings across the SU and the university, as well as at national conferences.
The role also includes:
Clear communication with students is also a key part of the role, whether through change-making spaces, social media or direct engagement.
Alongside this, SU officers are trustees, chair or attend sub-board meetings, and collaborate with other SUs. There are many ways to approach the role, with a range of campaigns, groups, and meetings to get involved in.
Finally, utilising your time is key. All these factors make the experience unique; my term will look different to how the role has been done previously and will likely be different for future role holders.
I hope to alleviate students' worries and make their day-to-day lives easier, from assisting with their individual cases and societies to working on national campaigns on broader student issues. I hope to represent them well, the changes they want, and to give them hope for the rest of their education and time in Sheffield.
There are groups centred on hobbies, from crochet to birdwatching, and on community and liberation spaces, such as the Liberation Committee. There are also opportunities through the SU Council and Change Lab to help your peers or the local community.
With nearly 400 societies to choose from, there's a very good chance that there's something for everyone. If not, there are opportunities to start a new one at the start of each semester.
Studies such as the Unite Students Applicant Index 2026 show that social events, physical wellbeing clubs, and SU societies are among the top support services that improve a student's university experience. Being able to socialise and make meaningful connections with others, whether through mutual friends, sports, your degree, a hobby, or pure coincidence, can make a student's time at university better.
Although I personally struggled to take part in all the societies I was interested in as a student last academic year, I made close friends through these groups, and they are one of the reasons I love Sheffield so much.
Seeing students again, as this role is to help them. This is a students' union; they are at the base of everything we do. Working in the summer was quite eerie, but welcome week (however busy) was such a joy to meet so many students, both new and returning. I'm looking forward to seeing them throughout the year and working with them to improve student life and causes.
It has also been wonderful to meet other sabbatical officers, so we can work together to help more students with issues that are hard to tackle in a single city.
I want a career that continues to help people. I'm open-minded about how that would work in practice, in terms of the role and sector. I'm passionate about equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), and I would love a role that combines quantitative and qualitative skills in areas such as:
However, I'm only one year into my degree. I'm also aware that I may change my mind again (I used to train to be a musical theatre actor), so I don't limit myself to what the future could hold. The sky's the limit, as they say.
