UNE Student Council (UNESC) Elections 2026

The call for nominations for the election of student representatives to the University of New England Student Council (UNESC) will commence on 22 July 2026. Voting, if required, is expected to commence on or around 17 August 2026.

Please see below, and the general election information webpage, for important information about the role and expectations of UNESC representatives, information for nominees and general details regarding the election timing and protocols.

Notice of Election

Nominations are called from the UNE Student community for the following representative roles on UNESC:

  • 5 x Online Student Representatives
  • 2 x General Student Representatives – Undergraduate
  • 2 x General Student Representatives – Postgraduate or Research
  • 2 x International Student Representatives
  • 1 x Residential College Representative
  • 1 x On-Campus Student Representative
  • 1 x Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Student Representative
  • 1 x Equity and Access Representative

These categories and terms are as prescribed in the UNESC Constitution.

The term of service is 2 years and will commence on 3 September 2026.

Nominating for election

Students who are considering nominating for election to UNESC should be aware of the duties and responsibilities of UNESC Representatives consistent with the UNESC Constitution.

For more information about the elections, about nominating to be a UNESC Representative, or about the 2026 election process, please review the general election information webpage or contact the Returning Officer or Deputy Returning Officer at returning_officer@une.edu.au.

UNESC will be using election provider BigPulse to issue a “Call for Nominations” to eligible students via email and for the conduct of elections. BigPulse has been used previously to support elections at UNE and they provide a secure and fully automated service.

Students eligible to nominate in the elections, should receive an email from BigPulse from Wednesday, 22 July 2026. If you do not receive an email and you believe you are eligible to nominate – please check your “Junk” emails in case your security settings have not recognised the BigPulse email. Your email should be from the “UNE Student Council Elections” and @bigpulse.com, with a subject including the words “UNE Student Council Elections 2026”. If you still have not received an email and you have checked the eligibility requirements on the general election information webpage, please contact the Returning Officer or Deputy Returning Officer at returning_officer@une.edu.au.

Nominations for election close at 5:00 pm AEST, Monday 10 August 2026.

Voting in the election

Should there be more than the specified number of eligible candidates for each representative cohort, elections will be required and voting is expected to commence on or around the 17 August 2026. In the event of elections, candidate information and campaign material will also be available via these webpages.

Students eligible to nominate in the elections are also eligible to vote in the election.

Questions

Please direct any enquiries regarding the 2026 UNE Student Council Elections to the Returning Officer or Deputy Returning Officer by emailing: returning_officer@une.edu.au.

Approved

Sue Crew

Returning Officer

Information for Nominees

Nominees must read the general election information webpage and refer below to relevant information and links as important information for nominees in the 2026 UNESC elections.

Eligibility Criteria

As detailed in clause 16(4) of the UNESC Constitution, nominees for election must meet the following eligibility requirements (as at the date of the Roll (21 July 2026)):

  • have at least 3 Trimesters left in the course;
  • not be a full-time permanent or full-time fixed-term staff member at UNE; and
  • have no recorded breaches of the UNE Student Conduct Rule (formerly known as the UNE Student Behavioural Misconduct Rule).

Responsibilities

Personal information collected during this election will be managed in accordance with the UNE Privacy Management Rule.

Questions

Please direct any enquiries regarding the 2026 UNESC Elections to the Deputy Returning Officer, Jenny Croaker, in the first instance, or alternatively to Returning Officer, Sue Crew. Both are contactable via returning_officer@une.edu.au.