Nomination process

Nominations are now closed for 2024, and the next round of elections will take place in early 2025.

Eligibility

Current academic and research staff in post from 31 January of the relevant year are eligible to nominate themselves for election to Senate. ‘Academic staff’ includes all members of staff who are categorised as ‘academic’ in the University’s Human Resources records, and includes staff in the following job family: academic, clinical and veterinary clinical. 

Staff who hold an ex officio appointment to Senate are not eligible to stand for election. This includes Heads of School, Heads of College, the Provost, Vice Principals, Assistant Principals, Senate Assessors and the Academic Staff Member on the University Court. A full list of ex officio roles is appended to the Senatus Academicus (Senate) Election Regulations (see below). 

Further information for academic staff who are employed in more than one College, or who are not employed in a College, is included on the nomination form and in the Senatus Academicus (Senate) Election Regulations. If you wish to check your eligibilty to stand,  please contact SenateSupport@ed.ac.uk in the first instance.

Nomination process

Members of academic staff can nominate themselves for election, and nominations will be submitted via an online nomination form. The nomination form will ask nominees to include a short written statement by the candidate supporting their nomination for election to Senate.

This statement and candidate details will be made available to staff who are eligible to vote in the election via the Senate website.

Early Career Academic Staff

We are seeking to enhance representation on Senate from academic and research staff at early career stages, including postdoctoral fellows and postgraduate tutors and demonstrators. To recognise the importance of representation from staff who hold early career positions, a total of nine (9) positions within the non-Professorial category (three in each College), are to be prioritised for staff who hold an early career academic position with three of these positions available for election on an annual basis. 

Term of office

Terms of office will begin on 1 August. 

Successful candidates will be allocated a one, two or three year term based on the number of vacancies and number of nominees. Voter preferences are used to determine the terms of office allocated to candidates.

This process is to ensure that an equal balance of positions are available for nomination in future years.

There is no cap on the number of terms of office for which academic staff members may stand.

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Contact

For further information or if you have any specific questions, please contact the Senate Support team at SenateSupport@ed.ac.uk