AU President: What The Candidates Can Actually Do

As five capable and qualified AU candidates pitch for our votes in the Sabbatical Elections what should we be listening out for? What can the AU President change and what’s just polished political rhetoric? As they campaign in poetry, here are the proses that really matter:

Miller… fighting for your AU on and off the pitch

It is unlikely that an AU President will be able to increase the size of club budgets. They will be in office for a matter of weeks before these need to be confirmed and clubs notified. Budgets levels have been constructed by staff with years of experience and should not be played with for the sake of politics. Where will the money come from?

The prices can be seen as expensive but this is not the University profiteering. An AU President will have the opportunity to voice an opinion but reforming memberships or cutting prices is tantamount to David Cameron successfully renegotiating with Europe. Nigh on impossible.

The clue is in the name! To provide a real high performance experience the programme needs to be limited to a small number of sports. If we want to maintain our BUCS ranking or progress higher this has to be matched by University investment in High Performance – the AU is not in a position to directly change this. The organisation already administrates BUCS to an exceptionally high standard – it does not hold the key to further gains in this area.

One area of common ground for all candidates is the pledge to improve participation; this is achievable – just be wary of how they say this will be achieved. If you want a candidate who’s going to improve the overall sporting experience for everyone at Exeter keep an eye out for who’s addressing the bigger picture.

A lack of long-term strategy means we keep seeing the same old campaign promises. The next AU President needs to build a sustainable plan for the AU. What should the organisation look like in three years’ time?

Stimulating continuity between committees and engendering the cross pollination of ideas among all AU clubs will help deliver success. Size and success varies but best practice should be promoted and shared – any present forum is ineffective and weak. Which candidate will is specifically addressing how to improve your club by developing its management?

We need an AU President to mediate between Club Captains, Sport and most crucially, University figures to protect, shape and inspire student interest. The organisation has become tied down and needs a strong, louder voice in decisions that impact our Athletic Union.

As AU Vice President and a Club Captain I believe changes in these areas are the way to make the greatest gains within the AU. They have the potential to empower clubs to drive their own performance, attract more members, sponsorship and opportunities to promote their passion within the wider student community and beyond.

If you see a candidate who you think has the answers, vote for them here.

Andrew Miller is Athletic Union Vice President and is in his second year as Men’s Hockey Club Captain.