Approval Process for UMCA President Election

Passed by: Senedd

Passed on: 24/11/2025

Status: We are Working on it

Officer Responsible: Welsh Culture and UMCA President


Summary: 

Establish an approval process for UMCA President candidates in order to protect the voice of UMCA members.

 

Details: 

One of my priorities as an officer is to establish a constitution for the Aberystwyth Cymraeg Students' Union (UMCA), as well as drawing up a by-law for the Aber Union on UMCA and its actions within the Union.

The whole purpose of UMCA is to be a voice for Welsh students, but in accordance with the Charities Act 2011, not only Welsh speaking students can vote for their President. Although we fully recognize that law, there is a complex tension in the fact that it is not only UMCA members who elect the role of their President and that in a constituency where Welsh speaking students are a minority.

We therefore propose that a process be established that protects the voices of UMCA members when electing their President. The process will offer candidates the opportunity to meet with the Core Committee (President, Vice-President, Chairman, Secretary) in an approval process.

The purpose of this process will not be to exclude anyone from standing for the role and if in the rare case that a candidate is rejected, the Core Committee will be called upon to provide a logical justification for that decision. Rather, the intention is to set a framework that ensures that UMCA's values ​​and needs are represented by candidates.

Submitted By: Nanw Maelor Hampson


Updates

Action Taken Name and Role Date
     
     

To find out more about this policy, get in touch: 

 

Ash Sturrock 

Campaigns and Democracy Coordinator
  ais13@aber.ac.uk  /  suvoice@aber.ac.uk 

Nanw Maelor

Welsh Culture and UMCA President

suwelsh@aber.ac.uk