Nominations are now open for UCU department reps for 2026 to May/June 2028.

The deadline for nominations, and to consent to being a candidate, is 12pm midday Tuesday 30 June 2026.

This is an ‘all-out’ election: all UCU current department reps and department health and safety reps will need new nominations to be elected again if they are to continue as UCU reps.

This is separate from the UCU committee elections.

Nominating a colleague

To nominate a colleague as a department rep please email ucu@leeds.ac.uk. No explanation is needed – it is sufficient to say “I wish to nominate [name] as [department rep / department health and safety rep] for [department as listed]”.

Please check first that they are willing to stand for election for that role, and whether they have already been nominated. Candidates only need two nominations; additional nominations just create unnecessary work for the returning officer.

You can find out more at https://www.leedsucu.org.uk/about-us/choosing-your-ucu-department-representatives/

Candidates

Please email ucu@leeds.ac.uk before the deadline to state that you are willing to stand for election as department rep and/or department health and safety rep for the department as listed.

You can find out more at https://www.leedsucu.org.uk/about-us/choosing-your-ucu-department-representatives/ 

Please do not seek more than two nominations; additional nominations just create unnecessary work for the returning officer.

The UCU department representative roles and boundaries for the June 2026 – May/June 2028 term of office have been decided by the branch committee as follows.

Roles

Members will be elected as a UCU department rep or a UCU department health and safety rep.

Members can be elected to two roles, both as a department rep and a department health and safety rep.

After election, reps may choose to additionally focus on the following specific areas and be listed as that on the website.

Additional areas of focus for UCU department reps

• anticasualisation rep
• equality rep
• postgraduate rep

Areas of focus for UCU department health and safety reps

• health and safety rep
• workload rep

By default, health and safety reps will cover all aspects of health and safety, but health and safety reps can choose to focus solely on workload issues and be listed as a workload rep. Workload reps normally undertake a different training programme and won’t be involved in the usual range of health and safety functions, so any movement between these roles needs to be in consultation with the branch health and safety officer.

Boundaries and numbers

Members can elect up to the following numbers of representatives in these departments:

For large areas, reps may also want to list their specific workplace within that department.

List of departments, for the purpose of these elections

This page was last updated on 9 June 2026