Introduction

Thank you for your interest in our Student Trustee roles here at Falmouth and Exeter Students’ Union (The SU); based in beautiful Cornwall.

We are very proud of what we do, and we are looking for a Falmouth University Student Trustee who will join our Board to support the strategic direction of the charity. You will need to share the values of the SU and commitment to achieve our priorities, working collaboratively to help take us to the next level. We are a member-led charity, funded by our universities and together with students we strive to create a world class student experience for all.

You must be a student during the 2026/27 academic year to apply for this position, and we are especially keen to hear from students in their first year of study.

What is a Trustee?

The SU is a charity, overseen by the Board of Trustees. The overall role of our Board is to ensure that the SU is the best it can be, ensuring that we continue to be well managed in a safe and legal way that can help us achieve our long term aims.

Our Board of Trustees is made up of experienced external professionals (Lay Trustees), elected Sabbatical Officers (Sabbatical Trustees) and current students (Student Trustees), all of whom bring a range of specific experiences, knowledge, skills that support the Board’s collective decision-making.

A Trustee role is unique: the remit of the role is strategic, providing oversight, not hands on operational support, and it is not staff or student facing.

What does a Student Trustee do?

• Provides insight into the lives of current students and the issues affecting them
• Supports a Board and SU culture of student leadership and delivery of a student-focused service
• Leads discussions, makes collective decisions, and identifies key issues

What skills can you get from being a Trustee?

• Creative thinking- vital to navigate complex problems
• Organisational- central to study and work
• Strategic planning- key to any big project, in work or study
• Financial management- useful in everyday life and if you’re thinking of running your own business
• Leadership- a benefit in any role, and a skill that requires experience to develop
• Teamwork- vital in any job
• Communication- supports all aspects of work and study
• Attention to detail- ensuring that work is completed to the highest standard
• Big picture thinking- considering impact, supporting effective planning
• Advocacy- standing up for yourself, students, and your community
• Impact mapping- central to project management

Why should you become a Trustee?

• It’s a unique and valuable experience only available to you whilst you study
• Looks great on CV and helps you to stand out
• Employers look for the key practical skills you will develop
• You will make a lasting difference to the lives of your fellow students

You will get to make a difference to almost 10,000 students’ lives at Falmouth University and the University of Exeter, Cornwall, ensuring SU remains a high-performing, student-led, sustainable organisation.

Employability 

Our previous Trustees have gone onto roles at:

• Creative UK
• Falmouth University
• UK Esports League
• Sony Music Entertainment

As well as careers in:

• Architecture
• Business
• Photography
• Gaming
• Education
• Human Resources
• Marketing
• Film
• Students’ Unions
• Communications

What experience is required?

No previous professional experience is required, just a shared sense of the SU’s purpose, mission, vision and values.

Any student can become a Student Trustee, no matter their course of study or background, if you want to ensure that the SU is acting in the best interests of our students, this is the role for you.

The skills you have developed through your course, such as teamwork, time management, attention to detail, are all key competencies of a Student Trustee.

What support is available?

The Board of Trustees works together as a team, ensuring that all Trustees are supported. You will also have the chance to learn from our External Lay Trustees, who are experienced professionals across a range of sectors.

Full training and induction is provided for all Trustee roles.

What do I have to do and what is the time commitment?

You will sit on the Board of Trustees, and one or two of the sub-committees (dependent on your interest). You will make collective decisions in the best interest of the organisation and student members, on matters such as finance, policy, people and strategy.

Hours: There are four Board meetings per year, and four (eight for Finance) sub-committee meetings per year. The approximate monthly time commitment is 3-4 hours per month.

Remuneration: Student Trustees are voluntary, unpaid roles. However, all reasonable out of pocket expenses will be reimbursed, such as travel costs to board meetings.

Location: Home and campus based, with one or two in-person events in Cornwall per year.

How to Apply

Please send the Personal Details form, along with your CV and covering letter to jobs@thesu.org.uk. In your covering letter, please answer the following questions:

• What drew you to the role of Student Trustee?
• What is the most important role of the SU?
• What skills and/or experience do you think you can bring to the SU Board of Trustees?

Please link your skills and experience to the criteria within the Person Specification.

The deadline for applications is 09:00 on Friday 17 April. Applications will be considered and shortlisted upon receipt, with interviews to take place (online) on a rolling basis. 

Ideally, you will be available to attend a Trustee Induction on the morning of Tuesday 23 June, ahead of the first Board of Trustees meeting on Wednesday 24 June (as an observer), both online via MS Teams. Your term of office will start on Wednesday 01 July.

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Henry Massimo, People & Governance Manager, henry.massimo@thesu.org.uk.

Eligibility

You must be, and remain, a student at Falmouth University, during the 2026/27 academic year.

There are strict conditions placed on charity Trustees by law and all applicants must declare that they are eligible to become a charity Trustee. You will not be eligible if:

• You are on the Sex Offenders’ Register
• You have any unspent conviction for an offence involving:
  • deception or dishonesty
  • terrorist offences
  • money laundering
  • bribery
  • misconduct in public office, perjury, perverting the course of justice
  • contravention of certain preventative Orders of the Charity Commission (Section 77 of the Charities Act 2011)
  • attempting, aiding or abetting the above offences

• You have any designation under specific anti-terrorist legislation
• You have been convicted of contempt of court
• You have been removed from:
  • trusteeship, or as an officer, agent or employee of a charity by the Court or the Commission for misconduct or mismanagement
  • a position of management or control of a charity in Scotland for mismanagement or misconduct
• You have been found guilty by the High court of disobeying a Commission order or direction

• You have an undischarged bankruptcy
• You have a composition or arrangement with creditors which includes an individual voluntary arrangement (IVA) and is currently on the Insolvency Service Register

As part of the recruitment process, we will ask you to sign a declaration that you are legally entitled to become a Trustee and commit the required time.

Data Protection

We’re committed to data protection and it’s important to know what’s happening with your data when you apply for a role. That means we’ll only use the information you supply for the purposes of progressing your application (or to fulfil legal or regulatory requirements if necessary) and we’ll never share your information with any third parties for marketing purposes or store it outside of the European Economic Area.

Equal Opportunities

We’re committed to ensuring our workforce accurately reflects the diversity of the world we live in. We positively encourage applications from all individuals irrespective of their gender, age, home country, ethnic background, sexuality, religious beliefs or disability. All candidates will be treated equally and all appointments made on merit.