Student election

Students elect a new representative on the University Council each year for a two-year term. Find out more information about the election process.

Two student members of the University Council are elected by their fellow students. The student representatives serve overlapping two-year terms, which means that there is an election every year.

Candidates

The Council of Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington invites students to submit their candidacy for election as a student representative on Council for a two-year term, commencing on 1 January 2027 and concluding on 31 December 2028 (or earlier if the elected student representative ceases to be an enrolled student of the University).

To be eligible for election, you must be an enrolled student at Te Herenga Waka―Victoria University of Wellington and must not be disqualified from appointment under section 277 of the Education and Training Act 2020.

Interested students are invited to complete the Notice of Candidacy and submit it to the Returning Officer (Caroline Ward―caroline.ward@vuw.ac.nz) by 5 pm on Wednesday 29 July 2026.

Election details

If the number of candidates exceeds the number of vacancies (one), an election will be held. Electronic Voting will commence on Monday, 10 August 2026 and close on Friday, 14 August 2026 at 5 pm. The candidate will be elected by the first past the post method.

All students are eligible to vote in the election.

The election will be conducted in accordance with the Council Membership Statute (PDF) and the Council Elections Procedure (PDF).

The Council expects to appoint the successful candidate at the 14 September 2026 meeting of Council.

Returning officer

All correspondence relating to the election must be addressed to the Returning Officer.

To find out more

For more information, contact the Returning Officer.

Caroline Ward

Secretary to Council

Vice-Chancellor's Office

• caroline.ward@vuw.ac.nz
• +64 4 463 5196
• +64 27 5635196