Exploitation, neglect and how we are failing our part-Time officers

Part-time (non-sabbatical) officers are often a very important component of our structures in SUs.

They are elected representatives often covering some of the most important and vulnerable groups of students – BME and disabled students, women*, LGBTQ+ and transgender students, international and mature – specific remits that tend not to be reflected within a full-time sabbatical team.

SUs herald the PTO position as an opportunity for change, whilst knowing full well that they have no real power. My research suggests that little space is made for them. Staff – SU and university alike – routinely dismiss or ignore them, reverent of the title they hold whilst treating the student as a nuisance.

That means that we need to reassess how we treat PTOs before these positions get scrapped as yet another victim of Covid – and instead address ourselves and our work and truly listen to what they are telling us and fully advocate for their spaces within SUs so that they can concentrate on the important work they do.

Accessories

In my research into the experience of PTOs around the country, I found that they act mostly as an accessory to the SU and to the officer structure.

One PTO said that she feels there is a:

… persistent low-grade feeling that sometimes I am left out of things that I might both be interested in doing/helping with.

…and she went on to describe how, despite the minimised pressure with being a student, that she is only has a “semi-entrance” to the SU and sometimes only catches events and campaigns by coincidence as a student on campus, let alone as an officer that is supposed to be heavily involved with the SU.

Another said that:

…it often feels like we are disconnected from the rest of the ‘proper’ officer team.

With very little structure to how a PTO is supposed to be treated – student, officer, or something else – PTO’s are often left on the sidelines with the assumption they will act like sabbaticals, despite reduced support, compensation, and recognition.

Another said that it is “hard to make changes as no one takes you seriously” and that work consistently exceeds their level with ridiculously high expectations for their time and capacity – “it’s just about establishing a point of contact”.

Another respondent said that he had also raised similar concerns to SU staff on several occasions and that “nothing was done”.

Another echoed this when they said that he is “expected to do the same work as the paid sabbatical officers for free”.

This may immediately bring feelings amongst some that the PTOs in their union “do nothing, let alone to the degree of sabbs” – but it’s important to examine those feelings and consider that very often the same level of responsibility and expectations are placed onto these PTO’s, especially when they are not given proper support and are consistently having their “liberation labour” exploited.

It is a tenuous position to be in – referencing the idea that the positions are heralded whilst the person themselves are not treated fairly, nor correctly.

Another PTO said that the union:

…says that it respects that our studies come above our part-time role, however this is almost never supported by their actions and there is a constant pressure to dedicate a large amount of time to the role.

Another said that they:

… often have to say no to projects that are really important because I simply don’t have the capacity… it’s really disheartening to have to tell a student that I can’t do anything for them because they know that there’s no one else they can really go to.

These officers often find themselves pulled in two different directions, which at times seem exclusive of each other – dedicating your time to your studies, or dedicating it to the SU.

They feel a constant pressure to perform and represent their group, which very often is a one-way ticket to burnout and disenfranchisement, in a role that is not paid and does not open as many career doors as their sabbatical counterparts. It is no surprise why we are seeing engagement in unpaid PTO roles during elections plummet.

Financial compensation?

The majority of survey respondents called for financial compensation for their roles, a much needed and long awaited change that SU’s are increasingly implementing. But pay isn’t the whole story.

A telling statement came from a PTO was that they would also like “proper training prior to (their) role starting” and “support from staff”. In an age where we are finally having a conversation about proper compensation for students in leadership and representative roles, students in these positions are simply asking for respect that they have an important job to do – enough to properly equip and support them.

A large majority of PTO’s surveyed also asked for food discounts and meal cards, a simple ask when we consider the amount we ask of them given the rise of cost of living and the student hunger crisis.

Many of them are in a position where they are either sacrificing having a job to pursue voluntary positions which are extremely important to them politically, or they are juggling university work, their position and a part-time job(s).

Another issue is one of space for them within their union. Whilst this may seem like a frivolous thing, or it may be that your PTO’s have a desk allotted somewhere – either with their sabbaticals or SU staff – it is often an afterthought and is often intimidating to these students, or is not equipped for their needs and time commitments.

One PTO said that, if she were not paid, a compromise would be:

…an office space of my own of some sort. My own desk space within the SU where I felt part of the SU team.

We would not expect a sabb or staff member to sit at a hot desk in a department which isn’t theirs, nor would we expect them to be productive and feel supported while working long hours in the library, so why should we expect elected, and important, representatives of the SU to do the same?

Carving out space is a sign of respect – that they have a job to do and that they should be provided with the same facilities as anyone else working at the SU. If the conversation about payment is still many years away, it is a simple way to help tackle the issue of isolation and neglect that many PTO’s feel around the country.

Support from staff

This is not to dismiss the genuine difference that supportive and available staff can make for a PTO’s experience and engagement in their role.

One PTO said that:

…there was then a staff turnaround and by the second year we were flooded with support, which made me re-run, but before I was not going to because the responsibility felt so huge… this shows the importance of a supportive and empowering student voice team.

In voice depts we have a massive impact on the students around us and whether they enjoy their experience as an activist or student leader whilst at university, or whether they become disempowered and disenfranchised.

Whilst we may know this on some level, and feel intimidated by the responsibility, it is important to remember that sometimes a kind word or an impactful 1 to 1 meeting could make or break a students’ experience.

If we take this into account when interacting with our engaged students it means they will have a better experience overall, will run better and more impactful campaigns, and are more likely to rerun or further spread engagement for the next elections period.

Much of the above highlights where we are going in the wrong direction with our student leaders and volunteers, but I hope that it has highlighted experiences that will trigger reviews of how we support our student leaders.

I will be working tirelessly this year, in preparation for the incoming PTO team, to reevaluate and establish a new and better working relationship with our elected representatives. That may lead to an article next year on the changes that we have implemented and the do’s and the don’ts – but for now we should be consulting our students, with our defences down, as to what needs to change.

They are dedicated and intelligent people who worked tirelessly to be elected, and often continue to work with other student groups and campaigns outside of main SU events. They should be treated with the respect that we owe to any other officer or staff member, and we should dedicate our time to helping them achieve what is most important to them and our students.