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Candidate for the position of Student Trustees

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Eleanor Miller

As the current Chair of the Trustee Board and VP for Undergraduate Education & Access, I bring experience, continuity, and a comprehensive understanding of SU governance and trustee duties. I’ve led reform, rebuilt trust with staff and students across the University, and helped shape the SU’s new democratic model. I’m running to support key projects, like the Conference of Common Rooms, and to help the new sabbatical team thrive, ensuring the SU stays student-led and inclusive.

Student Trustee Candidate Statement Form
As the current Vice-President for Undergraduate Education & Access at Oxford SU, I believe I am well suited to the role of Student Trustee as I bring direct trustee experience and a deep understanding of the SU’s governance, strategy, and operations. I have chaired the Trustee Board, led on major structural transformation, and contributed to change management across the organisation, despite working in a reduced sabbatical team of two.

My role has involved high-level engagement with University leadership and shaping policy on a wide range of issues, from achieving APP targets to ethical investments. I played a key role in drafting the SU’s new democratic model the Conference of Common Rooms, as well as the accompanying Bye-Laws, equipping me with strong familiarity with our governance structures and how to apply them in Board discussions. Before my sabbatical year, I served as Co-Chair and First-Gen Officer of Class Act and held positions in my Common Room, giving me both college and institutional perspectives.
I’m standing to be on the Trustee Board for another year because I care deeply about the SU and the role it plays in tackling issues that affect all students. Over the past year, I’ve worked hard to rebuild trust in the SU – both among students and University staff – and want to ensure that progress continues. The SU has historically struggled with institutional memory, due to both annual sabbatical and student trustee turnover, and high staff turnover. I want to provide continuity on the Board, ensuring key projects – like the Conference of Common Rooms Pilot and launch of Part-Time Officers – are properly supported and embedded.

I’m also really excited about the incoming sabbatical team, the new perspectives they will be bringing, and want to offer support and knowledge so they can hit the ground running. I know how difficult it can be to navigate this organisation early on, and I believe that I can help them, alongside the wider Trustee Board, drive forward change most effectively.
As someone who’s been at the heart of the SU’s transformation, I understand what’s needed to keep the organisation student-led, well-run, and responsive to the real and sometimes urgent concerns of our diverse student body. I’ll continue to bring institutional knowledge, policy insight, and a strong commitment to inclusive decision-making.

On the Board, I will support the SU’s long-term strategy, ask critical questions, and ensure we maintain high standards of governance and accountability. I’ll also keep advocating for the student voice – especially for those from marginalised and underrepresented backgrounds – ensuring the SU stays rooted in its mission.

Having spent a year inside the organisation, I understand both its challenges and its potential. I’m committed to helping the SU not only function, but thrive, and to ensuring it can be an organisation that students from across the collegiate university can trust, value, and feel represented by.