Queen’s Students’ Union officer steps down
Thomas Copeland
Elena Byrne has resigned due to “personal circumstances”
QUBSU postgraduate officer Elena Byrne has stepped down, The Scoop can exclusively reveal.
The Students’ Union will announce a by-election to fill the position in the coming weeks after Byrne “resigned from her post due to personal circumstances”, according to the Union president.
“I experienced the most warm, welcoming and supportive team and I am so grateful to have worked alongside some of the student movement’s hardest workers and most genuine, compassionate activists who really care about students”, Byrne told The Scoop.
“The student officers will have a big impact and I’m so proud of them. I wish both them and my successor all the best going forward this academic year.”
The former postgraduate officer took up the role on July 1, just six weeks ago, having been elected in March with 1,073 votes.
Speaking to The Scoop, SU president Katie Ní Chléire said, “We are immensely grateful to Elena for the energy, enthusiasm and commitment she brought to the Students’ Union over many years.
An election will take place in October 2021 to elect a new full-time postgraduate student officer, details of which will be announced in due course.
Until then, the Student Officer team will continue to ensure that postgraduate students are fully represented in Queen’s and beyond.
Postgraduate students should continue to contact the Students’ Union as normal with their issues and queries.”
The Students’ Union building on Elmwood Avenue
The Students’ Union constitution requires that by-elections must be held during “normal teaching weeks” and that candidate nominations must open at least a month before the election occurs.
This means that mid-October is the earliest that a by-election could feasibly be held, despite it being two months after Byrne’s resignation.
The position of postgraduate officer was contested by five candidates in this year’s Students’ Union election.
However, the Students’ Union constitution stipulates that all candidates must be registered students at the time of their election.
This criteria will likely preclude many of the losing candidates from re-running.
Whoever fills the full-time post in October also faces the prospect of just four months in office before next year’s Students’ Union elections, although they will continue in the role until June 2022.
In her outgoing statement to The Scoop, Byrne expressed her gratitude to the Queen’s community.
“I would like to say a huge thank you to the wonderful staff in the SU, particularly to Ciaran, Damien and Barry.
“I’d also like to say a big thank you to all staff and students who have been so supportive of me this year during election time and when I took up post.
“And of course, with special thanks to the amazing officer team that is Bethany, Chloe, Emma and Niamh, led by the fantastic Katie.”
Thomas Copeland is the Head of The Scoop