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Candidacy, election groups and election periods

Are you entitled to vote, and are you eligible for election? Which bodies can you serve on and for how long if elected? SDU holds elections to its collegiate bodies in November every year, and it‘s important to watch your step. That’s because the elections can be a bit confusing and complicated. Find the answers here.

Read more about candidacy, election groups and election periods

In a university election, candidates can be elected to the following:

  • The Board of SDU
  • The University Council
  • The Academic Council (one for each faculty) at TEK, NAT, HUM, SAMF and SUND
  • The PhD committee (one for each faculty) at TEK, NAT, HUM, SAMF and SUND
  • Department Councils (one for each department)
  • Study boards (up to several for each faculty) at TEK, NAT, HUM, SAMF and SUND 

Read more about the tasks of the various councils, boards and committees.

There are three groups of voters for a university election:

  • Election Group I: Academic staff (Danish acronym: VIP)
  • Election Group II: Technical/administrative staff (Danish acronym: TAP)
  • Election Group III: Students (STUD)

NOTE: In the case of elections to a PhD committee, the PhD students are included in Election Group III (STUD), while they are included in Election Group I (VIP) for elections to the Department Council and the Academic Council.

If you want to stand as a candidate for a body (council/board/committee), you must first check that you are eligible (can be elected to the body). If you are listed on the current ‘election list’, you are eligible for election. The electoral lists are published according to the election schedule, and the submission deadline is non-negotiable.

To be able to vote and stand as a candidate, you must be listed on an election list. If not, you can do neither. As an employee in either Election Group I (VIP) or II (TAP), you will be listed on the election list if you meet the following criteria:

  • You are employed when the election is called and held
  • Your employment is at for least 2 years – and it extends at least 6 months into the new election period
  • You are employed for at least 15 hours a week 

To be able to vote and stand as a candidate, you must be listed on an election list. If not, you can do neither. As a student in Election Group III, you will be listed on the election list if you meet the following criteria:

  • You are enrolled at the university when the election is called and held.
  • You are enrolled in a continuous education programme, i.e. Bachelor, Graduate, Master's, Elective subjects and the PhD programme.
  • Students who are enrolled as guest students, on exchange stays or propaedeutic courses are not included in the election list.

Please also note that:
No one in Election Group III may be eligible and have the voting rights for more than one academic council. Persons who meet the requirements for being eligible for election to several academic councils may, within a period set by the Election Secretariat, communicate to the Election Secretariat in which voting area they wish to exercise their eligibility. If no such notice is given, the Election Secretariat will place the person in an election area.

Students who are enrolled in more than one course of study will automatically be registered with voting rights for the study board for the central part of the programme's subject areas. Upon submitting a written application, the student can be transferred to obtain voting rights for the study board which is responsible for the elective subject. Applications for transfer must be submitted to the Election Secretariat no later than the expiry of the deadline for complaints concerning the election lists.

Students are admitted to the election list with voting rights for the department council(s) at departments which provide a significant part of the subject disciplines that make up the student's education programme. 

The following election groups vote for the following bodies:

  • The Board: Election Group I (VIP), Election Group II (TAP), Election Group III (STUD)
  • The University Council: Election Group II (TAP), Election Group III (STUD)
  • Academic Councils: Election Group I (VIP), Election Group II (TAP), Election Group III (STUD)
  • PhD Committees: Election Group I (VIP), Election Group III (STUD = PhD students)
  • Department Councils: Election Group I (VIP), Election Group II (TAP), Election Group III (STUD)
  • Study Boards: Election Group I (VIP), Election Group III (STUD)

 Below you can find details on the terms of office of the collegiate bodies:

Members of the Board of SDU:

  • Academic staff (VIP): 4 years
  • Technical/administrative staff (TAP): 4 years
  • Students (STUD): 2 years
Members of the University Council:
  • Academic staff (VIP): 4 years
  • Technical/administrative staff (TAP): 4 years
  • Students (STUD): 2 years

Members of the Academic Councils:

  • Academic staff (VIP): 4 years
  • Technical/administrative staff (TAP): 4 years
  • Students (STUD): 2 years

Members of PhD committees:

  • Academic staff (VIP): 4 years
  • PhD students (STUD): 1 year

Members of  Department Councils:

  • Academic staff (VIP): 4 years
  • Technical/administrative staff (TAP): 4 years
  • Students (STUD): 2 years

Members of  Study Boards:

  • Academic staff (VIP): 4 years
  • Technical/administrative staff (TAP): 4 years
  • Students (STUD): 1 year

    Last Updated 28.05.2022