Introducing the Union Presidents

Meet the 2025-26 Executive Team

Your Union, formally known as The University of St Andrews Students’ Association, operates as a representative and pastoral hub for students throughout the academic year. At its helm are the full-time Executive Officers, who work closely with the University to champion student voices across all areas of university life. The Presidents were elected by the student body during the 2025 Candlemas semester, with a by-election in June 2025 for the role of President of Union Affairs. The Executive team officially took office on 21 July 2025.

Following the Democracy Review in December 2024, the Union restructured its sabbatical system, replacing the previous team model of one Association President and five Sabbatical Directors, with five respective Presidents, each overseeing a specific remit in a non-hierarchical structure. The Union’s official website stated that the purpose of this review was to “refresh the naming of the sabbatical officer team to modernise and better reflect their working relationship”.

President of Union Affairs — Alice Hodges — aeh30@st-andrews.ac.uk

Alice Hodges, a Philosophy graduate from Gloucestershire, is the Association’s first President of Union Affairs, “a new role created to ensure your voices drive every decision we make,” she explained. Hodges’ manifesto ensured, “[...] no more vague promises, no more closed-door decisions. Just real, measurable change, driven by you.” In this role, Hodges holds an influential seat on the University Court and Senate, bolstering student representation on crucial governing and decision-making boards.

“Think of me as the bridge between you, the Union, and the University — representing your opinions [...] and then fighting to make sure your needs aren’t just heard, but acted on. My job is split between representation, strategy, and holding power to account. This means championing your voice in Union and University decision-making, overseeing Union services to ensure they work for you, and supporting student leaders in delivering real change. I will work closely with University leadership, pushing them on critical issues, from affordability to wellbeing.”

Reflecting on her time as the Union Affairs Intern, Hodges noted that the experience gave her a deep understanding of the Union’s importance. Having had “the privilege of shadowing Cam Brown” (the Union’s former and final Association President), she said the experience encouraged her to build on his legacy and achieve even more impactful wins for students.

“In my manifesto, I laid out ‘Plan-A(lice)’ as a roadmap for the year ahead. It’s built on transparency, fighting for affordability, elevating the postgrad experience, and ensuring we secure the future of the Union without a need for a plan B. This means transparency you can trust through open consultations and live updates, fighting for affordability with free breakfast initiatives and sustainable Campus Larder funding, and holding power to account on housing costs, as well as a better postgraduate experience with dedicated spaces and representation. I’d like to build a Union that fights for our future by embedding sustainable practices, while backing our leaders and volunteers with real support [...] but none of this works without you, so email me, stop me in town and shout your ideas at me. Let’s make sure we change what needs to be changed, together.”

 Athletic Union President — Amy Gordon — ag388@st-andrews.ac.uk

Athletic Union President Amy Gordon is a recent International Relations graduate of the University, bringing years of leadership experience — from serving as Netball Club President, to sitting on the Athletic Union Board. Committed to her pledge that ‘Your Sport, Your Voice, Your AU,’ and ‘Your AU, your right to know,’ Gordon aims to ensure that student voices remain at the heart of every decision.

“As AU President, I represent all students involved in sport at St Andrews, whether you’re playing competitively, recreationally, or just getting started. I act as the main link between the Athletic Union, the University, and external organisations, helping to make sure student sport continues to grow, stays inclusive, and reflects your needs. I also work closely with Saints Sport and student committees to support the running of our 52 student sport [sic] clubs, and ensure that the AU is centred around the needs of students.”

“I’ve played netball for most of my life, and it’s been a huge part of my university experience here at St Andrews. Sport has always been a core passion of mine, and I’m incredibly grateful for the sense of community, teamwork, and joy it brings — all of which I hope to help foster in my role.”

“This year, my goals include improving support for club committees through clearer communication and better training, as well as making it easier for clubs to collaborate and learn from each other through regularly scheduled opportunities.” Gordon added, “I’m also passionate about creating more open and honest conversations between the AU and the student body — making sure your feedback drives our decisions and direction. Most importantly, I want to foster a sporting community where every student feels represented, celebrated, and empowered to get involved at whatever level works for them. I can’t wait to work with you all to make sport at St Andrews the best it can be!"

President of Education — Emily Bannister — emb32@st-andrews.ac.uk

As President of Education, Emily Bannister represents students on key issues related to learning, teaching, and research at the University. She leads various working groups and committees — from the Academic Senate, to the Planning and Resources Committee — where she works to coordinate and escalate students’ concerns about their academic experience. As a trustee of both the Students’ Association Board and University Court, she plays a crucial role in ensuring student voices are heard at the highest levels of the University governance. Bannister oversees a broad academic representation structure, including Faculty Presidents, School Presidents, Language Convenors, Postgraduate Representatives, and Class Representatives, all working together to secure positive changes across town.

“My debut into academic representation was as a sub-honours Class Representative. Realising I loved all things representation, I became Academic Representation Intern for the Students’ Association, supporting the Director of Education and the wider team across multiple projects. This internship gave me the bug for academic representation, leading to my election as Arts and Divinity Faculty President. I supported, trained, and oversaw all academic representatives in the arts, often elevating school-based issues to secure university-wide change.”

“My manifesto encapsulates the accessibility of me, resources, and spaces for all students. As the token ‘Swifty’ of the Executive Officers this year, it was only right for it to be Eras tour inspired. I aim to secure changes for all students through training and supporting fearless — and productive — student voices at all levels. I will speak now to support postgraduate students, cement their representation structures, and advocate for their unique experiences. Students receive too many emails, thus I aim to cut the red tape and ensure that students are facilitated through efficient and streamlined communications.”

“Our University has a historic reputation, though I will push for innovative teaching and policies. I hope to ensure that students facing barriers to academia know of all support available to them. I will further explore the extension of collaborative study spaces, and advocate for the accommodation of diverse learning requirements.”

President of Wellbeing and Community — Alex Chun — ac430@st-andrews.ac.uk

Alex Chun, an International Relations and Modern History graduate, serves as President of Wellbeing and Community. Chun leads the Union’s efforts on student wellbeing, diversity, and inclusion, supporting student networks such as BAME (Black, Asian, and minority ethnic) and DSN (Disabled Student Network), while overseeing equality charters to ensure both the Union and University prioritise student health and inclusion. 

Detailing his manifesto priorities, Chun pledges to “hold weekly office hours open to all students”, “expand the Campus Larder to include formal interview attire”, and “work with students to create poster campaigns explicitly calling out racism, microaggressions, and more”. In the past academic year, Chun won the Rector’s Award for his activism in “making the Union and University an inclusive and accessible place for students”.

Outside of his role at the Union, the PresWell enjoys art and archery, competing with a compound bow both seated and standing. Chun added, “During my time as a student, and as Gender Equality Officer in 2024-25, I worked on several anti-spiking initiatives to make nights out safer in St Andrews, and I also worked with Student Services to review and improve the structure of Report + Support. Student safety and support are priorities for me. Several of my plans for this upcoming year focus on ways to improve student mental health, especially during the dark days of the year.”

“To complete the Change Programme, our Union will be going through some major transformations in the upcoming year, and I am determined to ensure that we represent the wishes and interests of St Andrews students throughout this process […] A lot has changed and a lot will continue to change in the time ahead, but despite all of this, our goal as your Executive team remains the same — to always put our ability to support and represent students first.”

President of Student Opportunities — Robert Moran — rjm34@st-andrews.ac.uk

Robert ‘RoMo’ Moran, is the first to step into the new role of President of Student Opportunities. “As the new PresOpps, I am responsible for running our new Activities Team, which will oversee all of our activity networks, volunteering, charitable donations, traditions, and best of all, our nearly 200 affiliated societies. My manifesto is centred around three core projects: Levelling Up Volunteers, Lasting Change for Living Costs, and Your Union, Your Voice. Together these three tenets will act as my personal North Star guiding me through the year. Look out for me around town and in the Union building, I'll be the one wearing the purple gown!”

RoMo’s motivation is grounded in a clear vision for the Union, not merely to “advertise opportunities, but to actively ensure that every student can access them”, as stated in his manifesto. He aims to provide better support for student societies and volunteering groups while also “spotlighting the quieter corners where growth happens”. Moran said, “In our time at university, ‘opportunity’ takes many forms: academic exploration, creative expression, professional development, and the sheer joy of discovering what we’re capable of. But for too many, these opportunities remain out of reach. I believe that must change.”

“Having spent my four years on nine committees, like Ents and Mermaids, and having supported creative, academic, and technical projects alike, I’ve seen first-hand what students can achieve when given the space and support to thrive. I want to bring that understanding into a role where I can help build those opportunities for others.”

RoMo noted that over the past eighteen months, the Union has taken significant steps to modernise under the Change Programme, but emphasised that its commitment to progress remains strong. He is launching the first Activities Forum, inviting all societies to unite and discuss key issues as equal members of the Union. Further information about his remit and upcoming opportunities is available at YourUnion.net/Activities.

Photos Courtesy of The University of St Andrews Students' Association