imperialcollegeunion.org

What is Imperial College Union?

Imperial College Union (ICU) is the students' union for Imperial College London. It describes itself as a team of students, staff and trustees working together to represent students, with a mission to positively impact student life "at Imperial and beyond." In practice, that means it combines student representation, advice, events and commercial services under one organisation.

What it actually does

• Representation: An elected Officer Team represents the student voice to the university and the wider community. ICU frames this as helping students push for the changes they want to see.
• Advice and advocacy: A Student Advice team supports students with academic issues, including academic misconduct accusations and mitigating circumstances claims, with the aim of making sure students know their rights and are treated fairly.
• Clubs, societies and events: Students can join clubs and societies, buy memberships and student group items, and attend events run by ICU and student groups — from social nights to give-it-a-go activities.
• Employment: Its Impowered programme offers part-time work designed to fit around study, letting students earn while gaining experience.
• Shops and venues: ICU runs a union shop selling official Imperial merchandise, online and at its South Kensington campus store. It states it is a not-for-profit, so spending at its stores and venues goes back into student services.

H3. Who it is for The primary audience is Imperial College London students — both new and returning — with particular emphasis on welcome activities, representation and academic support. Prospective students, recent graduates and staff may also interact with its events, shops and venues, but the core services are student-facing.

H3. How it compares to other students' unions Most UK students' unions mix representation, advice and commercial activity, so ICU is not unusual in structure. What distinguishes it is the specific Imperial context: a STEM-heavy, London-based university where academic misconduct and mitigating circumstances support are prominent, and where part-time work that fits a demanding course load has clear value. If you are looking for national student representation rather than university-specific services, that is a different kind of organisation — for example the National Union of Students National Union of Students.

H3. A practical next step If you are an Imperial student, decide what you need first: academic advice, a society to join, an event to attend, or merchandise. The "Help & Advice," "Activities" and "What's on" sections map directly onto those needs. New students should start with Welcome Week listings, since many events and sign-up deadlines cluster there.

How do I join a club or society at Imperial College Union?

Joining a club or society at Imperial College Union starts through the union's student group activities route, where you browse what exists and then buy membership. The union's own quick links point to both "Activities — Join a Club or Society" and a "Student Group Shop" for buying club and society memberships, so those are the two practical steps: find the group, then purchase your membership through the shop.

The basic process

1. Find the group you want. Use the union's Activities section to look through clubs and societies. At a university like Imperial, options typically range from sports and departmental societies to cultural, hobby and performance groups.
2. Buy membership. Memberships are sold through the Student Group Shop, which the union describes as the place to buy club and society memberships and other student group items. Some groups charge a small annual fee; others may be free to join.
3. Check what's on. The union's events listings show activities led by both the union and student groups, which is a useful way to try something before committing — for example, a "Give it a Go" session.
4. Log in if needed. An ICU account is used for account management, and you may need it to complete a purchase or sign up.

If you're new or undecided

Welcome Week (the union lists events from 25 September to 3 October) is the easiest moment to sample groups, since many run taster sessions and socials then. If you're unsure, attend a low-commitment event first, then join the groups that fit.

Worth knowing

• Membership money generally goes to the individual student group rather than the union's central services, so fees vary by group.
• Union merchandise purchases are separate from club membership; the union notes that as a not-for-profit, spending at its stores and venues goes back into student services.
• If cost is a barrier, ask the group or the union whether bursaries or fee waivers exist.

Next step: go to the union's Activities pages, shortlist two or three groups, and check each group's shop listing for its membership price and joining instructions. Related official sites you may find useful: Imperial College London.

What support does the Student Advice team offer for academic misconduct or mitigating circumstances?

The Student Advice team at Imperial College Union provides casework support for students facing academic misconduct allegations or preparing mitigating circumstances claims. According to the union's own description, its advisers help you understand your rights and aim to ensure you are treated fairly through the process. In practice, that usually means explaining how the procedure works, helping you prepare a written statement or claim, reviewing evidence, and preparing you for a meeting or panel — though the exact scope of representation depends on the case, so confirm what is offered when you first make contact.

This matters most in time-sensitive situations. A typical scenario: you receive an email alleging misconduct and a deadline to respond, or you need to submit mitigating circumstances evidence before an exam board sits. Contacting the Advice team early gives you more options than waiting until after a decision.

How the two areas differ

Next step

Find the Help & Advice section of the union site and make contact as soon as you receive a deadline, not after it. Have your student ID, the relevant emails and any evidence to hand. If your case involves a serious allegation or a formal panel, ask explicitly whether an adviser can accompany you, since availability and the level of support can vary.

For comparison, other students' unions run similar independent advice services, such as Imperial College Union (this site) or UCL Students' Union, but eligibility normally depends on which institution you attend — so use the service tied to your own university.

How can I get involved in the Autumn Elections and nominate myself or vote?

The Autumn Elections at Imperial College Union are run through the union itself, and nominations open on 5 October 2026 according to the union's own events listing. The main practical steps are to check the union's elections page, submit a nomination during the open window, and then campaign and vote when polling opens.

How the process normally works

1. Check the election hub first. The union publishes nomination forms, position descriptions and key dates on its site. Start from Imperial College Union and look for the Autumn Elections listing or the "Your Officer Team" section, which explains what student representatives do.
2. Confirm which roles are open. Autumn elections typically cover a mix of full-time and part-time officer roles plus other student representative positions. Read the role description before nominating, because the time commitment and responsibilities differ a lot between them.
3. Nominate yourself before the deadline. Nominations open on 5 October 2026, so the window is short. You usually need a short manifesto or statement and, for some roles, a proposer or seconder. Check the exact requirements on the nomination form rather than assuming.
4. Campaign once nominations close. Expect a few days to a couple of weeks of campaigning: social media posts, manifestos, and sometimes hustings or question-and-answer sessions with candidates.
5. Vote when polling opens. Voting is normally online through the union's account system. If you have an ICU account, you can log in and vote; if you are not sure, the union's Help & Advice or account login pages explain how accounts work.
6. Attend the results announcement. Results are usually published shortly after polling closes, and unsuccessful candidates often run again in a later round.

A quick way to decide whether to stand

Practical next step

Set a reminder for 5 October 2026 and read the role descriptions before nominations open, not after. If you are unsure whether a role suits you, the union's Advice team and current officers are the people to ask; the same team handles academic and welfare cases, so they are used to answering student questions directly. For context on how a students' union election works elsewhere, Cambridge SU and UCL Students' Union publish comparable nomination and voting guidance.

What is Impowered and how can I find part-time work that fits around my studies?

Impowered is a part-time employment programme run by Imperial College Union, aimed at students who want to earn while they study and build experience for after graduation. The union's own description frames it around flexibility: work that "works around your studies." That's the core promise — not just a job listing, but a scheme intended to fit alongside a degree timetable.

Who it suits

• Students who want income without sacrificing lecture and lab attendance.
• Those building a CV for graduate roles and wanting something concrete to point to.
• New students who want a low-risk way to meet people and learn how the university works.

How to get started

1. Go to the union site and look for the Impowered sign-up, listed under its quick links alongside Activities and Help & Advice.
2. If you're unsure what fits your schedule, ask the Student Advice team — they handle academic issues and can talk through how work interacts with your course commitments.
3. Check the union's events and student group pages too; many roles and volunteering opportunities surface there first.

The practical trade-off

Campus-based work through a students' union tends to be more forgiving about exam periods and deadlines than an outside employer, but the hours and pay bands are usually modest. Treat it as a way to gain experience and a reference, not as a full living wage. If you need higher earnings, you'll likely need to look beyond the union as well.

A concrete scenario

A second-year student with labs three days a week wants weekend shifts and nothing during assessment periods. Signing up to Impowered and stating those constraints upfront is the sensible first move; the union's own Advice team is the fallback if a job starts clashing with a mitigating circumstances claim or an academic misconduct allegation, both of which the page explicitly says they can help with.

For comparison, other students' unions run similar schemes, such as UCL Students' Union and Manchester Students' Union.

Next step: sign up for Impowered, then check the union's events and Activities pages in the same visit so you can apply for something before term gets busy.

Where can I buy official Imperial merchandise and how does my purchase support students?

You can buy official Imperial merchandise through the Union Shop, which Imperial College Union describes as offering T-shirts, hoodies, totes and more, both online and in store at the South Kensington campus. The same shop also sells Club and Society memberships and other student group items.

The support mechanism is the not-for-profit model: Imperial College Union states that anything you spend at its stores and venues goes back into improving the services it provides students. So a hoodie or tote purchase is effectively a contribution to student services rather than a commercial sale to an outside retailer.

If you want to check before buying

• Look for the Union Shop link on the Imperial College Union site for current stock and campus opening details.
• Ask whether the item you want is a student group item, since those purchases may relate to a specific club or society rather than general merchandise.
• If you are a new or returning student, time a purchase around Welcome Week, when the union runs a large events programme and shop traffic is highest.

Where this fits in the wider picture Imperial College Union also points students to its Advice team for academic issues such as misconduct accusations or mitigating circumstances claims, and to its officer team for representation. Merchandise spending supports that same student-facing organisation, so the practical trade-off is simple: you pay for a branded item, and the surplus stays inside the union rather than going to a separate commercial seller.