For the student who gets emotions from motions, or has a passion for procedure, the perfect position may have just opened: CUSU Council chair.

The student union is currently seeking volunteers for the position, open to any CUSU member, which requires organising and running fortnightly Monday Council sessions.

The role was recently vacated by Rachel Mander, former president of Newnham’s student union, who left the role after coming to the end of her JCR tenure. Mander had held the position, supported by Alex Cicale, CUSU’s democratic support coordinator, since the second Council of Michaelmas term 2016 – a period of just over year.

According to the student union’s new standing orders, approved last year, the Chair should be appointed at the final Council session of Lent term, alongside a deputy. There were no applicants for either position last Lent, so Mander was re-appointed in a by-election, on what she told Varsity was an understanding that she would step down at end of November.

Despite the forewarning, CUSU’s leadership seemed to be caught off-guard by Mander stepping down, and Cicale also not attending, having apparently left his role. At this term’s first Council, two weeks ago, CUSU’s general manager Mark McCormack acted as chair, and the new appointment vote has been brought forward.

Confusion now surrounds the future of Cicale’s role, which was introduced in 2016 after the abolition of the old Coordinator sabbatical officer role, to help with the organisation and running of Council. No one was present to fulfil the role at the last Council session, and CUSU is not currently advertising for a new appointee.

As a double team leading Council, Cicale and Mander oversaw a comparatively calm and organised period of Council, with session times regularly dropping as low as an hour – a far cry from the five-hour sessions borne out of controversies such as 2016’s NUS and budgeting debates.

Mander told Varsity she “really loved the role”, and would encourage students to apply.

CUSU president Daisy Eyre also strongly encouraged potential applicants, saying: “I think the role of CUSU Council Chair is a fantastic opportunity for students.”

“By being Chair, students can learn about leadership and have the opportunity to get involved with CUSU,” she said. “I hope that students see CUSU Council as an chance to get their voices heard in CUSU and therefore in the University. Moving forward, I’m aiming for Council to become a space members use to workshop and promote solutions to issues that impact all Cambridge students.”

Interested applicants should email Eyre ahead of Monday’s meeting.

Addressing the democratic support coordinator role vacated by Cicale, Eyre said: “We will probably be recruiting a new democratic support staff role, though there is a chance one of our existing staff may want to take on the responsibility. At the moment, I am handling most of the work.”