I became a director!

Introduction?

This week was by far the most "relaxed" I've had since starting this newsletter, although my calendar would beg to differ. Longer, less pressured meetings were simultaneously relaxing and exhausting. Once again, the mix of committees and the roles I play in them made my week varied. Being a sabbatical officer makes you a trustee of a charity, a director of a multi-million-pound turnover business, and a student representative. In the three meetings I'm talking about this week, I ended up putting on each of those hats.?

Meetings?

Trustee Board?

The biggest meeting I had this week was an internal one within Edinburgh University Students' Association . The Trustee Board is a regular gathering where the trustees of the association hold the management team accountable, receive strategic updates, and approve motions. The board consists of sabbatical officers, external trustees, and student trustees. Every year, the association is audited, requiring oversight of the charity's finances so that trustees can make informed decisions and be good stewards. The audit was the focus of the meeting.?

Before each meeting, we have an insights presentation from association staff, followed by lunch. Robin Gay , Sarah Stirton-Andrew and Scott Quinn presented how our elections serve as a good indicator of the association's reach, brand awareness, and engagement. They then outlined strategies to continue improving our turnout numbers, which have been growing year on year.?

For those interested in learning more about our governance, here is the link:?EUSA Governance . Some people think governance is boring, but I beg to differ. Governance is the foundation of an organization's operations and cannot be ignored.?

College of Science and Engineering Undergraduate School Representative and Dean Meeting?

This meeting could definitely use a better name before someone starts calling it CSEUGSRDMU! Nevertheless, its long name provides an accurate description of the meeting. Meeting the new school representatives was invigorating due to their energy. After having lunch with the representatives, we started the meeting as the deans joined. While the meeting went well, it felt too formal for me to achieve the desired outcome.?

Ideally, the meeting would have been more casual and conversational. I think the approach taken by the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences during the "meet the deans" session is a great model for informal chats. They call it "speed dating," where everyone has 5–10 minutes at each station, allowing you to dive into details quickly as time constraints keep everyone to the point.?

This was my first meet-up with representatives from one of the three colleges, so I'll apply what I learned here to the next one. Judging by how many representatives and staff continued to chat afterwards, the meeting went well anyway.?

College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine Education Committee?

Another first for this week: I attended my first education committee meeting for a college. I travelled to Easter Bush, where the vet school has its own campus, giving students a unique experience compared to other Edinburgh University students. It did make me think that we have a case study on how to improve the rest of the university.?

The canteen was busy, with lines for microwaves and food. I was struck by the collegiality, as it seemed most people recognized or knew each other. I sat and chatted with some second-years while preparing for the meeting. Many issues I'm campaigning for seem to affect 21 of the 22 schools, with the vet school being the exception. For instance, timetabling isn’t an issue as they control their spaces, plus the timetables are well thought out.?

Since it was the first-ever education committee meeting for the college, the agenda was light. They recently combined undergraduate and postgraduate education committees to align with the other colleges. Similar modernization changes are occurring across the college's committees and structures. It was a great vibe in the meeting, with jokes and laughter even during discussions on weighty topics. It seemed like a close group of friends working together from the outside.?

Fun Fact?

I am a director of a company. This means I am a senior manager of the companies managed within the charity of the association. The surplus-generating activities are held within a company, while the support service costs are managed within the charity. Hence, I am both a trustee of a charity and a director of a company within the charity.?

Reflection?

The physical spaces in which we operate greatly influence how we interact. Different settings change social norms. Meeting on a bench or around a small table often creates a relaxed atmosphere, whereas meeting around a horseshoe of tables or a boardroom table makes the meeting significantly more formal. The vibe can differ between a boardroom and a horseshoe setup, as the latter usually takes up more space. Larger rooms can be intimidating and can create tension compared to smaller spaces.?

While it might seem trivial, meeting outcomes results from the decisions people make. The mindset that people have shapes their actions and thus the result of the meeting.?

Thank you for reading.?

It's been wonderful to hear from members of the university community?that they find these insights valuable. I will be creating video versions to reach more of the community soon. It will be cool to get some videos out there.?

I am currently a week behind schedule on the newsletters, but I will have the next one out in two days, then I'll be back on track.?