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President
The Union President is ultimately responsible for the direction of the Union, all Union activity and its finances. Tasks vary from simple things such as having a broken vending machine replaced to managing a multimillion pound project such as refurbishing the Union’s bars. The President sits on numerous committees within College as well as the Union and meets regularly with the Rector and other senior College staff to provide student input in decision making processes and to raise any immediate concerns that the student body might have. The President also works closely with the Union’s Operations Manager who is in charge of the Union’s permanent staff.
Constitutional Job Description
The Union President shall:
i. Execute the policy and further the aims and
objects of the Union,
ii. Be the ultimate representative of the
Union,
iii. Be the chief executive officer of the
Union,
iv. Be responsible for the activities of the
Union,
v. Act as a Trustee ex-officio,
vi. Be responsible to the Court for the Union’s
Elections,
vii. Be responsible for constitutional development
and preliminary interpretation,
viii. Be responsible for the finances of the
Union,
ix. Be responsible for staffing and discipline
issues,
x. Be the manager of the other Sabbatical Officers
in their role as employees and co-ordinate their
work and that of the non-sabbatical Officers of the
Union,
xi. Be the manager of the Felix Editor and other
holders of sabbatical office, in their role as
employees, without prejudice to their operational
and representative independence,
xii. Delegate the duties and responsibilities of
Officers in the case of vacancies of if any Officer
is unable to carry out his or her duties,
xiii. Be responsible for the work of the Executive
Committee,
xiv. Chair relevant Union Committees,
xv. Liaise with Union and College staff as
appropriate,
xvi. Represent the Union on external committees as
appropriate,
xvii. Be responsible for Health and Safety across
the whole Union,
xviii. Report to Union Committees as appropriate,
and
xix. Negotiate extra duties for Union Officers
where appropriate.
More about the role from the current President
Explain a typical week in your role
A typical week! What’s a typical week?
The Presidents role is easily the most varied of the Sabbaticals and the diary really reflects this. You can spend an afternoon meeting the head of the University (the Rector), talking to a student officer or going to Portcullis House to meet the local MP.
Within the Union there will be meetings to discuss our financial performance and the short and long term strategy. There are also places like Council where you are held to account for the work you do and get indication from the Student Body that what you doing is really what they want.
These are separated with the College meetings, which can range from being part of a focus group for the delivery of new student services to the College Council where you endorse multimillion pound expenditure.
The final interactions can be those which voice the views of Imperial College students on a national or even international platform. Such examples can be the Russell Group Students Union group (called the Aldwych Group) and the IDEA League.
The only part of the week which is truly ‘typical’ is the consideration of the effects of your decisions on the Student Body; and frankly that’s the way it always should be!
What has been your biggest challenge in your role?
There are many challenges within the role but all the challenges are exciting once you overcome them.
The Most Difficult Moment: Staring at a full-capacity Royal Albert Hall to give the graduation speech.
The Most Difficult Task: Writing multiple response documents to Government consultations.
What do you wish you had known before starting that you know now?
Just because something sounds easy to do, doesn’t mean it will be. Always prepare an alternative/interim solution so that when it happens, you don’t look like an idiot.
What advice would you give to people thinking about running for your position?
Do it. Too often people believe that you must be ‘from a Club or Society’ to hold this post – wrong! All you need is the enthusiasm, willingness and energy to do what is the most varied and exciting roles this Union has to offer.
Deputy President (Clubs & Societies)
The DPCS is here to look after the 300+ Clubs, Societies & Projects at Imperial College Union. As you can imagine, this makes the job hugely broad- we have everything from Archery to Software! The role involves everything from helping individual clubs with issues they face to working with national organisations to represent Imperial students. You will learn how to problem solve at every level and have the opportunity to effect real change in the direction of Student Activities at Imperial. Your decisions have the potential to directly improve the experience of thousands of Imperial students who take part in Clubs, Societies & Projects at Imperial.
Constitutional Job Description
The Deputy President (Clubs & Societies)
shall:
i. Uphold the policy and further the aims and
objects of the Union,
ii. Take on Presidential duties as
appropriate,
iii. Be responsible for the effective co-ordination
and representation of Union Clubs and Societies, in
conjunction with the relevant Union
committees,
iv. Be responsible to the President for Health and
Safety issues within clubs and societies, and chair
and administer the Union Health and Safety
Committee,
v. Be responsible for the organisation of Freshers’
Fayre,
vi. Liaise with the Clubs and Societies
Administrator to ensure that
appropriate support is being given to all Union
clubs and societies,
vii. Liaise with other Union and College staff as
appropriate,
viii. Attend the relevant Union Committees,
ix. Represent the Union on external committees as
appropriate,
x. Represent Union Clubs and Societies to the
British Universities Sports Association,
xi. Report to Union Committees as appropriate,
and
xii. Negotiate other duties with the President.
More about the role from the current Deputy President (Club & Societies)
Explain a typical week in your role
My answer to this would be that there is no such thing as a typical week in the DPCS role! One week might be relatively quiet where I’ll be answering club queries and helping them sort out minor problems, whilst Chairing meetings with all of the Management Group Chairs and deciding on new Clubs, Societies & Projects at New Clubs Committee. Around the start of October, my weeks will be completely hectic with the effects of new committees coming into their roles and asking for help, settling the Management Group Chairs into their roles and of course the onset of Freshers’ Fair!
If I were to try to boil it down to a ‘standard week’, it would typically involve regular meetings with College (talking about Arts, Sport or any other issue affecting clubs like booking rooms), a couple of external meetings (such as BUCS London Regional meetings), working on some of my strategic aims for the year (like how to involve more Postgraduates in Student Activities) and of course, helping the existing clubs with any events or issues they are having.
The variety of things that you get involved with as DPCS are huge- that’s why I love it as no two weeks are the same. There’s always a new project or goal to try to achieve. When something you’ve been involved with goes really well- such as a new Club running its first successful event- there really is no other job quite like it!
What has been your biggest challenge in your role?
Without a doubt I would say the biggest challenge was organising Freshers’ Fair. It’s a massive event and although there is huge support both within the College and from the Union staff I put a lot of pressure on myself to make it bigger and better than ever. You have so many things to take into account and to organise- from the massive task of fitting everyone into the spaces we have to the mundane tasks of sorting out rubbish collection.
Coordinating all of the volunteers and praying for sun on the day put grey in my hair, but the huge feeling of success once the event was over was incredible. It’s so lovely to be able to walk around on the day and see all of the clubs out there, getting the next generation of students interested in what they’re doing. Although I had nightmares about fire alarms and buckets of rain, it went off so smoothly that at times I thought my radio had broken and I have all of the staff and volunteers to thank for that- it’s an immensely rewarding experience.
What do you wish you had known before starting that you know now?
I wish I had known how to prioritise better. Make no mistake- DPCS is a big role and sometimes you will have to drop your massive project to be able to sit with and reassure a club chair who needs some guidance. However, as they say, 20% of your effort makes 80% of your impact and vice versa. The biggest skill I have learnt this year is being able to be flexible with my work time- knowing when to drop everything, and when the bigger goal means that you have to set those 20 emails aside for a couple of hours so you can complete your report. I wouldn’t say that I get it right 100% of the time, but I’m definitely balancing it out more now.
What advice would you give to people thinking about running for your position?
Get to know a bit about how Clubs, Societies & Projects run. While being on a club committee is absolutely not a requirement to do the job, the better you know how they operate the more help you will be able to give them. There’s really no way to know the answers to all of the questions, so be prepared to hunt around for answers and ask for help- I’m still learning things even now. You have to love Student Activities- every week I’m amazed by what our clubs do, from organising massive shows to volunteering to build schools in Nepal. At some point most of them will come to you for help though, and you need to be prepared for some busy times! If you’re interested and want to know more please come and talk to me, I’m more than happy to tell you more about the role and what it involves.
Deputy President (Education)
The DPE role is simply summarised as "making sure the academic experience at Imperial is one of the best in the world" (not the simplest of tasks)
The Deputy President (Education) is basically the go-to guy (or girl) for all academic needs. They sit on top of the representation structure (year rep -- dep rep -- Academic Affairs Officer -- DPE) so they’re usually directly involved when things that can’t be resolved at lower levels, need urgent attention or are of significant importance (for example, BioChemistry preliminary grades being unavailable for students)(but that doesn’t mean you can’t pop to see them or e-mail them about anything else!).
In addition to working directly with students on their representation issues, the DPE is also the go-to person for College when they are planning to run projects or do anything academia related (which is unsurprisingly very regularly).
Constitutional Job Description
The Deputy President (Education) shall:
i. Uphold the policy and further the aims and
objects of the Union,
ii. Take on Presidential duties as
appropriate,
iii. Be responsible for identifying and informing
College of student opinion on
academic affairs and suggesting areas for
development,
iv. Work with College on enhancing the student
experience and provision for
student development,
v. Be for responsible for the training and running
of a Representation Network for
the Academic Representatives of the Faculty Unions
and other student bodies,
vi. Liaise with the Faculty Unions and Graduate
Students Association on all
academic matters concerning Undergraduate and
Postgraduate students
respectively,
vii. Liaise with Union and College staff as
appropriate,
viii. Attend the relevant Union Committees,
ix. Represent the Union on external committees as
appropriate,
x. Report to Union Committees as appropriate,
and
xi. Negotiate other duties with the President.
More about the role from the current Deputy President (Education)
Explain a typical week in your role
As DPE there is not usually a “typical week” as each week is completely different to the last. But over an “average” week the DPE will have one or two three hour meetings (be it postgraduate/undergraduate teaching committees, e-Learning, admissions, Quality Assurance etc), a few meetings with fellow Sabbs and staff, a meeting with one of the Faculty principals or Pro Rector (Education), talking to their reps about what’s going on and future plans in each department, reading external material to find best practise, meet/talk to other Sabbs around the UK, work on their own projects and finally, there’s usually a nice evening event you’ll get invited to and relax.
This year, for example, I’ve has helped arrange a London-wide Mayoral election manifesto and hustings event, met frequently with reps to make their year plans, run representation week, launch NoteBox, gone to 4 Aldwych meetings around the UK, attended the IDEALiSTiC Conference in Germany and been invited to numerous talks and events (the most recent being invited by the Rector to a talk by the Chinese Ambassador to the UK). I also usually take a lunch break every other Wednesday to give a tour to prospective students as a Rectors Ambassador and play squash about once a week.
What has been your biggest challenge in your role?
Effectively organising my time has proven a logistic nightmare in the early months. As DPE you’ll be part of a long list of different strategic committees, running the rep structure, keeping on top of government policy, running several of your own projects, going to conferences around the UK (and Europe if you’re lucky).
Balancing it all with your own life will mean you’ll have to learn to master time management. Making full use of Outlook/Google, coffee and diligent working is essential as DPE.
The structure of the Union and the College are very different, and they can both take a while to fully understand (although the College structure is far more complicated).
What do you wish you had known before starting that you know now?
There are an impressive amount of e-mails and meetings that can flood in in the space of an hour or a day. It’s not unusual to have 100+ e-mails a day in addition to all your meetings that can come in last minute also.
My advice to next year’s DPE is to make full use of Microsoft Exchange by having e-mail and calendar on your phone, tablet, laptop and desktop so you’re always in the loop. Just make sure that you take a weekend or evening off once in a while without access to work to relax, personally, I play Squash or go back to my village in North Bedfordshire.
Also, it’s important for next year’s DPE to remember that you won’t always get quick results like you’d expect. Often, there is not a quick fix, and large scale plans need to be fully ratified across the university. So a lot of the DPE job is to think and plan strategically, which, although makes hugely significant benefits to the student body, it often won’t be seen or recognised in that year or the next, but it will improve the student experience for future years.
What advice would you give to people thinking about running for your position?
It’s crucial to remember that the Deputy President (Education) isn’t just for undergraduates. Almost 40% of Imperial College students are postgraduate students and its essential next year’s DPE (be them UG or PG) fairly represents all 14,000ish students at Imperial College. This’ll means they’ll have to either be (or be willing to be) up to date with current and future government policies for both (e.g. government White Paper, PG NSS, PG Funding, HEFCE, PQA proposal etc.) as well as read into and understand UG, PGT (Masters) and PGR (PhDs) student needs and work closely with the GSA (Graduate Schools Association).
The other main advice is covered briefly in the other questions above. But I forgot my most sound advice that every single DPE should have. They should all be enthusiastic, highly motivated and be an excellent communicator.
If you have any questions whatsoever about the DPE role send me an e-mail at dpeducation@imperial.ac.uk
Deputy President (Finance & Services)
As Deputy President (Finance & Services), you will be responsible for all of the Union’s finances and its commercial operations. You'll be the students’ representative on how we manage our money and run our services, coming up with ways to use our facilities to benefit as many students as possible. This includes club nights, live bands, pub quizzes and bar nights in Metric, FiveSixEight and the Union Bar. You'll also be responsible for managing the finances of all the Clubs, Societies and Projects available at the Union, as well as the Union Shop and Newsagent on the main walkway.
Constitutional Job Description
The Deputy President (Finance & Services)
shall:
i. Uphold the policy and further the aims and
objects of the Union,
ii. Take on Presidential duties as
appropriate,
iii. Be responsible to the President for all
aspects of the Union finances,
iv. Be responsible to the President for the Union’s
commercial services,
v. Co-ordinate trading forums and the
finance-related aspects of the Clubs
and Societies Board,
vi. Liaise with Union and College staff as
appropriate,
vii. Represent the Union on external committees as
appropriate,
viii. Report to Union Committees as appropriate,
and
ix. Negotiate other duties with the President
More about the role from the current Deputy President (Finance & Services)
Explain a typical week in your role
A typical week will include meeting with clubs to go through their finances and to help them organise their events. I also ensure that clubs are spending their money wisely, approving large expenditure items, signing contracts and checking budgets for their large events. Much of my time this year has also been spent improving the financial systems of the Union, streamlining them for student officers. I will answer complex financial queries and help resolve financial issues, and I keep track of the overall financial state of the Union.
The other side of my role concerns the services we provide to students. Some weeks I will be working to improve our bar service, others I will be reviewing the functions we provide, and also reviewing our entertainments provision – always making sure that the student voice is heard.
What has been your biggest challenge in your role?
My biggest challenge has probably been my most public one – creating, implementing and communicating the Responsible Retailing of Alcohol Policy. This was naturally an unpopular move, with many traditional activities being banned. It was a necessary change, but a major one, and one that wasn't communicated as it should have been. It taught me the importance of communication and clarity – of explaining the reasons behind decisions, rather than just enforcing them.
However, I anticipate my biggest challenge to come will be organising the Summer Ball. I relish the opportunity to put on a Ball for all students to enjoy, but it will involve pulling a lot of strings together. I will be working with artists, technicians, bar staff, security, Union staff and students to create the best possible Summer Ball.
What do you wish you had known before starting that you know now?
I wish I had known how hard it is to juggle the wants of students against commercial and legal constraints. Sometimes you have to make a difficult decision that you know will not be popular, but does safeguard the Union.
What advice would you give to people thinking about running for your position?
If you decide to run, you will no doubt have some brilliant ideas for changes and additions to how the Union runs its finances and provides services to students. By the time you start, you should have a clear plan for implementing your ideas, so you can really hit the ground running.
On the other hand, you need to be able to react to the reality, and adapt quickly to new circumstances. You will achieve the most by marrying blue-sky thinking and adaptation to the reality, helping you to use what is already on offer to support your plans.Deputy President (Welfare)
The DPW coordinates campaigns and information concerning student welfare, working closely with the Union’s Student Advisor, student volunteers and the College’s Welfare services. They represent students’ welfare needs to College and external organisations, and sit on a number of College committees relating to welfare, accommodation, equal opportunities and the student experience. They are also responsible for the activities of the Union’s Community Action Group and IC RAG.
Constitutional Job Description
The Deputy President (Welfare) shall:
i. Uphold the policy and further the aims and
objects of the Union,
ii. Take on Presidential duties as
appropriate,
iii. Be responsible for identifying and informing
College of student opinion on
welfare issues and suggesting areas for
development,
iv. Be responsible for representing the welfare
needs of all students, including
minority or under-represented groups to the
College,
v. Be responsible for coordinating and publicising
all campaigns concerning
equal opportunities and welfare issues.
vi. Be responsible for maintaining and running a
Welfare Network for the Welfare
Officers of the Faculty Unions and other student
bodies,
vii. Assist the President in enforcing the Union’s
Equal Opportunities Policy,
viii. Liaise with Union and College staff as
appropriate,
ix. Attend the relevant Union Committees,
x. Represent the Union on external committees as
appropriate,
xi. Report to Union Committees as appropriate,
and
xii. Negotiate other duties with the President.
More about the role from the current Deputy President (Welfare)
Explain a typical week in your role
I love my job. I work hard and get a lot done – but it doesn’t feel like work. A sabbatical year is one of the few years in your lives you’ll have near absolute liberty to do what you want (within reason) and a team to support you in your aims.
One of the great things about being DPW is the variety in the work I do from one day to the next. My weeks usually consist of some meetings with students, some with externals, some with senior college staff, and lots of emails in between! These emails and meetings tend to have common themes depending on the projects I’m working on at the time (see first paragraph about setting your own goals). Because I don’t really have a ‘typical week’ to describe, I’ll cover the most exciting developments from last week.
At the moment I have a few projects on the go – I’m working for freshers who don’t live in halls of residence, local road safety and cycling, volunteering, Imperial’s first ever blood drive, and several other long-term projects. All of these seem to be coming together nicely. Last week, after several weeks of meetings with student representatives, I met with Julia Buckingham, Pro-rector for Education about freshers not in halls. Forty-five minutes later and Not in Halls now have a budget for subsidised activity and a new staff position to provide them with pastoral care, a little like a warden. On local road safety, after discussion with a local campaigner, the Bike User Group Rep, and the disabilities officer, I wrote a paper for Representation and Welfare Board to authorise giving me the authority to speak to the local council on behalf of ICU to work out how to make the new Exhibition Road safer for all our members. I’m also helping organise the next Bike Auction, coordinating efforts by Security, RAG, and the Bike User Group. Last week was also a good one for volunteering. We just engaged a new staff member to help connect students with volunteering opportunities. Only a day into the job she recommended going to a volunteering event at UCL. Based on what I discovered there we should be able to create a system here at Imperial to satisfy everyone’s volunteering needs. I’ve also been working towards Imperial’s first blood drive!
What has been your biggest challenge in your role?
As you can probably see, there’s little rhyme or reason to what happens in a week and next week will be completely different to this one. The most difficult aspect of this job, and one I’m slowly mastering, is saying no. Being DPW you are approached by dozens of people each week – college staff, students, and externals – who want you to help them do something, or who want to engage you in their project. To take on all of them would be foolish in the extreme – and impossible, but choosing between them is often difficult.
What do you wish you had known before starting that you know now?
Before starting the job I would have liked to know that I didn’t have to achieve all my manifesto points on day one, and that I could pick and choose my priorities. It sounds ridiculous but I spent my first couple of months panicking because I ‘hadn’t achieved anything yet’. The DPW remit is so broad that you really have to choose your areas of focus. The way to have the best impact in this job is by working closely with the welfare officers, discovering their strengths, and targeting the areas they don’t cover.
What advice would you give to people thinking about running for your position?
Do it. Stand. It’s an amazing experience. You meet incredible people. Just be prepared to be slightly overwhelmed by all the possibilities when you start. Once elected, brush up on some policy and try to learn the basics about the college’s welfare system. I would of course help with this. There’s little more to say really. Come and talk to me about the job. Be creative in your campaigning!
Felix Editor
Felix is the weekly student publication of Imperial College London, and was founded in 1949. The Editor oversees the production of the paper throughout the year and ensures that it goes to print every week; tasks include design, writing and photography. The Editor must seek out contributors and editors for other sections, not to mention encouraging students to write! On top of this, the role requires looking for advertising in order to fund the cost of printing. This involves contacting major firms regarding either sponsorship placing ads in the paper. It's a lot of work, but seeing the result of each week's effort is more than rewarding!
Constitutional Job Description
The Felix Editor shall:
i. The running and management of Felix in
accordance with the Felix
Constitution, the Code of Practice for ICU
Publications, Annexe F of the
Code of Practice and its other provisions for Union
media, College Code of
Practice (Freedom of Speech) and Section 43 of the
Education (No.2) Act
1986 and any subsequent amendments of the
above,
ii. The proper financial management of Felix and
adherence to budget,
iii. Ensuring that the editorial responsibilities
of fair play and honesty prevail
whilst defending the concept of editorial
freedom,
iv. The recruitment of such assistance as is
necessary, from the student body
of Imperial College in the first instance,
and
v. Any inaccuracies appearing in implicitly or
explicitly as facts.
More about the role from the current Felix Editor
Explain a typical week in your role
A typical week begins with a meeting with contributors, where we talk through the coming week's content and news stories. Over Tuesday and Wednesday, the news stories come together, along with each section editor's layout. I help out across the board. On Thursdays I print off the completed pages and check for errors with my copy editing team. Friday means having to deliver papers across campus, and then heading over to the Union bar for a drink with contributors.
What has been your biggest challenge in your role?
My biggest challenge was without a doubt producing the 1500th issue of Felix. Events like that rarely come around so there was a great deal of pressure to make sure it was the best it could be. We had to prepare well in advance and, looking back, the sheer amount of great content was staggering. It is hugely important to have such an enthusiastic team on board.
What do you wish you had known before starting that you know now?
I wish I'd known that I wouldn't have as much opportunity to write as much content as I'd like to. But logistically, with so many emails to answer and pages to perfect, I'm not really left with enough time to write for my own enjoyment. The paper really does have to come first.
What advice would you give to people thinking about running for your position?
You have to be prepared to please a lot of people, but equally be prepared to stand your ground. Make sure to keep in contact with people who contact you. Take criticism on board, but don't become disillusioned as a result of it. And most of all, get ready for some late nights in the office!
ICSMSU President
Ultimately responsible for everything at ICSMSU. The ICSMSU President oversees the actions of the ICSMSU Exec officers and chairs regular Exec meetings to monitor this.
With regard to academic representation, the ICSMSU President sits on most Faculty of Medicine Education Committees, and chairs Staff-Student Liason Group Meetings. The President also is a first port of call for welfare advice, as well as many other queries. The ICSMSU president represents medical students on various committees within ICU as well as representing the interest of all students on bodies such as ICU Exec and ICU Council. Always varied, great fun.
Constitutional Job Description
The ICSMSU President shall:
i. Represent the interests of their members at the
appropriate Union, Faculty and College
Committees,
ii. Be responsible for the development and
preliminary interpretation of their
constitutions,
iii. Be responsible to the Deputy President
(Finance and Services) for all aspects of their
union’s or committee’s finances,
iv. Be Responsible to the Deputy President (Clubs
and Societies) for the duty of care and health and
safety of their members,
v. In the case of Faculty Union Presidents,
Graduate Students’ Association Chair, the Overseas
Societies Committee Chair and Silwood Park Chair,
be responsible to the Deputy Presidents (Education)
and (Welfare) for the academic and welfare issues
of their members,
vi. Be accountable to Council for the activities of
their union or committee, and
vii. Carry out such duties as may, from time to
time, be laid down by the Council or the Executive
Committee.
More about the role from the current ICSMSU President
Explain a typical week in your role
A huge positive of the role of ICSMSU President is that there is no typical week. That said, most weeks you will chair a Staff Student Liason Group (SSLG) where student feedback is presented directly to the relevant staff, or you will sit on one of the higher level education committees to represent the student viewpoint. You will also sit on an average of one Imperial College Union meeting per week and regularly chair ICSMSU Exec Meetings.
Inevitably emails are a huge part of the job as you are the port of call for any requests that Faculty of Medicine students do not know where to direct.
On the fun side, the ICSMSU president is expected to attend various faculty lectures/events and ICSMSU social events.
The ICSMSU President meets weekly with the Student Services manager to discuss any issues affecting students or faculty that the other can offer support with, and you will also meet regularly with senior welfare tutors.
There is always something random that needs doing (some casual DIY, repairing the mascot etc).
What has been your biggest challenge in your role?
This year we had a difficult situation with regards to BUCS proposing to only allow one group per institution to play. This meant negotiation with college staff, medical students unions across London, club captains from many sports teams and numerous others. Whilst this is ongoing, it has been hard with regard to keeping everyone in the loop of what is happening and trying to get to the outcome we want.
What do you wish you had known before starting that you know now?
It is very easy to become obsessed with the number of emails in your inbox.
What advice would you give to people thinking about running for your position?
What you have planned for a day can be entirely changed by just one email or phone call. Therefore ability to adapt and prioritise is essential.
Student Trustees x4
Being a Student Trustee is a serious responsibility which requires those on the board to take an active role in the governance and direction of Imperial College Union. The Trustee Board is there to ensure that the Union is meeting its aims and objectives, sets the long term strategy, ensures that the Union is using its financial resources correctly and is financially viable and importantly is acting within the law.
The time commitment is not demanding; 4-5 meetings a year with the opportunity to sit on various sub committees. The role is a fantastic opportunity to learn skills that are not part of your degree and to get your input in to key decisions directing the Union.
CGCU President
Only open to students of the Faculty of Engineering
The CGCU President is responsible for representing the engineering students on varies areas, academically, professionally and socially to the college, union, alumni bodies and external companies. They are also ultimately responsible for a smooth running of the executive committee which oversees subsections of this Faculty Union including events, industrial relations, alumni relations, finance, academic representation, welfare and sport.
They also work closely with the team to provide support and secure funding to encourage activities for departmental societies and engineering clubs.
Constitutional Job Description
The CGCU President shall:
i. Represent the interests of their members at the
appropriate Union, Faculty and College
Committees,
ii. Be responsible for the development and
preliminary interpretation of their
constitutions,
iii. Be responsible to the Deputy President
(Finance and Services) for all aspects of their
union’s or committee’s finances,
iv. Be Responsible to the Deputy President (Clubs
and Societies) for the duty of care and health and
safety of their members,
v. In the case of Faculty Union Presidents,
Graduate Students’ Association Chair, the Overseas
Societies Committee Chair and Silwood Park Chair,
be responsible to the Deputy Presidents (Education)
and (Welfare) for the academic and welfare issues
of their members,
vi. Be accountable to Council for the activities of
their union or committee, and
vii. Carry out such duties as may, from time to
time, be laid down by the Council or the Executive
Committee.
More about the role from the current CGCU President
Explain a typical week in your role
A typical week largely consists of representing the engineering students at lots of different areas: academically, professionally and socially to the college, union, alumni bodies and external companies. This comes in in the form of lots of scheduled meetings and telephone calls. In these meetings, I voice the students’ views on important topics and discuss and decide the engineering faculty’s position on the matter.
I am also responsible to manage with admin requests from the CGCU management group, i.e. departmental societies and engineering clubs under CGCU on a daily basis.
What has been your biggest challenge in your role?
My biggest challenge undoubtedly would be balancing between President’s duties with my normal academic work. Unlike the 5 sabbaticals officers and the ICSMSU president, both the CGCU and RCSU president will continue normally with their degree. A high degree of time management and delegation is absolutely essential for this position.
Please note that the CGCU president is required to work sabbatically (paid) in thesummer for two months prior to the academic year.
What do you wish you had known before starting that you know now?
I wish I could have a fuller understanding of the role before I ran for the position. I had an emphasis on stepping up the social and academic side of CGCU, as I only see those are the functions of CGCU at the time I ran. However this role actually covers a much larger scope like, liaising constantly with the alumni body, being an active member in a Trust fund committee, building good relationships and securing sponsorships with companies and industries. I strongly encourage you to come and speak to me to find out more about the role when you decided to run for it!
What advice would you give to people thinking about running for your position?
CGCU is by far the biggest faculty out of the three and as President you are ultimately responsible for approx. 6000 students, 44% of Imperial. The President must ensure the large executive committee is run smoothly through regularlymeetings, and they should try to get the most out of exec members. As President you oversee all of the different subsections of the committee including events, industrial relations, alumni relations, finance, engineering representation and sport. This means that the President will be heavily involved with all aspects of the faculty union from securing and managing relationships with sponsors and companies, arranging contractual agreements for events, budgeting and maintaining a strong relationship with the college, union and alumni. The role requires a natural leader who is very good at building strong relationships and managing their time effectively, it is very demanding however extremely rewarding and a great honour which opens doors for you!
CGCU Executive Committee x 16
Only open to students of the Faculty of EngineeringVice-President (Activities)
Vice-President (Finance & Societies)
Honorary Secretary
Chairman
Academic Affairs Officer (Undergraduate)
Sports Officer
CGCA Officer
Welfare Officer
Event Officer x2
Regalia Officer
RAG Co-ordinator
Spanner Bearer
Bolt Bearer
Guildsheet Editor
LIVE! Editor
Webmaster
RCSU President
Only open to students of the Faculty of Natural Sciences
The RCSU President controls a budget of over £20,000, organising a range of academic, social, careers and pastoral events representing the interests of over 4,000 students. You directly liaise with senior members of staff and sit on various College and Union committees. These include the Faculty of Natural Sciences Teaching Committee, Representation and Welfare Board, Union Council and Union Executive. You are also directly responsible for managing a committee of over 15 people and the five departmental societies which sit within the Faculty of Natural Science.
Constitutional Job Description
The RCSU President shall:
i. Represent the interests of their members at the
appropriate Union, Faculty and College
Committees,
ii. Be responsible for the development and
preliminary interpretation of their
constitutions,
iii. Be responsible to the Deputy President
(Finance and Services) for all aspects of their
union’s or committee’s finances,
iv. Be Responsible to the Deputy President (Clubs
and Societies) for the duty of care and health and
safety of their members,
v. In the case of Faculty Union Presidents,
Graduate Students’ Association Chair, the Overseas
Societies Committee Chair and Silwood Park Chair,
be responsible to the Deputy Presidents (Education)
and (Welfare) for the academic and welfare issues
of their members,
vi. Be accountable to Council for the activities of
their union or committee, and
vii. Carry out such duties as may, from time to
time, be laid down by the Council or the Executive
Committee.
More about the role from the current RCSU President
Explain a typical week in your role
There isn't a "typical week" as such, as duties and commitments vary very much dependent on what events are being held and the time of year. Often you'll be required to attend a meeting, either within central Union, with one of the departmental societies (mathsoc, physoc, etc.), with your own committee or with a member of academic staff within the Faculty. Organising events will also be a major time commitment. You'll need to work closely with the committee to find and book venues, promote the event, sell tickets and organise the final details on the day itself.
What has been your biggest challenge in your role?
Organising fun and most importantly affordable events has been probably my greatest challenge. As President you directly oversee a budget of over £20,000. This money is intended to be used to help organise a range of events, catering to a diverse group of people.
What do you wish you had known before starting that you know now?
I wish I knew the full extent of just how much work is required as RCSU President. I'd estimate the time commitment is probably double that of a normal club or society President. But don't let that put you off. Being RCSU President is not only a fantastic CV boost but you also get to meet lots of new people, make tonnes of new friends and meet countless Imperial Alumni!
What advice would you give to people thinking about running for your position?
Really think about whether you can spare the time. It would be impossible to be both RCSU President and hold a major role in another club or society. Finally, I'd really encourage you to come and speak to me and find out more about the role. It's really not a position to be taken lightly, but this year as RCSU President has truly been my favourite year at Imperial!
RCSU Executive Committee x 17
Only open to students of the Faculty of Natural SciencesVice President (Operations)
The VPO is responsible for ensuring the Departmental Societies are running well (both financially and actively) as well as representing them on the Clubs and Societies Board in the Union.
Vice President (Activities)
The VPA helps organize the events for the RCSU and encourages coordination between the Departmental Societies. They are also responsible for upholding the traditions of the Union.
Honorary Junior Treasurer
The HJT looks after the finances of the RCSU Exec and gives advice to the Departmental Society Treasurers.
Honorary Secretary
The Hon. Sec. keeps minutes for the Exec meeting and chairs any General Committee meeting. They also help with the organization of activities of the Union and assist with the running of the office.
Academic Affairs Officer
The AAO sits on both Union Council and the Representation and Welfare Board as well as Faculty committees ensuring that the students of the Faculty are being fairly represented academically. They can attend any Student-Staff Committee meeting.
Welfare Officer
The Welfare Officer helps organize welfare-focused events for the RCSU as well as sitting on Union Council and the Representation and Welfare Board.
Sports Officer
It is the role of the Sports Officer to help gather teams for Faculty competition and tours as well as maintaining a list of people willing to play on behalf of the RCS.
Publicity Officer
The Publicity Officer is responsible for forming a publicity team who should help make posters, web events and helps publicize the events of the RCSU.
Web Communications Officer
The WCO maintains the RCSU website as well as designs the e-letters and other web-based communications of the RCSU committee.
Events Officer
The events officer is responsible for finding people to assist with RCSU events as well as chairing the Events Committee. The events officer also helps design/create new events for the students of the Faculty.
Broadsheet Editor
Broadsheet is the termly publication from the RCSU and is done on behalf of the RCSU committee by the Broadsheet Edior and their team.
Postgraduate Representative (Careers & Development)
Postgraduate Representative (Activities & Events)
Postgraduate Representative (Ordinary Member)
RAG Champion
The RAG Champion is the officer responsible for coordinating events (such as cupcake sales) to help raise money for RAG and other charities the RCSU Exec decides to assist.
Exploration Board Representative
The Exploration Board meets once a term and the RCSU Representative sits on the panel to help decide which explorations to fund as well as assisting in the promotion of the Board to the students of the Faculty of Natural Sciences.
Departmental Representatives
The Dep Reps sit on both the RCSU Executive Committee and their respective departments Dep Soc, as an impartial viewer. They also deal with their department in Student Staff Committee meetings and self-arranged meetings aimed at ensuring issues of students are resolved. They also meet frequently with Year Reps.
ICSMSU Executive Committee x 16
Only open to students of the Faculty of Natural SciencesDeputy President
Take over from the ICSMSU President if required, and to deputise in their absence. Ensure all officers of ICSMSU Exec perform the job to high standard and help to rectify if not. Runs the ICSMSU Shop.
Communications Officer
Responsible for the ICSMSU Website, for keeping it up to date and further developing it. To work with all exec officers to enable website use in relation to their positions and usage for event publicity.
Sites and Services
Responsible for the upkeep of all ICSMSU rooms across campuses and for ensuring that student related space across all hospital sites is kept up to standard. Chairs the Bar Steering Group
Alumni and Careers
Chairs the ICSM Alumni Association and responsible for getting Final Year ICSM Students to join. Organise Careers Talks and Inspirational lectures, and work with the Faculty to organise careers fair and alumni evening.
Treasurer
Deal with the finances of ICSMSU and responsible for budgeting/overseeing budgeting of ICSM events as well as Clubs and Societies.
Secretary
Take minutes of ICSMSU Exec, Bar Steering Group and ICSMSU Management group meetings. Also send out weekly Club and Society newsletters.
Welfare Officer
Meet with students who require assistance individually, whilst ensuring any relevant welfare information is distributed to all students. Run ICSMSU campaigns. Attend ICU Council, RWB and WAF.
Clubs and Societies
Management group chair for ICSM Clubs and Societies. Run termly management group meetings, support clubs and socities day to day activities where possible and attend ICU Clubs and Societies Board.
Academic Officer Years 3, 5 & 6
Elect Year Reps, Collect and co-ordinate feedback. Sit on relevant Faculty Meetings and ICU committees.
Academic Officer Year 4, Biomedical Science and Pharmacology
Elect Year Reps, Collect and co-ordinate feedback. Sit on relevant Faculty Meetings and ICU committees.
Academic officer Years 1, 2 & GE
Elect Year Reps, Collect and co-ordinate feedback. Sit on relevant Faculty Meetings and ICU committees.
Entertainments Chair
Responsible for the oversee of all ICSMSU events throughout the year, including Freshers fortnight, STFYD, Summer Ball, Halfway Dinner, RAG.
The main organiser of Freshers Fortnight with help from the Social Secretaries.
Social Secretary (x2)
Organise Freshers Fortnight with the Entertainments Chair. Responsible for publicity of ICSMSU events. To work with the Reynolds Bar Managers to come up with new ideas for events.
Summer Ball Chair
Elect a Summer Ball Committee and organise the ICSM Summer Ball.
RAG Chair
Elect a RAG committee, choose a charity and organise ICSM RAG events throughout the year.
GSA President
The GSA president is a role where you get the opportunity to put in to practice the skills that you have built up through to the time where you are now a PG!
You are part of the Union decision, oversight and change making bodies, Union Council, Executive Committee, where you represent and feed through the wants and needs of the PG student.
Day to day sees you coordinating the GSA Exec which plans social events, such as sports, picnics and quiz nights as well as making sure that the academic and welfare needs of PG's are not being brushed aside.
Ultimately this role needs a person who can lead, delegate and is passionate about PG student affairs.
Constitutional Job Description
The GSA President shall:
i. Represent the interests of their members at the
appropriate Union, Faculty and College
Committees,
ii. Be responsible for the development and
preliminary interpretation of their
constitutions,
iii. Be responsible to the Deputy President
(Finance and Services) for all aspects of their
union’s or committee’s finances,
iv. Be Responsible to the Deputy President (Clubs
and Societies) for the duty of care and health and
safety of their members,
v. In the case of Faculty Union Presidents,
Graduate Students’ Association Chair, the Overseas
Societies Committee Chair and Silwood Park Chair,
be responsible to the Deputy Presidents (Education)
and (Welfare) for the academic and welfare issues
of their members,
vi. Be accountable to Council for the activities of
their union or committee, and
vii. Carry out such duties as may, from time to
time, be laid down by the Council or the Executive
Committee.
More about the role from the current GSA President
Explain a typical week in your role
My typical week involves organising GSA Executive committee meetings, attending various Graduate School and Union meetings and keeping up to date with postgraduate issues at College. The GSA communicate closely with department and course reps to provide representation on a wide range of academic and welfare issues to enhance the Imperial postgraduate experience.
What has been your biggest challenge in your role?
I would say the biggest challenge in my role would be managing time. Being a full time PhD student, when work becomes hectic and shuttling back and forth between campuses to attend meetings at times can be tiring. Luckily I always have the members of the committee for support.
What do you wish you had known before starting that you know now?
The amount of work involves, sometimes the number of tasks the GSA handles can be overwhelming. For example, we are currently working on next year's budget, elections and ongoing issues with College accommodation. But at the end of the day, the experience is rewarding when you know you are making a difference to the postgrad community.
What advice would you give to people thinking about running for your position?
I would say just give it a go, you will definitely take away something with the experience. No prior knowledge is needed, just come and speak to us and you are always welcomed to come to one of our many meetings
GSA Executive Committee x 14
Only open to Postgraduate StudentsGSA Vice President
The GSA Vice President is the President's right hand and closely works with the Secretary and Treasurer. Among the main responsibilities are managing information and communication flow within the GSA. That involves keeping everyone up to date with all information required to ensure the GSA runs effectively and efficiently. Assigning tasks to members of the executive committee and making sure they are delivered. The Vice President takes over responsibilities when the President is not available and comes second as "the face" of the GSA.
Explain a typical week in your role
Managing a group of volunteers is quite a challenge a big chunk of my workload is keeping track of what is on the agenda, chopping it up into bite-size bits and passing it on to those responsible. My job is really to keep an overview of what is going on and what we need to deliver as the GSA. I discuss strategic issues with the President and organisational issues with the Secretary. There is some housekeeping to do too and my inbox is always well-stocked.
What has been your biggest challenge in your role?
The first two weeks of autumn term where incredibly busy. Due to an unexpected compassionate leave of the President I was really thrown in at the deep end and had to jump in organising the GSA involvement for the entire line-up of welcome events for postgraduates at College. I had barely touched ground in my new role yet, so virtually everything was news to me. It was a diverse and fun two weeks though, giving welcome speeches in front of the entire postgraduate intake for the year, spending an entire day at the Fresher's Fair from gathering the material and setting up early morning, introducing the GSA to new students up to tear down in the evening. Happily I wasn't alone on the task and could count on support from my committee.
What do you wish you had known before starting that you know now?
It is incredibly valuable to know who the right person is to ask for a specific issue. Also it takes an incredibly long time to get an overview of how the Union and College is organised and to build up this knowledge on your own without having someone guide you. I wish I'd have had more guidance when I started and hope I can make the orientation phase easier for my successor.
What advice would you give to people thinking about running for your position?
If you're well organised, like being responsible, want to make things happen and can juggle a load of different things at the same time this job is for you. You will get to know the Union and College inside out and there is a lot to take away from the role. Research is often single combat, but the GSA only works if you're a team player and make sure everyone plays ball.
Secretary
The Secretary is responsible for the accurate creation and maintenance of minutes relating to all GSA business and meetings. The Secretary ensures that the Agenda for meetings is available online for attendants before GSA Exec meetings and ensures the minutes are posted online soon after the meetings. The Secretary works closely with the GSA President and Vice President to organise meetings and ensure that all current issues and event plans etc are discussed regularly. They will also be in charge of organising contact details and email lists so that they are easily accessible by all GSA members.
What meetings does the GSA Secretary report to and attend?
• The GSA Secretary should arrange meetings with GSA members and attend Union or College staff as necessary • Report to and attend (or send a representative) to all GSA Exec & Council meetings
What GSA activities would you be involved in over a typical term?
The Secretary attends all meetings within the GSA, planning the agenda, ensuring all current issues are covered, and making minutes of the meeting available soon afterwards. The Secretary can also be involved in planning and helping to run events.
What was the biggest challenge in your role?
Setting up the infrastructure of the GSA Wiki and forums, keeping email lists up to date. Generally this role isn't too challenging as you are mostly in charge of keeping the GSA ticking.
What advice do you have for those considering running for your position?
To be the Secretary you need to be organised and able to respond to emails swiftly - things can often change at short notice and you need to be on top of this. Make sure you are able to balance GSA commitments and your own work. Be prepared to be involved in the GSA and enthusiastic!
Treasurer
The Treasurer is responsible for managing the finances of the GSA - keeping up to date with income and expenditure and ensuring that funds are spent appropriately. Most of the processes are now done using the new online system introduced by the Union and these include processing expense claims, paying the suppliers, preparing budgets for the GSA events and managing income from ticket sales.It is important for the Treasurer to ensure that records are complete and spending is transparent.
What GSA activities would you be involved in over a typical term?
The Treasurer meets with groups and individual GSA members to guide them on how to budget for events. I also attend GSA meetings so that I can advise on how the money should be split between the various activities planned.
What was the biggest challenge in your role?
Mastering VAT is not an easy task but thankfully the right people are there to help you if you are struggling.
What do you wish you had known before you started?
GSA Exec is special because it organises many events like a normal society but at the same time is a Management Group that oversees all postgraduate activities. This simple realisation helped me position GSA in the Union Structure.
What advice do you have for those considering running for your position?
Make sure you have time to balance GSA commitments and your own work, but mostly enjoy yourself and the opportunity to learn things about finance and accounting that you don’t normally encounter in research.
What meetings does the GSA Treasurer report to and attend?
• The GSA Treasurer should arrange meetings with GSA members as deemed necessary • Report to and attend or send a representative to all GSA Executive Committee and Council meetings • Report to and attend Union Council and RWB meetings where appropriate
Academic and Welfare Officers
There is a GSA Academic and Welfare Officer (AWO) for Engineering, Physical Sciences, Life Sciences, Medicine and Business.Each GSA Academic and Welfare Officer is responsible for obtaining feedback from their School, Center, Campus, Course, Institute, Department (SCCCID) Representatives and presenting their issues to the Union, College and the Graduate Schools. Each AWO is also responsible for ensuring that SCIDD and PGT Representatives are aware of what the Union, College and GSA offer in the way of services and support: From grants to support Welcome Events to settling funding disputes with the College.
What GSA/Student Rep activities are you involved in over a typical term?
As an AWO, I am responsible for holding 1 Academic and Welfare Committee (AWC) meeting a term. The AWC meeting is a chance to bring together all of the School, Center, Campus, Institute, Department (SCCID) and MSc Course (PGT) Representatives in my area to discuss any issues that have arisen. We also discuss and plan events.
What meetings does a GSA Academic and Welfare Officer attend over a typical term?
• 1 Graduate School Management Committee (MC) meeting, where the future direction of the Graduate Schools is discussed; • 1 Academic Training Committee (ATC) meeting, where the careers service and transferable skills courses are reviewed; • 2-3 Postgraduate Quality Committee meetings, where we review audits of courses by both internal and external university employees, plus decide if new courses should be offered at Imperial; • 2-3 Union Council meetings, where the direction of the Union is determined; • 1 Union Representation and Welfare Board (RWB) meeting, where the GSA and Faculty Union Officers meet with the Deputy Presidents of Education and Welfare; • 1 GSA Council meeting, where the GSA Coordinators report to GSA Representatives about their progress and take suggestions on what direction to pursue next. • 1 GSA Executive Committee meeting, where GSA Officers and Coordinators work together to manage the functions of the GSA.
What are the biggest challenges of being an Academic and Welfare Officer?
The biggest challenge is a scheduling one. With so many meetings it is hard to time my experiments correctly so that I can arrive on time. Luckily, with a bit of forward planning, it is possible to arrange for my SCCID Reps to fill in for me when my research load becomes heavy. However, this leads to another challenge, which is organising all of my SCCID and PGT Reps: Some are great, they reply to my 1st email and are happy to fill in, but others require loads of pestering and even querying their existence with the Director of Postgraduate Studies.
What do you wish you had known before you started?
I wish I had an easily navigable list of names, email addresses and phone numbers for all my SCCID and PGT Reps.
What would you advise those considering running for your position?
• Being an AWO is a great way of learning about how a University and it’s student Union work. • It is a very rewarding position, as you can bring about positive change to the college. • Just be proactive and patient. Things are slow in university, but this shouldn't be news to anyone. • It helps if you are very good with time management. • Enjoy and take the opportunity to meet loads of people!
AWO Engineering
The AWO (Engineering) is the lead student representative for all Engineering postgraduate students.
He/she coordinates student representatives from the various Engineering departments, and sits on senior College committees overseeing postgraduate course quality assessment and the provision of transferable skills programmes, amongst other topics.
As an example of their work, the current AWO (Engineering) was involved in GSA work on improving representation across the faculty, ensuring postgraduate representation was better defined at Union level and other issues raised by students.
For more information about this position, contact the current AWO (Engineering), Mark Collins, by emailing aoeng@imperial.ac.uk
AWO Life Sciences
As AWO for Life Sciences, you facilitate the communication between Department Representatives in the Department of Life Sciences (Divisions of Ecology and Evolution, Molecular Biosciences and Cell and Molecular Biology and also the Division of Natural Sciences), Postgraduates in the GSA, Imperial College Union and College Staff. Alongside Department Representatives, you are a first point of call for the Life Sciences cohort to voice issues regarding the quality of education and whether their welfare needs are being met. You should organise meetings with Department Representatives, take down notes of any important issues, and relay them in GSA Executive Committees, Union Representation and Welfare meetings and at appropriate College Staff meetings.
AWO Physical Sciences
AWO Medicine
AWO Business
Clubs, Societies & Projects Officer
The Union has over 300 Clubs, Societies and Projects, but while 60% of the undergraduate population take advantage of the plethora of opportunities only 25% of postgrads get involved. The job of the GSA Clubs, Societies and Projects Officer is to increase the percentage of postgrads that participate. This is a new role within the GSA and is probably suitable for a postgraduate who is interested in a number of different types of Clubs, Societies and Projects at Imperial, but wishes more postgrads were involved.
This sounds like an overwhelming responsibility, where would I start?
The first step would be to survey the postgraduate population to find out why the majority of them don’t become or remain involved with Union Clubs, Societies or Projects. The next step would be to meet with past and present Deputy Presidents (Clubs & Societies) as well as Management Committee Chairs to ask: Which clubs they think would be best suited for postgrad membership campaigns? A key step would be to advertise Fresher’s Fair to postgrads, especially since the name is so misleading! Then, throughout the year, you would work with one Club, Society or Project at a time to advertise postgrad joining opportunities or events.
What are the main reasons postgrads have given for not joining a Club, Society or Project?
“I don’t have time”There is some truth to this statement, but it is usually more that postgrads feel they should be in the lab between the hours of 10am-6pm and therefore cannot get to planned activities or events, which are held during working hours. In the past, we have found that adjustments can be made to hold regular activities a bit later and postgrads can be cajoled into starting lab-work earlier.
“I didn’t know it existed”If you miss Fresher’s Fair and even Welcome Week, then it is easy to not hear about all the wonderful Clubs Societies and Projects (CSPs) available through the Union. Most CSPs collect email addresses at Fresher’s Fair and advertise directly through mailing lists. As GSA CSP Officer, you would work closely with the GSA Publicity Officer to advertise the existence of CSPs.
“There are too many undergrads and not enough postgrads in the Club, Society or Project that I want to join”In democratic systems, by which all Clubs, Societies and Projects are run, there is power in numbers! As GSA CSP Officer you would use your advertising to concentrate postgrad interest in one area so that a significant mass of postgrads could aggregate, negotiate and collaborate and find a way for each club to facilitate those on both sides of the divide.
Is there any proof that this method will work?
Yes! Last year the GSA collaborated with the Union Badminton Club to hold a postgrad badminton night. Over 50 tickets were sold and although the queue to get onto the court was long, the desire for more was clear. Alex Wray, a PhD student in Engineering, arranged another three sessions and built a group of over 30 regular postgrad attendees. Now, for the summer term, many of them joined the Badminton Club for a reduced rate of £10, so that they could continue to play and I haven’t heard any complaints yet.
Advice for those considering running for this position:
The aim of this position is to get postgrads involved in Clubs, Societies and Projects that already exist, if you are interested in getting postgrads involved in intramural sports, nominate yourself and run for the position of GSA Sports Officer.
What meetings does the GSA Clubs, Societies and Projects Officer report to and attend?
• The GSA Clubs, Societies and Projects Officer should arrange meetings with collaborators as deemed useful • Report to and attend (or send a representative to) all GSA Exec & Council meetings • Report to and attend Union Council meetings where appropriate
Events Officer
The GSA Events Officer is responsible for planning, organising, and running GSA events. The role is best suited to a dynamic and outgoing person who can dream up ways to mix postgraduates from different subject areas together. The Events Officer will also be in charge of recruiting and motivating Events Team members.
What GSA activities were you involved in throughout the year?
The GSA has three established events: The Welcome Mingle in October; the Winter Mingle; and the Summer Picnic. The Events Officer can decide, with the support of other GSA members, to pursue the introduction of new GSA-wide or area focused postgraduate events. This year the GSA organised two screenings of the "PhD Movie" based on the popular online comics which were a huge success. We also organised the "Postgrads Got Talent" Night where postgrads could showcast their talents and winners were chosen by audience vote - a fun night that received very positive feedback! We also organised a few walks in the countryside in collaboration with the Fellwanderers Society.
What was the biggest challenge in your role?
Postgraduates are notoriously difficult to wrench away from their research and get out to have fun. In the beginning of the year postgrads are keen to meet new people, but near the end of the year, they are less keen to mingle with strangers.
What do you wish you had known before you started?
Postgraduates don’t mind hanging out with undergraduates. The Faculty Unions have great experience with planning events and therefore are rich sources of ideas, support and even decorations for events.
Another important thing is to start planning bigger events (e.g. the "Postgrads Got talent" Night) early, about 2 months in advance. This will give you more time to organise everything and do the publicity!
What advice do you have for those considering running for your position?
Make sure you organise events that you and your friends want to attend. Then all the effort is worth it when you have a great night!
Try to recruit a handful of committed volunteers / events team members early in the year; who you can rely on to help you out at events during the year.
Work closely with the Publicity Officer to advertize events.
What meetings does the GSA Events Officer report to and attend?
• The GSA Events Officer arranges Events team meetings whenever events have to be planned (alternativeley merge the Events team meeting with the GSA Exec meeting) • Report to and attend (or send a representative) to all GSA Exec meetings
Public Relations & Marketing Officer
The GSA Public Relations & Marketing officer has two main responsibilities: • advertising GSA and Union events to the postgraduate population • attempting to acquire monetary support for the GSA
Postgraduates tend to respond differently to different messages and it is important to ensure that they are aware of GSA and Union activities as well as feel invited to all the events. Reaching as many postgraduates as possible has been notoriously difficult and the GSA is aiming to raise its profile as much as possible this year.
To do this the GSA would benefit from increased monetary support, from the Union as well as from outside sources. The main events that would benefit from sponsorship are the Welcome and Winter PG Mingles plus the Summer Picnic. The Public Relations & Marketing Officer would be responsible for liaising with College staff, at some of the highest levels, and putting forward the case for more GSA funding. In addition, they should approach a number of potential sponsors identified either by GSA members with corporate ties, or by networking at careers events.
Who would this role suite?
This role should be of particular interest to students in the Business School, or postgrads who are interested in pursuing a career in business after their PhD. Even if you are interested in staying in academia, it provides you with valuable experience in how to set up and manage a team effectively, and in how to market things correctly, how to write grant applications and in event planning and budgeting. It can also provide valuable networking experience, depending how much time and effort you put in.
What was the biggest challenge in your role?
The biggest challenge is finding contacts in industry to approach for potential funding. It really helps if you can find alumni or current students with ties in a company and work with them to help the GSA.
What do you wish you had known before you started?
I wish I had known how important advertising for and building a publicity team would be. And also that posters are far more effective than flyering; they also take a lot less effort to put up.
What advice do you have for those considering running for your position?
Make sure that you work closely with other GSA Representatives, so that you are in good communication with the postgraduate student body. Postgrads only attend events when one of their friends make them, so you have to get in touch with that leader somehow and they are usually active in many areas.
It is also a great idea to build a team of Publicity Gurus if possible, ideally to fulfil the following roles: one person who is in charge of advertising in the GSA Newsletter; another who keeps Facebook and teh GSAevents twitter feed up to date; one who keeps the GSA website and Union ‘What’s On’ Calendar up to date; another who puts up posters, especially on the Sherfield walkway; and finally someone who reports activities to Felix.
What meetings does the GSA public relations & marketing officer report to and attend?
• The GSA public relations & marketing officer should arrange meetings with members of their team and other GSA members as necessary • Report to and attend (or send a representative) to GSA Exec & Council meetings • Attend (or send a representative) to Union Ents Committee meetings
Services Officer
The GSA Services Officer is responsible for liaising with the heads of College Services, such as the Accomodation and International Office, Careers, Catering and Commercial Services, Library, Outreach and ICT staff, plus Graduate Schools staff such as Transferable Skills Lecturers and the Union System Administrator, as appropriate, in order to ensure that services are delivered to postgraduate students in an exemplary fashion. As this is a lot of work to carry the officer will nominate other graduate students to help them out in keeping track of the progress in relevant areas - this year this was done for the transferable skills courses and career services.
What GSA activities were you involved in throughout the year?
The Services Officer is a new position within the GSA which was formed in response to many queries that the GSA received in the previous year regarding the functioning of the IC services listed above.
Most of the work in this academic year has been dedicated to the transferable skills courses. The Robert's Funding that was used to set up a variety of interesting transferable skills courses has run out and the current courses had to be reviewed, and as a result a new TS programme was proposed. The role of the Services Coordinator was to attend the meetings, feed into the discussions of the proposed changes and communicate it back to the GSA and other postgraduate students. We also collected comments from the postgraduate students regarding the existing courses and courses they would like to see offered by the Imperial College and many of them have been taken on board.
Another avenue that we wanted to explore were the Careers Services. This is still in progress but the idea is to collect as much feedback from the students as possible and pass the major concens onto the Careers Services staff. Most of this work is being done by getting people to reply to the GSA letter asking for postgraduates' opinions, collecting the comments from the Forum or by talking to the AWOs.
I was also responsible for establshment and maintainance of the GSA forum, which is a great way for students to share their unedited opinions about the Transferable Skills Courses as well as other IC services they experienced. This provides valuable information to other students and also lets us decide on what are the key issues that need to be flagged up with the Imperial staff.
Finally, although not directly relevant to the Imperial services, I represented the Imperial College at the National Postgraduate Commitee meetings, an organisation that brings together and represents all the postgraduate communities from various universities across the UK.
What was the biggest challenge in your role?
The biggest challenge was to get the students feedback to the relevant people on time. One also needs to remember to be constantly asking people for feedback, then go through it and present the relevant parts in a comprehensive manner to the relevant people within Imperial.
What do you wish you had known before you started?
There are numerous articulate postgrads, which are keen to take on these issues, but they need organization and direction to make an impact.
What advice do you have for those considering running for this position?
Intermittent requests, for help and opinions, throughout the year always result in new, interested postgrads making contact. I believe the trick is to have information accessible to new comers while maintaining a core force of activists.
What meetings does the GSA Services Officer report to and attend?
• The GSA Services Officer should arrange meetings with GSA members and Union or College staff as necessary • Report to and attend (or send a representative) to all GSA Exec & Council meetings • Report to and attend Union Council and RWB meetings where appropriate
Sports & Activities Officer
The GSA Sports & Activities Officer is responsible for creating and advertising opportunities for postgraduates to play sports in a friendly, non-professional, yet cordially competitive environment. In some instances games and competitions already exist around the various campuses, but they are not advertised centrally and thus can be missed by new postgraduates. In other instances, undergrads have leagues up and running, which are prime for postgraduate involvement. The GSA Sports & Activities Officer closely collaborates with the Events Officer coordinating sports events with other GSA events and organising casual GSA activities such as games/movie nights and walks.
This sounds like lot of responsibility, where would I start?
Don’t worry, there are already a lot of people who want to see postgraduates involved in more organised sports, your role is interject a postgraduate student voice, help out with advertising (in collaboration with the GSA Publicity Officer) and keep everyone motivated to get things up and running. Your main contacts will be Neil Mosely, who is the Head of Sport Imperial and Anthony Hennelly, Sports Development Officer. I have already met with Anthony to discuss setting up a football and rugby league and he has reassured me that he will help with the administration. There is also a website that he has in mind to organise teams and fixtures.
Advice for those considering running for this position:
Make sure you keep advertising throughout the year to the wider postgraduate population: PGs become available (or read their emails more thoroughly) on an irregular basis. With New Year’s resolutions and bad weather, January makes a great time to recruit participants for indoor sporting activities.
What meetings does the GSA Sports & Activities Officer report to and attend?
• The GSA Sports & Activities Officer should arrange meetings with GSA members and external collaborators as necessary • Report to and attend (or send a representative) to all GSA Exec & Council meetings • Report to and attend Union Council meetings where appropriate
Representation Officer
The GSA Representation Officer oversees all representational activities and responsibilities of the GSA Executive Committee in the various Union, Graduate School and College committees the GSA is involved in. Working closely with the President, Vice President and Secretary, this means keeping track of all the meetings that are on the agenda, making sure the respective GSA representative(s) are aware of them, keep deadlines, receive all the papers circulated beforehand and either attend or send a proxy. In particular, the Representation Officer guides the AWOs and assists them in their communication among themselves and with the postgraduate representatives in their respective faculties. Also, the Representation Officer maintains close contact to the Union Sabbatical Officers and keeps the GSA informed of their activities and vice versa.
