campaigns & representation
@ Napier Students Association
During 2000-01 I was in full-time elected office as
Campaigns & Representation Sabbatical at Napier
University Students' Association (NSA). That was an unusual job
so this page will explain it somewhat, with photos galore at the bottom of the page!
There were two other sabbatical officers:
the President (Alan Melville Aug-Dec 2000; Simon Tosh Mar-Jul 2001), and the Treasurer & Student Activities Sabbatical (Adam Thomson). Sabbaticals are the governors and
trustees of the students' association, controlling policy whilst nearly
50 staff handle operations. Most work in commercial services (bars/shops) under the commercial
manager whilst under the permanent secretary (or admin/development manager) are education
advisors, welfare advisors, communications officer, administrators, secretaries/PAs, and receptionists.
NSA Sabbatical team for 2000-2001 posing for "Napier News" magazine Left-to-right:
Colin Beveridge (Campaigns & Representation), Alan Melville (President),
Adam Thomson (Treasurer & Student Activities and Sports Union President).
Napier has up to 12,500 students and it was my duty to try to represent
all of them and their interests within the University and beyond. I sat on the Court, the
Academic Board plus just about every other committee and working group covering academic
affairs, and chaired the Senate (SRC). Hard work and usually stressful! Feeding me with
intelligence reports and providing localised knowledge were 4 voluntary Faculty Representatives,
at least 250 Class Reps, the NSA staff and other sabbaticals, and I worked closely with
sabbaticals at other universities and external organisations.
Member of:
University Court (Governor);
Health & Safety Committee;
Academic Board;
Research Committee;
Quality & Standards Committee;
JCC Students;
Student Affairs Committee;
Audit & Monitoring Sub-Committee;
Teaching & Learning Sub-Committee;
Learning Support Committee;
Professional & Statutory Bodies Sub-Committee;
4 x Faculty Boards;
4 x Faculty Quality Committees;
Vice-Principal's Sports Facilities Working Group;
Assistant-Principal's Regulations Review Working Group;
Chairman of Court, Sir Ronald Miller, and Colin taking part in a Graduation Ceremony Launching our submission to the Scottish Executive's student finance consultation NUS Council... battling to sort them out was something to do a dull winter Saturday
The duties below are extracted from the 1999 constitution of NSA:
CAMPAIGNS AND REPRESENTATION SABBATICAL
.1 To chair and support the work of Senate and, as such, to ensure that Senate is an effective and representative forum for debate on issues affecting students, for the initiation of policy and for the accountability for the Executive and Senate sub-committees.
.2 Actively to promote and develop broad based student representation and participation in decision-making at all levels within the University and the Association.
.3 Actively to solicit student representative views on their education, to be pro-active in representing their views and keeping them regularly informed of the work NSA is doing on their behalf in this respect.
.4 To be the principal representative of Napier students on matters affecting their collective academic interests and needs; to undertake research projects and policy formulation on these issues as and when appropriate; and to attend senior academic committees of the University ex officio as a means of actively promoting the views of students in these forums.
.5 To initiate, organise and lead campaigns in furtherance of Association policy and issue awareness as and when appropriate.
.6 Actively to promote equality of opportunity within the University and the Association. To ensure that this principle is integral to all policy passed and procedures enacted.
.7 General duties, including attendance at various university and NSA committees, participation in profiling work, contributing to freshers events and publications, entertainment, union days and so on.
The 5 core objectives of the Association shall be:
.1 Accurately and effectively to represent the interests of Napier students within the University and within the wider community.
.2 To provide good quality advice and support to students, collectively and individually, on issues affecting their education and welfare.
.3 To provide social space and a range of trading services to cater to the social needs of members.
.4 To facilitate regular communication between the Association and its membership, and between the Association, its members and the wider community as and when appropriate.
.5 To provide opportunities for personal and professional development for individual students, through participation in Association and University committee structures and activities, and in the activities of the Sports Union and student clubs and societies.
Some more cuttings from "Veritas", Napier's student newspaper...
In my office with Vice-Principal Prof. Mike Thorne, before we launched into argument.
With the Dean of the Engineering & Computing Faculty, Prof. Alan Sibbald (center), and class reps, touring
the construction site of a new computer facility. We heard rumours it would
be late, noisy, and generally unsuitable so I was keen to scrutinise the project.
One of my final acts in office was to participate in the July graduation ceremonies as Member
of Court. Despite our many differences over the year, I was happy to be photographed
on the stage with the senior management team plus the Chancellor and the
Chairman of Court.
Talking with the University's then Chancellor, the late Rt. Hon. Viscount Younger of Leckie,
aka "Gentleman George", Chairman of the Royal Bank of Scotland plc, and formerly
Secretary of State for Defence in the government of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, backstage in the derobing room after an honorary graduation ceremony.
With graduand Fraser Sim, my former campaign director, offering him my congratulations just prior
to an afternoon ceremony. Members of Court generally remain in the backstage VIP rooms enjoying champagne and
stimulating conversation, but I liked to venture out and meet the people.
Backstage, the Principal & Vice-Chancellor, Prof John Mavor (seated, left), and Chancellor,
Viscount Younger (seated, right), talk about important matters of state, whilst
the then Vice-Principal, Prof Mike Thorne, prances about (left).
Participating in my last meeting of the University Court, with my successor-elect seated to my
left in red shirt as an observer to the Court. These intensely formal meetings, chaired by Sir
Ronald Miller and with a membership of mostly Professors, Lords, Baronesses, Knights and so on, lasted
up to 5 hours but with plenty of appropriate hospitality to ease the burden. It
sure was fun to burst their bubble several times each meeting, exposing fundamental problems
and key issues the management would have preferred the governors didn't hear about... and, sadly, the governors
really preferred not to know about either. The Chairman's catchphrase was, "shall we move on"
and he was always flanked by University Secretariat advisors.
