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"Weekly Info", Autumn Week 7: "What do you actually do?"
"What do you actually do?"
Last week, someone asked me what my job involved. It's a tough question: the President's remit, according to the constitution, involves acting as the "primary representative of the Union" -- to students, to the university, and to the world outside the campus bubble.
Unofficially, of course, it involves so much more. So I thought this week I'd take you through what I get up to in just a few days. There are hundreds of other small things that I've been doing as well, but it'd take about ten sheets of A4 to describe them all.
So, let's start with last Wednesday. In the morning, I had a premeeting in Heslington Hall to discuss a nine-hour meeting that would come this week. This was about the future of the university's Virtual Learning Environment -- that's the Yorkshare VLE that most of you will log into on a regular basis.
In the afternoon, I was back off to the Hall to discuss the university's rent structure; and after that, I was in Union Council presenting a paper and putting forward a call for a second NUS Extraordinary Conference. (I'll explain what that's all about some other week.) And in between all of that, I was putting together the list of new Board of Studies Reps for the Union's training officers.
On Thursday, I was on the panel that's deciding whether to move York email accounts to Google Apps (or Microsoft's equivalent); and then in the afternoon I joined Charlie Leyland, the Academic and Welfare Officer, in Student Services Committee -- and by the end of that meeting, B Henry's was staying open. (There was a lot of time spent preparing for that meeting.) Oh, and in the evening I volunteered on the alumni telethon that's raising money for the Langwith Bar project.
Friday saw me reviewing Welcome Week with university administrators, talking to the Deputy Vice Chancellor about Board of Studies Elections, and then going to the university's Policy and Resources meeting -- that's where they sign off budgets for Heslington East, among many other things. Oh, and I called bingo for Student Action!
In between all of those, there are a hundred other things demanding my attention -- like talking with the NUS, replying to queries from students and potential students, and working on the internal Union business that keeps everything ticking over. It's worth remembering, too, that the rest of my team are working just as hard on their own remits, and we try and help each other out as much as we can.
I'm not writing this for sympathy, though -- this is the job I signed up for, after all. I'm writing this because come next February, there are going to be people wanting this job -- heck, they're going to be fighting hard for it in the YUSU Elections. You could be one of them. And it's only fair that you know what you're letting yourself in for.
THIS WEEK'S SIDEBAR:
REJECTED IDEAS FOR THE SSHH CAMPAIGN, #1
YUSU-branded gags ("Your Gag") distributed at the close of events. Turned down on health and safety grounds.*
* This may be a lie
YUSU FULL-TIME OFFICER MARIO KART WII LEAGUE TABLE
Sometimes, on late nights in the office, when the day’s work is done, you can hear the screeching of tyres and a large amount of swearing.
1. 'Red Shell' Rory Shanks
Societies and Communications Officer, currently lording it over everyone else. Damn him.
2. Alex Lacy
Sports President, tends to get very excited at victory.
3. Mad Cap'n Tom Scott
Insists on being Koopa Troopa, gets very frustrated when pipped at the post.
4. Charlie Leyland
Academic and Welfare Officer, sneaks up behind other racers when they've dismissed her as a threat.
5. James "Jamie" Tyler
Doesn't have the killer instinct, which is probably a good thing considering he’s the Student Development and Charities Officer.
6. Matt Burton
Services and Finance Officer, insists that someone's moved him to the bottom of the table while he wasn't looking but no-one believes it.
ONE CORRECTION:
Turns out it was Week 6 last week and I put Week 5 in the title of the blog entry. Time flies.
