As SSO, I can honestly state that I have not claimed a single penny of Guild money in expenses.
This isn't an overly noble sentiment, I've just managed to lose all the receipts...
Friday 15 May 2009
Sunday 10 May 2009
Association Constitution
A draft constitution for the Selly Oak Campus Association exists. Further work needed. Suggestions welcome. Hope to finalise post-exams, prior to final GC of year.
Looking forward to handover - possibility to grab the ear of one or more of next years Sabbs re: Sat Sites visits.
Apologies for light blogging of late; and indeed light fulfilment of any Guild commitments. Put it down to my general incompetance at juggling commitments.
Aim to communicate next post in full sentances. Miss prose-writing abilities that reports offered.
Much Love
Chris
Looking forward to handover - possibility to grab the ear of one or more of next years Sabbs re: Sat Sites visits.
Apologies for light blogging of late; and indeed light fulfilment of any Guild commitments. Put it down to my general incompetance at juggling commitments.
Aim to communicate next post in full sentances. Miss prose-writing abilities that reports offered.
Much Love
Chris
Sunday 8 March 2009
Selly Oak Campus hustings
So things didn't go exactly as planned on this front.
Oops.
All I can say on this matter is, please be just a little forgiving on this. While the intentions were good, and the work and assistance of both the VPDR and staff much appreciated by myself, unfortunately it didn't come together on the day. Mistakes in communication meant that the event wasn't as well publicised as would have been ideal.
Now, I'm fully expecting either myself or the VPDR to get mauled on this at the next Guild Council. Naturally, I support the right (indeed obligation) of guild councillors to hold their executive committee to account, on this matter I would urge them to have some restraint. Guild elections are immensely complex in their operation, requiring a large amount of logistical planning and communication. It is to be expected that a few small details don't run smoothly in an otherwise perfect process.
On a positive note, we should perhaps remember that this is the first time any Guild election event has been held at a location other than the main campus and the first time that a large number of the candidates visited the site during elections. They postered and flyered and, with assistance from myself, will be able to give lecture shouts on the site. Hopefully, having been there at least once, next years executive committee will be better placed to represent the students of Selly Oak Campus.
Better luck next year ay?
Oops.
All I can say on this matter is, please be just a little forgiving on this. While the intentions were good, and the work and assistance of both the VPDR and staff much appreciated by myself, unfortunately it didn't come together on the day. Mistakes in communication meant that the event wasn't as well publicised as would have been ideal.
Now, I'm fully expecting either myself or the VPDR to get mauled on this at the next Guild Council. Naturally, I support the right (indeed obligation) of guild councillors to hold their executive committee to account, on this matter I would urge them to have some restraint. Guild elections are immensely complex in their operation, requiring a large amount of logistical planning and communication. It is to be expected that a few small details don't run smoothly in an otherwise perfect process.
On a positive note, we should perhaps remember that this is the first time any Guild election event has been held at a location other than the main campus and the first time that a large number of the candidates visited the site during elections. They postered and flyered and, with assistance from myself, will be able to give lecture shouts on the site. Hopefully, having been there at least once, next years executive committee will be better placed to represent the students of Selly Oak Campus.
Better luck next year ay?
The End of an Era
So SSO is not only uncontested this year, but there isn't a single candidate...
25,000 students, not one of them wanting to fill my shoes... Tragic really.
My honest answer (indeed statement really) to all those who have expressed interest/anger at this, is that yes, I am very disappointed by this. At one time it looked as if things could go the other way; there were names floating around and It even looked like being the first contested SSO election in nine years. Sadly, both candidates dropped out of the race before campaigning starts and haven't been heard from since.
So whose fault is it? Well, mine partially. It is, after all, the role of an incumbant officer to find a competant and able successor to continue their work. I'll be the first to admit it isn't an overly high bar to clear.
SSO is the one position whose name is not in the slightest bit intuitive; campaigning last year involved spending most of my time explaining to people what the job actually was. Harder still is it to get people genuinely excited about "Satellite Sites Issues". This, perhaps, is among the reasons for the perenial lack of cadidates/interest.
Add to this the general lack of Guild presence on Satellite Sites. The students the position aims to engage with are, at present, even more distant from our union than Edgbaston campus students - and not just in terms of geography. Whilst this is something I have tried to address during my term so far, I will admit that there is much more still to be done.
It is my hope that there will be candidates for the eventual SSO by-election (date TBC), and that until then both the incumbant guild officer group and the incoming officers are supportive of both Satellite Sites students, and of a Guild role on Satellite sites.
And if it remains unfilled much longer; well, i'll be back in 2010 (now there's a threat you can't take lightly.)
Cheers all.
25,000 students, not one of them wanting to fill my shoes... Tragic really.
My honest answer (indeed statement really) to all those who have expressed interest/anger at this, is that yes, I am very disappointed by this. At one time it looked as if things could go the other way; there were names floating around and It even looked like being the first contested SSO election in nine years. Sadly, both candidates dropped out of the race before campaigning starts and haven't been heard from since.
So whose fault is it? Well, mine partially. It is, after all, the role of an incumbant officer to find a competant and able successor to continue their work. I'll be the first to admit it isn't an overly high bar to clear.
SSO is the one position whose name is not in the slightest bit intuitive; campaigning last year involved spending most of my time explaining to people what the job actually was. Harder still is it to get people genuinely excited about "Satellite Sites Issues". This, perhaps, is among the reasons for the perenial lack of cadidates/interest.
Add to this the general lack of Guild presence on Satellite Sites. The students the position aims to engage with are, at present, even more distant from our union than Edgbaston campus students - and not just in terms of geography. Whilst this is something I have tried to address during my term so far, I will admit that there is much more still to be done.
It is my hope that there will be candidates for the eventual SSO by-election (date TBC), and that until then both the incumbant guild officer group and the incoming officers are supportive of both Satellite Sites students, and of a Guild role on Satellite sites.
And if it remains unfilled much longer; well, i'll be back in 2010 (now there's a threat you can't take lightly.)
Cheers all.
February '09 Guild Council Report
The latest installment in my ever fascinating Guild Council Reports!
"Arft’noon Guild councillors
This Guild Council sees two motions written by yours truly come before you. My aim here is to give us some policy in areas in which I have already been working over the past few months. This will be for the benefit of future officers and students. I would urge you to help in passing these motions, and to forward any questions you may have about them to myself.*
In other news, an informal student group at the Shakespeare Institute has approached me for information and advice about obtaining funding for their annual BritGrad conference. I am working to assist them as best I can. Snow has temporarily closed the Ironbridge Institute, so nothing much to say from there.
With the joy of elections on the horizon, I have been generally making myself useful. Last week I met with a number of sabbatical and non-sabbatical candidates; it is my hope that I shall meet more and see fully contested elections. With much appreciated help from staff within the Guild and on the site, I have been working to organise and official candidate hustings on Selly Oak Campus. This will have the double benefit of engaging the students there, in addition to giving candidates a first-hand tour of the site.
Last Friday, myself and other members of the officer group battled the elements to go door-knocking about Selly Oak. This was intended to both inform students of elections, and encourage some to come forward as candidates. Most likely we just annoyed them by dragging them away from warm duvets/dinners/partners.
At time of writing, I am yet to hear of any candidates for the position of SSO. My advice would be, even if you are only contemplating running, just bloody go for it. I can honestly say that running (and winning) is a decision I definitely don’t regret. I would even consider re-election if that were possible. If you still aren’t sure, drop us a line on c.nash@guild.bham.ac.uk, and I’ll supply further encouragement.
Finally, to all prospective candidates, I leave you with this encouraging quote from Hazel Blears:
“Campaigning is like sex; if you aren’t enjoying it, you’re doing it wrong.”
Cheers all.
Chris Nash
SSO"
* The Indy Chairs made me cut this bit. I therefore gave no endorsement on motions I conceived, wrote and proposed. Can't censor the internet though :P
"Arft’noon Guild councillors
This Guild Council sees two motions written by yours truly come before you. My aim here is to give us some policy in areas in which I have already been working over the past few months. This will be for the benefit of future officers and students. I would urge you to help in passing these motions, and to forward any questions you may have about them to myself.*
In other news, an informal student group at the Shakespeare Institute has approached me for information and advice about obtaining funding for their annual BritGrad conference. I am working to assist them as best I can. Snow has temporarily closed the Ironbridge Institute, so nothing much to say from there.
With the joy of elections on the horizon, I have been generally making myself useful. Last week I met with a number of sabbatical and non-sabbatical candidates; it is my hope that I shall meet more and see fully contested elections. With much appreciated help from staff within the Guild and on the site, I have been working to organise and official candidate hustings on Selly Oak Campus. This will have the double benefit of engaging the students there, in addition to giving candidates a first-hand tour of the site.
Last Friday, myself and other members of the officer group battled the elements to go door-knocking about Selly Oak. This was intended to both inform students of elections, and encourage some to come forward as candidates. Most likely we just annoyed them by dragging them away from warm duvets/dinners/partners.
At time of writing, I am yet to hear of any candidates for the position of SSO. My advice would be, even if you are only contemplating running, just bloody go for it. I can honestly say that running (and winning) is a decision I definitely don’t regret. I would even consider re-election if that were possible. If you still aren’t sure, drop us a line on c.nash@guild.bham.ac.uk, and I’ll supply further encouragement.
Finally, to all prospective candidates, I leave you with this encouraging quote from Hazel Blears:
“Campaigning is like sex; if you aren’t enjoying it, you’re doing it wrong.”
Cheers all.
Chris Nash
SSO"
* The Indy Chairs made me cut this bit. I therefore gave no endorsement on motions I conceived, wrote and proposed. Can't censor the internet though :P
Selly Oak Campus Committee
Thanks to Guild Councillors everywhere, my motion on the establishment for an Association for the students of Selly Oak Campus passed completely without note. Apparently Gaza is of more importance to Guild Council - some people have no sense of priorities :P
Well, anyhow. Now, amongst essays and what-not, your favourate non-sabb is gonna be spending time knocking out a new constitution for the new Association. It'll probably modelled on that of our beloved and successful LGBT association (with some obvious changes). Looking at the calender as it stands, the physical establishment of the association is something which will probably have to wait until academic year '09-'10; a long way away sure, but this in itself gives us the advantage of time for proper planning. Yeah, I think long term me.
That said, any feedback/suggestions/ideas from normal students (i.e. not me) is more than welcome when I do get round to drafting this thing. Just drop us a line on c.nash@guild.bham.ac.uk.
Cheers all.
Well, anyhow. Now, amongst essays and what-not, your favourate non-sabb is gonna be spending time knocking out a new constitution for the new Association. It'll probably modelled on that of our beloved and successful LGBT association (with some obvious changes). Looking at the calender as it stands, the physical establishment of the association is something which will probably have to wait until academic year '09-'10; a long way away sure, but this in itself gives us the advantage of time for proper planning. Yeah, I think long term me.
That said, any feedback/suggestions/ideas from normal students (i.e. not me) is more than welcome when I do get round to drafting this thing. Just drop us a line on c.nash@guild.bham.ac.uk.
Cheers all.
January '09 Guild Council Report
"SSO Report – January 2009
Happy New Year Guild Councillors! I imagine you are all eager as ever to find out my exploits over the past month. As it stands, little to report, though a number of interesting things should be bubbling up over the next couple of weeks. I’ve taken some time in writing some proposed policy for the Guilds actions on Satellite sites. At present it remains in draft form, pending feedback from the Officer group, though I shall be bringing some to the next Guild Council. For those who followed my endeavours on Selly Oak Campus with it’s committee last semester, I should probably apologise for the regretful failure in collecting any nominations. Some policy on the committees structure, aims, and so forth is on its way. It may be the job of my successor to get the committee in working order, though I remain committed to the establishment of small-scale representative bodies on our Satellite Sites.
In other news; I have been in discussions with Guild Staff about how best to engage with our Sat. Sites postgrads (policy may follow).
It would be wrong of me not to mention the Guild Officer Group Elections looming over the horizon. I would urge anyone with even the slightest urge to stand to do so. If not, at least email your desired position’s incumbent. Anyone interested in standing for the position of SSO can drop me a line on c.nash@guild.bham.ac.uk , remember, to stand you need to be a student studying on a Satellite site next year.
That should do for now. If you have time on your hands, why not consider visiting my blog: http://www.chrisnashsso.blogspot.com/ (current hit total: 25).
Cheers
Chris Nash
Satellite Sites Officer."
Apologies for the delays in getting this up
Happy New Year Guild Councillors! I imagine you are all eager as ever to find out my exploits over the past month. As it stands, little to report, though a number of interesting things should be bubbling up over the next couple of weeks. I’ve taken some time in writing some proposed policy for the Guilds actions on Satellite sites. At present it remains in draft form, pending feedback from the Officer group, though I shall be bringing some to the next Guild Council. For those who followed my endeavours on Selly Oak Campus with it’s committee last semester, I should probably apologise for the regretful failure in collecting any nominations. Some policy on the committees structure, aims, and so forth is on its way. It may be the job of my successor to get the committee in working order, though I remain committed to the establishment of small-scale representative bodies on our Satellite Sites.
In other news; I have been in discussions with Guild Staff about how best to engage with our Sat. Sites postgrads (policy may follow).
It would be wrong of me not to mention the Guild Officer Group Elections looming over the horizon. I would urge anyone with even the slightest urge to stand to do so. If not, at least email your desired position’s incumbent. Anyone interested in standing for the position of SSO can drop me a line on c.nash@guild.bham.ac.uk , remember, to stand you need to be a student studying on a Satellite site next year.
That should do for now. If you have time on your hands, why not consider visiting my blog: http://www.chrisnashsso.blogspot.com/ (current hit total: 25).
Cheers
Chris Nash
Satellite Sites Officer."
Apologies for the delays in getting this up
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