Conferences
The second annual PfC conference College Students' Associations: Realising our Potential took place on 14th August 2014. The conference celebrated the achievements of students’ associations over the last two years, and marked the end of the PfC project. It also offered the opportunity for delegates to explore next steps for college students’ associations.
The event built on last year’s Conference Creating the Future, held on 21st August 2013. It was aimed at college student officers, students’ association staff, and college or sector staff whose work involves the students’ association.
View both conference pages via the above links for more details.
Strengthening and Developing our Student Board Members
Partnerships for Change is working with the College Development Network to deliver a range of activities which will investigate the unique role of the college student board member, the benefits this member can offer to the board, and how board members can help break down the barriers and challenges they face.
Under the Post-16 Education Act, two members of all college and regional boards will be students. It is therefore important for college boards to know how to make the most of this valuable resource. The effective involvement of student members is a key factor in enabling the board as a whole to ensure that the voice and needs of students are at the centre of all the decisions they make.
See below for articles related to this piece of work.
Articles
Article 1: Introduction to the Student Board Member
Governing in a Regional Structure Newsletter January 2014
Introduction to the Student Board Member: Article 1
Article 2: The Four Hats of the Student Board Member
Governing in a Regional Structure Newsletter February 2014
HR Scoping Events
June 2014
With the increase in paid officers and association staff over the past year, a number of regions have raised the need for effective guidance on HR and employment. We therefore engaged a Business Law Firm to explore and clarify the issues around sabbatical officers’ employment status, and the employment of students’ association staff. We envisage the outcome of this piece of work will include guidance and example models.
In order to ensure that this guidance takes into account the variations between different colleges and students’ associations, and that it addresses people’s key questions, we ran a series of three scoping events.
These events were aimed at:
- student officers
- association staff
- college staff
- college HR staff
We particularly encouraged HR staff to offer them the opportunity to learn more about the unique complexities of students’ association HR, and ensure that the resulting guidance takes into account college HR practices.
The resulting guidance was later published and is accessible via the resources section of the SA Framework website.
College Students’ Association: Charitable Status and Trustee Boards
Thurs 1st May 2014
This meeting was held to enable college students’ associations to explore the opportunities charitable status and trustee boards could offer them, as well as the challenges they might present. It was aimed at student officers, association staff, and senior college staff with a responsibility for the students’ association.
See the following link for more information: http://sparqs.ac.uk/event-detail.php?event=47
College Students’ Association Staff: Peer Development Group
Thursday 13th March 2014
This half-day meeting with college students’ association staff, and staff who support students’ associations, explored the setting up of a students’ association staff development group or network and what they would want such a group to deliver. The meeting also offered training, and the opportunity to share practice, on urgent development issue including managing elections.
For a summary of the event and to download materials see link below: http://sparqs.ac.uk/partch.php?page=319
Working with College Sabbatical Officers: Developing Professional Relationships
Monday 7th October 2013
This event, run by the Partnerships for Change Project, was aimed at all college staff who work directly with sabbatical officers, whether as students’ association staff, line managers of those staff, or management or teaching staff who work with officers as part of their role. This training explored effective approaches to developing a professional and productive working relationship with their sabbatical officer.
From August 2013 almost all colleges in Scotland will have one or more sabbatical officers. This training gave participants the chance to explore key approaches to developing professional, productive working relationships with sabbatical officers.
The materials from the event can be accessed here: http://www.sparqs.ac.uk/event-detail.php?event=44
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