A day in the life of...KUSU President

Tuesday 7 February 2012, 12:52pm
by Rosie Weatherley

9.30am:  Didn’t go to bed until 1.30am last night, so after a strong coffee, two cigarettes, 15 minutes of the BBC news channel (a really good habit to get into when you spend lots of time making small talk with “grown ups”, and especially good if, like me, you don’t follow sports results for pleasure.) and a small straightener burn I am just about awake, on the bus and going through emails on my blackberry (thank goodness for blackberry) to see if there’s anything that needs immediate attention when I arrive in the office.  No emergencies today, which is a nice start.  

9.50am: Grab my post from the pigeon holes – two sets of University committee papers, an invitation from the VC to a dinner with various ‘important people’, three newsletters from local charities, an NUS magazine, hideous amounts of spam, and a copy of the TES.  

10am:  Check my diary to work out how much time I’ve got before my first meeting (2.5hrs – a little bit longer than usual.)  The phone is flashing orange, which means voicemails.  One from Marilyn Andrews, Pro-Vice Chancellor, thanking me for ‘the other night’ (I have to stop and remember what she means- but quickly realise she’s referring to her guest appearance at an AGM) and asking me if there’s anything she needs to do for the next student experience workshop.   There isn’t – I’ll tack that reply onto the end of the next email I send her.  One call back from a company I made an enquiry with a week ago about the price of a product.  Too expensive.  One from the University Disciplinary team asking me to be a panel member for a level two in two weeks’ time.  No problem- I call back and ask for the details. Then I pop into the IAU to see if there are any advisors who happen to be scheduled to represent at a disciplinary that day (i can’t ask outright about individual cases as I don’t have a caseload- this is my way of making sure the student has the help they need!).  There is an advisor going to a level two- which means the student is being represented.  Fab.

10.10: emails.  Today there are 94 unread, and about twelve that I have starred for follow-up.  I delete duplicates sent out to me more than once from various NUS mailbases, and scan through the NUS media digest, to see if there’s anything particularly relevant to Keele.  (If there is, I’ll usually link it to facebook and twitter, and if it’s big news, I’ll check if the University press team are responding in any way).  About ten are ideas bouncing between the sabbatical team on a particular issue in advance of our team meeting later that day.  Four enquiries/complaints from students- car parking, Union disciplinary procedure, one asking permission to have a stall outside KUSU, and one from a student who was really struggling in halls and looking for help.   Four emails from various University staff PA’s requesting meetings, and a couple of University Committee papers.  There is also a conversation happening across email regarding a Keele Key Fund bid, and some student officers from other unions are now using the mailbases to debate and bicker at eachother.  Gah.  Twenty two get deleted, nineteen don’t need replies.  Twelve get replies there and then, and there rest are starred or forwarded onto the relevant individual. 

11am:”Staff rounds”.  I call it staff rounds in my head because I’ve only recently realised that I do it- and conversely, I don’t get on at all well with my day until I’ve checked in with the team to see what their plans are and if they have any issues I need to know about.   Sabbs first- sometimes I get feedback on services (staff member X has issue Y, queues were big last night, etc etc).  Other times I’ll be shown a university paper and we’ll discuss the best response, or talk through a particular event or problem.  Often, nothing’s up, they’re fine and dandy, and just want to get on with their day- but it’s important to check!  Sometimes I check in with the membership services co-ordinator too, usually to go over what’s needed in order to ensure things like UGMs and student councils happen properly.  Usually the Operations managers next-  feeding back anything from the sabbs and anything relevant from my emails or phone, and a quick catch up on the various services- updates on bar take, any fights or other night welfare issues from the commercial team, and updates on staffing issues, University movement on specific issues, IAU caseload and student activities often feature.   Sometimes I pop into marketing too, if there’s anything specific in the way of media or PR that I need some support with. 

11.40am: I’ve got just under an hour till I have to be in a meeting, so I grab the meeting papers and a coffee, and remind myself of what’s likely to come up.  Make some notes and double check a couple of statistics.  Am about to grab some lunch when a student pops in for a chat (never mind lunch, they usually have biscuits at this meeting anyway) and we spend half an hour talking about their problem.   Look up some contact details for them and explain what’s likely to happen next.  We talk about the likelihood and impact of different outcomes, and then I have to dash to my meeting.  I tell the student when I’ll be back if they want to carry on chatting, and give them my email address if there’s anything they think of later.  Then I leg it across to the Claus Moser. 

12.30pm:  manage to get to the meeting just in time.  Intentionally struggle with my coat at the door, to give myself enough time to work out where to sit (sometimes where you sit can make a real difference in a big committee!)  Opt for a seat just opposite the chair, (good for eye contact) and diagonally from two  lecturers who have a good attitude towards the issues that I have concerns over in these papers (because when you have the debate, if those in favour seem more spread out, it can seem as though the majority of the committee is in favour - sneaky!)  Have to pay attention through fourteen agenda items before the one that’s bothered me comes up.  I’ve already spoken to the author outside the meeting (so it wasn’t a shock to them when I piped up) and they have taken on board some of my suggestions, but the main one has stayed in.  Have already had a ‘raised eyebrows’ moment with my diagonal allies, and I have an idea who’s going to be vocal on the topic.  Ready and armed with counter-suggestions, I successfully block the ‘bad bit’ of the paper from progressing through.  Feel a bit pleased with myself- it’s not often that straightforward.   Winner.  Hang around for a couple of minutes after the meeting to have a word with the chair, and whilst waiting for her to finish talking to another member, put this morning’s news items to good use when I remember that one of the staff members has an interest in French politics.  We have a good chat and I use the opportunity to ask her about a project which I need her support on.  She seems enthusiastic- we agree to meet up and talk about it more. 

 

2.30: starving hungry but only 15 minutes between one meeting and the next.  Grab a glucose-filled chocolate bar and have a quick walk through the building to see what students are up to.  Spot a couple of broken lights and deviations from standard practise at the till- make a mental note to mention it to the managers.  Happy to see the scruffy squirrel nice and full, and blueprint- which is strange as the bar is closed.  Look over the balcony (my favourite habit) whilst I’m having a cigarette and am reminded to investigate screen printing costs when I spot a row of builders bums.  Yuk. 

2.45: a catch-up meeting with sabbs.   We run through our usual agenda quite quickly, filling eachother in on campaigns, running through manifesto aims and speculating on how the University might move on a few issues on the horizon.  We’ve got to make a few decisions and as we are all naturally opinionated individuals this takes a while to play out.  An hour later, we agree on a campaign message, how we would like to handle a particular staffing issue, and some action points to ensure particular jobs get done.  (writing this is one of them.) 

3.45: just sat down to review emails again and start on a report when I get a call from one of the ops managers, who needs a word.  Go to find - the issue is that one element of catering provision is no longer profitable.  Need to decide whether to stop running it, or accept that it is a loss-making service.  Advise that before making a decision like that, we should try pushing the promotions a little further, as this is a new service that might not be widely known. Suggest menus are more widely circulated amongst student body- maybe flyers or a rockbox, or some vouchers, to encourage customer loyalty.  Agreed this would be trialled and effect reassessed in a couple of weeks.  PA catches me on the way out- I have the meeting room booked out in a week’s time- do I want drinks provided.   Ops manager services sees me walking past and updates me on a staffing issue we discussed this morning.  It isn’t good news and will have to go on the agenda for staffing committee later in the week.  When I get back to my office two students are waiting to see me- one wanting help with a motion for the next UGM, and one wanting a cheque signed- as the VP Finance has popped out. 

3.55: VC’s PA calls.  wants to know if I can meet the VC tomorrow at 9.30am.  Check diary - yes I can, but only for half an hour, also what’s it about and is there any prep necessary.   It’s about student behaviour in the community- some complaints from residents near one block of flats popular with Keele students.   PA will forward the complaints.    Whilst on the phone I also ask her to let Marilyn’s PA know (as they work in the same office) that I had her voicemail and I don’t need anything.

 
4pm: Complaints received via email- looks like students have been noisy but reasons behind look very flakey- and onus quite clearly on the landlord to meet some obligations to his tenants which could feasibly have avoided the problem.  Pass to the IAU to see whether this bears any resemblance to anything they’ve had lately.  Lots of complaints about landlords in that area – neglectful and accusatory.  Remember I met a first year living in the block in freshers week, and have his number.  Send him a text to ask him how it’s going- turns out he’s been in to see the IAU this morning over letters the landlords are sending to the student tenants.  Spend an hour in the IAU looking at evidence and ensuring I have a full picture, some potential causes and suggested solutions all up my sleeve in time for tomorrow.    Send a quick email to the sabbs to let them know this is coming up.

5pm.  Return to my emails to try and tackle those starred items.  24 unread new – mostly from the mailbases- officers continuing to bicker and pointscore.  One is a request for info on how safety buses run at other institutions – I take five minutes out of my day to type a paragraph about how ours operate and fund.   A friend comes in, plonks himself unceremoniously onto my sofa, and tells me all the news of today.  Try to stay focussed on what I’m doing and listen at the same time, all going well until I realise I have a senate report due in tomorrow that I was supposed to start today- tell my friend he’s welcome to stay but has to be quiet now.  Friend doesn’t mind, laughs at my bluntness and gets out his laptop.  I begin alternating between emails and a word document at lightning speed.  Get the bulk of it done, and email a draft to myself, but put some time in the diary tomorrow to ensure I get it finished before the deadline.    At some point, my friend disappears for home- as I don’t really remember when I conclude I must have given him an autopilot farewell.   Oops.

6.45pm. My girlfriend texts – she assumes I have yet again neglected to eat a full meal today and is cooking pasta.  Do I have enough cigarettes and do I want some wine.   No I don’t and yes I do.   I take the Committee papers I got in the post this morning, pretend I didn’t see the three empty coffee mugs on my desk and lock up the corridor.  I’m starving hungry, and if I don’t go home now, I’ll barely see my better half before she goes to bed.  I can finish the report and read the papers tonight when she’s asleep.