I cannot believe how quickly time flies! It seems like only yesterday we were saying goodbye to our old club leaders and welcoming in the new class. But like Groundhog Day it is that time of year. What a year is has been…from the China Club introducing the inaugural China Business Forum to the RLG & Energy club joining forces for the first Paris Career trek.
Anyway enough nostalgia and onto the point of this blog – to get you up to speed on the Student Association, clubs, elections and how it all fits together:
Student Association
The Student Association (SA), elected annually by the students, exists to represent student interests throughout the school and oversees the 70+ student clubs on campus. Elections take place in April for senior officers (generally 2nd year full time students) and October for junior positions. Check out some of the nomination videos from last year from the sublime to the slightly more ridiculous!
I have the ‘pleasure’ of sitting in on the weekly SA meetings, and am constantly amazed by the passion these students have and how much they are able to achieve (we have the SA to thank for cashless payment!), especially when you consider the roles are entirely voluntary, juggled alongside their other commitments!
Orel's (former SA president) spring update:
Club Elections
Clubs must run elections for president and treasurer, with the committee structure being down to the individual club. Elections take place in the spring term, with positions being filled by second year, full time students, due to the nature of the position.
The autumn term sees clubs competing for early club kick off dates so they can recruit the best new students to their executive committee. Applications normally involve a written submission, followed by an interview - good practice for the recruitment process!
Discussion group vs. Society vs. Club - 3 tier classification for student groups
At the start of every year the SA are bombarded with requests for new clubs, ranging from the expected (e.g. Commodities) to the more obscure (e.g. Waves & bubbles focusing on surfing!). To ensure we do not end up with inactive clubs there are certain criteria which need to be filled:
Coin Vote
Clubs have 3 main sources of income: sponsorship, self -financing (e.g. ticket sales, subscription fees) and the coin vote - Each student has 5 coins, which they allocate to their clubs of choice (maximum of 3 coins per club), with the funds (from the School, varying year on year) being distributed across the clubs depending on number of coins received.
Club & leadership support
Our team offers support and training to the clubs and leaders, running a variety of events including:
- New officers training in autumn, helping new students navigate their way around the somewhat confusing maze of London Business School – hopefully making your life easier! All attendees said they would recommend this to next year’s officers!
- ‘Why be a leader?’ encouraging students to step up and take on leadership roles – 88% who attended said the event had encouraged them to run for a leadership position
- New leaders training in May, providing students with the opportunity to set SMART objectives for themselves and clubs for the year ahead. Professor Margaret Ormiston facilitated an incredibly interesting session, which is applicable to most of us! Her slides are below:
I hope that helps clear up any confusion surrounding clubs. They really are an integral part of the student experience – if you don’t believe me have a look at some testimonials from our students:
"Clubs give me an invaluable opportunity to interact with the broader community among students and professionals. I enjoy meeting new people and building relationships at a personal and professional level"
"Clubs have enabled me to contribute at various levels. In doing any role you leave a legacy which is very heart-warming. Even though you leave, something that you started carries on year after year impacting the school community"
"Being part of the leadership team in clubs, I am amazed by the extent of learning provided. What seems so simple from outside is challenging when you start doing it. At the end of the day, it is what you make of it" MBA2014
Any other questions just let me know!
Marion Buggins
Student Activities Manager, Career Services